Nearly 200 members of the Eastside Foursquare Church walked a large wooden cross more than 2 miles from Juanita Beach Park in Kirkland to the Bothell church on Friday afternoon.
The second annual Good Friday Cross Walk was to honor Good Friday, a religious holiday observed by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
“It’s a nice, quite, humble way to get our message out,” said church Pastor DJ Vick. “It’s an opportunity for us to remember what Jesus endured for us as Christians, but also to communicate that message to the community that God loves us and Jesus came to die for us and restore our relationship with God.”
During the walk, church members took turns carrying the 10-foot, 80-pound wooden cross, which was constructed by church member Mark Allen.
“We have no agenda,” said Chris Peppler, community outreach pastor, adding that the group’s message was to show the freedom that Christ offers.
A church member came up with idea for the Good Friday Cross Walk last year. Vick said church officials thought it was a great idea and the event generated a “phenomenal response,” with nearly 350 people participating in the walk along the same route.
Before the walk on Friday, Jeff Vileta spoke about how when Jesus carried the cross through the streets of Jerusalem, he was viewed by many as a condemned man. However, he carried the cross for us, said Vileta, referring to the Holy Bible’s Book of John, 3:16-17.
The group also stopped at several churches during the 2-mile trek. Their first stop was at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Kirkland, where Pastor Scott Smith taught about when Jesus accepted the cross.
Church members also stopped at the Juanita Community Church to hear Pastor Brandon Brazee speak about Simon of Cyrene’s help carrying the cross, and the group ended at their home church, the Eastside Foursquare Church at 100th Avenue Northeast in Bothell, to hear Pastor Vick speak about how Jesus died on the cross.
Participants planted the cross on the stage for Friday evening’s Good Friday service.
For more information about Eastside Foursquare Church, visit www.eastsidechurch.org.
