Holy Week and Easter Services at Highlands
Palm Sunday - April 13
Palm Sunday Social - 9:30 am in the Greeting Space
Meet in the Greeting Space for a delightful time of fellowship and celebration! Enjoy a warm cup of coffee and freshly baked hot cross buns with friends and neighbors. This is a wonderful opportunity to invite friends to Highlands, connect with our community, and share in the joy of the day. Sunday School classes will not meet on Palm Sunday.
Palm Sunday Procession & Worship - 10:15 am at Brother Bryan Park
After our time of fellowship, we will gather at Brother Bryan Park for a procession to the church front lawn to celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Our procession will be led by a humble donkey – a much-loved Highlands tradition and symbol of our journey of faith! Our worship service will begin with the Liturgy of the Palms on the front lawn, then continue in procession into the Sanctuary. All who are able are encouraged to join in.
Maundy Thursday - April 17
Service of Holy Communion at 6:30 pm
This service commemorates the night Jesus and his disciples shared The Last Supper. In remembrance of that night, we will celebrate Holy Communion; all are invited to the table in the United Methodist Church and families are encouraged to receive the sacrament together. The service concludes with the stripping of the altar, during which time the congregation will assist in removing the symbols of Jesus’ life and teaching from the Sanctuary. Rev. Sam Hayes will be our guest preacher.
Good Friday - April 18
Solemn Liturgy for Good Friday at Noon
A quiet, solemn service of scripture and song recalling the final day of Jesus’ earthly life. This service typically lasts no longer than 50 minutes, perfect for working professionals. Rev. Melissa Patrick will be our guest preacher.
Service of Tenebrae at 6:30 pm
The service of Tenebrae, from the Latin meaning “darkness,” makes use of gradually diminishing light, scripture readings, and sacred music to symbolize the events of Jesus’ last week on earth. The service concludes in total darkness, as the Christ candle is taken from the Sanctuary, symbolizing the death of Jesus.
Easter Sunday - April 20
Join us on the front lawn for refreshments and photos with the flower cross before and after worship.
There will be no youth or adult Sunday School on Easter Sunday. The Atrium will open at 10:15 am for children age 3 through 5th grade.
Children and Family Service at 9:00 am
A joyful, abbreviated worship service of Holy Communion for Easter Sunday – perfect for families with young children. The nursery will be available for children age 4 and younger.
Service of Holy Communion at 10:30 am
A joyful worship experience celebrating the resurrection in scripture, beautiful music enhanced by chamber orchestra, and Holy Communion. All are invited to the table in the United Methodist Church. The nursery will be available for children age 4 and younger.
Special Lenten & Easter Offering: Grace Klein Community and Highlands Community Ministries
Grace Klein Community rescues edible food from local restaurants, grocers, and cafes, seeking to minimize food waste and give that food to the hungry in Birmingham. Highlands Community Ministries provides meals, hygiene supplies, and essential services to all comers, many of whom are unhoused. Grace Klein is a primary source of food for Highlands' Community Ministries meals. Donations this Lenten season will help Highlands continue to serve our community in powerful ways.
Highlands United Methodist Church is located at 1045 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35205. Parking is available at metered spaces on the street, at the Southside parking deck off Magnolia Avenue, and in the church parking lot located directly behind the church off Richard Arrington Blvd. Please reserve the church lot for those with limited mobility.
A nursery is available for most services for children age 4 and younger.
Holy Week and Easter services will be streamed on Facebook, Vimeo, and Youtube.
Highlands United Methodist Church affirms that nothing can separate anyone from the love of God. We invite all to worship, wonder, and discover God’s grace as we aspire to create a safe space for all to participate fully in the life of this community of faith. We are called to shine as a beacon of hope, grace, belonging and respect for all people. Regardless of age, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, family, financial status, nationality, physical or mental ability, past or future, there is room for you at Highlands. All are welcome!
Highlands Special Lenten and Easter Offering
This year’s Special Lenten Offering will be split 50/50 with our Community Ministries program and Grace Klein Community.
The Community Ministries programs of Highlands United Methodist Church offer morning Hospitality Hours to all who come, many of them homeless. Our guests may receive meals, personal hygiene items, and an opportunity to have clothes laundered, among other offerings. Over 10,000 meals are offered in the course of a year by volunteers who offer dignity, compassion, and the love of Christ.
The Grace Klein Community rescues edible food from local restaurants, grocers, and cafes, seeking to minimize food waste and give that food to the hungry in Birmingham. In 2023 Grace Klein teamed with over 400 food donation partners, 90 churches, and others to distribute to low-income recipients rescued food valued at over five million dollars. Grace Klein is one of the principle sources of food for our Community Ministries program.