If you go ...
Albany United Methodist Church Easter Sunday services will be held at 8 and 10 a.m. at 500 Park St., Albany. The main message will come from the choir performing a cantata, led by Terri Blumer. Pastor Pat Soddy will have a short message, and the regular children's moment is included.
ALBANY - This Sunday, Albany United Methodist Church will celebrate Easter at home on Park Street.
For the first time since coming to the Albany United Methodist Church seven years ago, Pastor Pat Soddy is planning how to fit more chairs into the sanctuary of the new church building. She has no idea how many friends and family will attend Easter services this year.
"It will have the feeling of being home," she said.
"It already feels like home."
The congregation has long held its Easter services in community locations, such as the Lions Club and the high school, because attendance swelled to as many as 200 people.
"We could never fit them all in (the previous church building)," Soddy said.
The previous church, which was about 150 years old, could hold about 125 worshippers. Since the congregation moved into its new building in September, regular Sunday service attendance has increased to about 150 to 180 people, according to Soddy.
Christmas in the new building came off beautifully for the congregation in December, and Palm Sunday was also well attended, according to Soddy. But Easter has a unique draw for worshippers.
"This is the big one," Soddy said.
The journey to their new, earth-bound home has been long for the congregation, said Soddy, from strengthening and uniting the church to focusing on their calling and finally to the physical and financial undertaking of creating a new place of worship for all.
"We feel grateful and amazingly humble - and I get to be the pastor," Soddy said. "It feels like we have been on a long, long journey, and now we finally get home and have this amazing celebration."
Soddy said the community is still welcome to attend services in the congregation's new home.
"We hope and pray they will feel the same cordial invitation here," she added. "This is for everybody."
For the first time since coming to the Albany United Methodist Church seven years ago, Pastor Pat Soddy is planning how to fit more chairs into the sanctuary of the new church building. She has no idea how many friends and family will attend Easter services this year.
"It will have the feeling of being home," she said.
"It already feels like home."
The congregation has long held its Easter services in community locations, such as the Lions Club and the high school, because attendance swelled to as many as 200 people.
"We could never fit them all in (the previous church building)," Soddy said.
The previous church, which was about 150 years old, could hold about 125 worshippers. Since the congregation moved into its new building in September, regular Sunday service attendance has increased to about 150 to 180 people, according to Soddy.
Christmas in the new building came off beautifully for the congregation in December, and Palm Sunday was also well attended, according to Soddy. But Easter has a unique draw for worshippers.
"This is the big one," Soddy said.
The journey to their new, earth-bound home has been long for the congregation, said Soddy, from strengthening and uniting the church to focusing on their calling and finally to the physical and financial undertaking of creating a new place of worship for all.
"We feel grateful and amazingly humble - and I get to be the pastor," Soddy said. "It feels like we have been on a long, long journey, and now we finally get home and have this amazing celebration."
Soddy said the community is still welcome to attend services in the congregation's new home.
"We hope and pray they will feel the same cordial invitation here," she added. "This is for everybody."