Youth Ministries is a vibrant and vital part of the life of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church. On Friday, April 10 (Good Friday), Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church will host ‘Stations Down 60’ beginning at 10 a.m. This event is free and open to the public.
Morgan Brownlee is the church’s minister of youth and family. The ‘Stations Down 60’ event came about after the youth group was wanting to do things outside of the church’s walls.
“It came to be when Father Bryan and the youth volunteers were looking for an experiential thing the youth could participate in outside of church walls,” Brownlee said. “They were brainstorming about what they could do differently while also inviting the community into the process of understanding Good Friday. While considering their options, Father Bryan suggested, why not ‘pick up a cross and start walking down State Road 60,’ and the youth loved the idea. So, Good Friday morning, the youth and a handful of adults picked up the cross, grabbed pocket Bibles and began walking. They stopped every few blocks to read through the Stations of the Cross, encountered and prayed over a person on the sidewalk, and received plenty of positive, encouraging honks and waves. As the youth reflected on their experience with performing these stations down State Road 60, there was no question of whether or not we’d do it next year, it was something they wanted to happen for years to come.”
The ‘Stations Down 60’ will begin in the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church, located at 121 Carver Ave. in Brandon.
“First Presbyterian Church has graciously agreed to letting us park on their property for the event and begin our walk from their church grounds,” Brownlee said. “We will walk westbound, stopping periodically to recite the Stations of the Cross and eventually return to First Presbyterian.”
Brownlee hopes that people from the community will join the youth group on their walk.
“Our hopes are to invite people from the Greater Brandon/Valrico area to experience the passion narrative, to spread the love of Jesus Christ and to help our youth grow to have a stronger spiritual relationship with God,” Brownlee said. “As our motto states, ‘Transforming lives, transforming the world.’”
If you would like to learn more about Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church or its youth program, you can visit the church’s website at www.hiepiscopal.org or call 689-3130. Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church is located at 604 N. Valrico Rd. in Valrico.
