The message of Easter will be even stronger this year with six local Uniting Churches combining to hold the traditional services.
The Uniting Churches of Bexley, Kogarah, Rockdale, Bardwell Park, Brighton-Le-Sands and Ramsgagte have joined forces and now minister under the banner of the Bayview Missions Cluster.
Bexley Uniting Church committee chairman Mikall Chong said the Georges River Presbytery which represents more than 40 Uniting Churches in St George and Sutherland Shire is moving to organise its various churches into clusters.
"Our churches are in the first cluster and represent all the Uniting Churches around the Bay area," Mr Chong said.
The Uniting Churches of the Bayview Cluster will share Easter services over the Easter weekend with the traditional Good Friday Service at Rockdale Uniting Church at 9.30am and the Easter Sunday Service at Bexley Uniting Church at 9.30am.
Bexley Uniting Church Pastor Kyounghee Cho described the transforming message of Easter: "The resurrected Jesus visited the fearful people and said, 'Peace be with you!' Today the resurrected Jesus comes to us who are fearful and says, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' Easter transforms fear to peace, fear to love, and fear to hope. Easter changes death into life, and the end into the beginning. May God's blessings be with you!"
The Uniting Church Clusters were created to harness the strength of the various congregations to meet major pastoral challenges, share services, Bible studies and community activities. Their mission is also to reach out to other denominations.
The Bayview Missions Cluster will be participating in a combined service of all churches across the region including Catholics, Orthodox and Protestant on June 15 at the Marana Auditorium, Hurstville.
Last October, Bexley Uniting Church organised a combined service at Rockdale Uniting Church for members of the Christian and Muslim communities to pray for peace in Gaza.
