"We get a nice turnout because it's more than just hunting some eggs and then going home," said congregation member Patty Kuharic when describing "The Hunt for Easter!" at Middletown First Church of God. "Kids will (enjoy) fun, hands-on activities and learn about the life of Jesus, His death and (His) resurrection."

"The Hunt for Easter!" will take place at the church on Saturday, April 16. Activities will begin at 11 a.m. and run continuously through 1 p.m. Egg hunts for children up to fifth grade will begin at 1 p.m., and a light lunch will be served. All activities are free and open to the community.

"There (will be) a welcome table, and we divide (children) into groups of eight or 10 plus their parents. A member of the church youth group will serve as a guide, who will take (participants) from station to station," Kuharic explained.

The first station will depict the birth of Jesus. "Joseph and Mary will be dressed in costume and there will be a baby Jesus," said Kuharic. This station will also feature live animals.

The next station will be set in Nazareth, where children will learn about Joseph. "They will decorate birdhouses in a carpenter shop and talk about Joseph and how Jesus was raised as a carpenter's son," noted Kuharic. All materials for decorating the birdhouses will be provided.

The next station will be set in Jericho, where youngsters will learn the story of Zacchaeus, who was a small man who climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus. "Kids will plant trees at that station," said Kuharic.

The children will then move on to Jerusalem and eventually the Garden of Gethsemane. At these stations, children will be able to make popcorn and soft pretzels.

At the final station, children will hear the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Children will be asked to write down one thing that they are sorry for on a small piece of paper and place it on a cross in the church sanctuary. In the Sunday school room, there will be angels and an empty tomb signifying that Jesus has risen.

"It takes about an hour to go through all the stations. Then there will be time for outdoor activities," Kuharic noted.

For the Easter egg hunt, children will be divided by age group. In preparation for the event, church volunteers are currently filling thousands of plastic Easter eggs with candy that children will be able to search for on the church property.

"We've done an event like this for a number of years now. It started out with reading the Easter story and now has evolved into mini Bible school with the egg hunt," Kuharic stated. "Obviously, we skipped 2020 and last year's (event) was a scaled-back version, but we are planning to return to our usual format this year."

Middletown First Church of God is located at 245 W. High St., Middletown. For more information, contact the church at 717-944-9608 or mdtcog@comcast.net or visit http://www.middletowncog.org or http://www.facebook.com/middletowncog.