Nearly every church has its own special occasion during the Easter holiday, but several area churches are combining their efforts.

First United Methodist Church in Austin will host this year’s Good Friday Ecumenical Community Service at its church at 7 p.m. The service will unite five area congregations for a night of song, scripture and story. The Rev. Patricia Toschak of First United Methodist said the event serves several purposes. Most importantly, it breaks the denominational barriers between Christians and focuses on the importance of Good Friday and Easter.

“We just really believe that this is such a core belief as Christians, it’s important to come together as a community and let go of our denominational ties and worship together,” Toschack said.

Although many churches have special Sunday services during Easter, the Good Friday service is a reminder.

Toschak said the Friday service really teaches “why the resurrection is so powerful.”

She added, “Out of (Jesus’) love, he gave his life for us.”

The community service has been an ongoing event for many years. About every three years, the service is hosted by a different church to keep the community intertwined.

“So that it truly is a community service,” Toschak said.

About 20 members will sing a choir song, and the choir is still taking more members. They will practice before the service at 6 p.m. There will also be a solo sung by St. Olaf Lutheran Church’s Mark Roberts.

Family’s need not worry about accommodations for their kids, either. Danielle Vogel, First United Methodist coordinator of children and youth ministries, has planned several activities for children, including a discussion about Good Friday, two cross activities and a lesson about Jesus being the lamb of God.

“It’s really a family worship opportunity,” she said.

Toschak added, “We focus on teaching the elements of the Good Friday story to kids and making sure they understand Easter as well.”

Although the service brings many people from several congregations and will likely pack the church, Toschak doesn’t want people to hesitate because of lack of room.

“There’s room for lots more,” she said.