Spring has sprung, and with the promise of new renewed life, comes Easter week.

Beginning last Sunday with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter this Sunday, area churches will be celebrating the major Christian holiday. Along with Easter eggs and Easter bonnets comes special church services.

A special ecumenical service has become one of the Easter traditions in Staples. This year, once again, five area churches are combining efforts for the community service to be held Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Staples Alliance Church. Pastors and members from Alliance, Church of Christ, Assembly of God, Staples United Methodist and Thomastown Covenant will present a service entitled “The Way of the Cross.”

Easter week services at area churches will include:

Staples area

STAPLES ALLIANCE: The Alliance Church will host the Friday evening ecumenical service. On Sunday, the Alliance will have their Easter Sunday worship at 9:30 a.m.

ASSEMBLY OF GOD: There will be an 8 a.m. Easter morning service, a 9 a.m. breakfast served by the youth and their 10:30 a.m. worship service.

STAPLES CHURCH OF CHRIST: Maundy Thursday service at 7 p.m.; Good Friday Ecumenical service at Alliance Church at 6:30 p.m; Easter Sonrise service at 8:30 a.m.; Easter Sunday service at 10:30 a.m.

SACRED HEART AND ST. MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC: Holy Thursday Mass - 7 p.m.. at St. Michael’s; Good Friday Mass - 1 p.m. at Sacred Heart and 3 p.m. at St. Michael’s; Saturday Easter Vigil at 8 p.m. at Sacred Heart; Easter Sunday - 8:30 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart; 10:30 a.m. at St. Michael’s.

THOMASTOWN COVENANT: Thursday, 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday service at Thomastown Covenant Church; Friday: 6: 30 p.m. Ecumenical service at Staples Alliance; Easter Sunday: 7:30 a.m. Easter Sunrise service, 8 a.m. Youth Breakfast; and 9:30 a.m. worship service.

FAITH LUTHERAN: Faith will have Maundy Thursday service at 7 p.m. and their Good Friday service is at 1 p.m. Easter Sunday events begin with a Sunrise service at 6:30 a.m, breakfast at 7:30 a.m and services at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.

TRINITY LUTHERAN: Services will include a 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday communion service; a Good Friday Tenebrae service also at 7 p.m. On Sunday, the schedule includes a Ssunrise service at 6:30 a.m, Easter breakfast at 8 a.m. and Sunday service beginning at 9 a.m.

UNITED METHODIST: Services begin with a Maundy Thursday Tenebrae service at 7 p.m. the Friday night service is at Alliance Church. Activities Sunday morning include a 7:45 Sonrise youth service; an 8:30 a.m. breakfast by the men’s Sunday School group; and the 10:30 a.m. Easter worship service.

Aldrich

BALSAMLUND LUTHERAN: A Maundy Thursday service will be at 7 p.m. at St. Helen’s Episcopal Church in Wadena; the Good Friday service is at 7 p.m. at Messiah Lutheran in Wadena and the Easter Sunday worship service is at 9:30 a.m. at Balsamlund.

ALDRICH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH will have a Good Friday service at 7 p.m. and 9:30 a.m Easter Sunday service.

Cushing

BETHANY LUTHERAN: Maundy Thursday service at 6:30 p.m.; Good Friday service at 6:30 p.m.; Easter Sunday Sunrise service at 6:30 a.m., followed by Easter morning breakfast, 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.; Easter Sunday service at 9 a.m.

LINCOLN EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH: Easter Sunday brunch at 10 a.m., Easter Sunday service at 10:45 a.m.

Leader

SWAN VALLEY (LEADER) AND MAPLE HILL LUTHERAN (PINE RIVER): Maundy Thursday service at Maple Hill, 7 p.m.; Good Friday service at Swan Valley, 7 p.m.; Saturday Easter Vigil at Maple Hill, 7 p.m.; Easter Sunrise service at Swan Valley, 6:30 a.m., with breakfast following. Easter Festival Services will be at Swan Valley, 9 a.m. and Maple Hill, 11 a.m.

Motley area

MOTLEY FREE METHODIST: Good Friday service at 7 p.m.; Easter Sunday services at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m., with breakfast between services.

ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN: Maundy Thursday service at 7 p.m., with Holy Communion; Good Friday service at 7 p.m.; Easter morning breakfast at 8 a.m.; Festival worship service at 9:30 a.m.

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Maundy Thursday service at 7 p.m.; Good Friday service at 7 p.m.; Sunrise Service Easter Sunday at 7:30 a.m., followed by Easter breakfast. Easter worship service at 10 a.m.

ST. MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC: Holy Thursday Mass at 7 p.m.; Good Friday Mass at 3 p.m.; Easter Sunday at 10:30 a.m. (See Sacred Heart in Staples for additional service times).

Oylen

OYLEN ALLIANCE: Good Friday service at 6 p.m.; Easter Sunday service at 11 a.m.

Pillager

FIRST EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN: Maundy Thursday service at 7 p.m.; Good Friday service at 7 p.m.; Easter Vigil Saturday service at 7 p.m.; Easter Sunday service at 9:30 a.m.

CASINO ASSEMBLY OF GOD: Easter Sunday breakfast, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m., followed by a Resurrection egg hunt at 10:15 a.m. and an Easter production at 11 a.m.

FIRST BAPTIST: Good Friday service at 7 p.m., with communion; Easter Sunday Sonrise service at 8 a.m., followed by breakfast; Easter morning celebration service at 10:30 a.m.

Verndale

HOPE CHAPEL ALLIANCE: Good Friday service at 7:30 p.m.; Sunrise service Easter Sunday at 7:30 a.m., followed by brunch at 8 a.m.; Easter worship service at 9:15 a.m.

VERNDALE UNITED METHODIST: Holy Thursday service at 7 p.m., with communion; Easter Sunday service with holy communion at 9 a.m.; coffee and goodies prior to service.

CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST: Good Friday service at 7 p.m.; Easter Sunday worship at 9 a.m.

VERNDALE ASSEMBLY OF GOD: Easter Sunday service at 11 a.m.

Wadena

ST. HELEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Chaburah Eucharist service Thursday, 6 p.m. at St. Helen’s; Good Friday service at Messiah Lutheran in Wadena, 6 p.m.; Saturday Vigil of Easter at St. Helen’s, 7:11 p.m.; Easter Sunday Festival Eucharist, 9:45 a.m.