UPLAND, Calif. Music and song. Dialogue and drama. That’s what attendees of Easter Services at the less than three-year-old Reliance Community Church will experience in lieu of the typical sermon. The musical production, titled “3 Days that Changed the World,” portrays how the lives of Mary, Peter and John—and all of us from that time forward—were forever transformed by the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Explaining the meaning of the miracle of Easter with a live performance rather than preaching it is right in keeping with the nondenominational church’s mission. “Our vision this Easter is to bring people closer to God and share His Word more through a visual approach than a verbal one,” says Lead Pastor Joel Pagett. “In this re-creation of events, key characters in the Passion of Christ teach us that it’s often at the most desperate times in our lives that God reveals His plan for us and shows us the path to restoration and love. It is a message of hope we all can take away and apply to our personal lives, delivered in a powerful performance combining both contemporary and traditional music.”

The newly created drama will feature talented musicians, actors and singers from Reliance Community (which includes a graduate of Julliard and a seasoned writer/director/producer), who will perform to the accompaniment of a live band. Two distinct performances will be presented: Good Friday, April 22nd at 7:00 PM, and Easter Sunday, April 24th at 9:45 AM, at Reliance Community’s home, Imagine That!, 1318 West 9^th Street, Upland, CA. All in the Inland Empire are warmly invited to attend.

Reliance Community was established in July 2008 as a place where the de-churched, un-churched, unconvinced and unconnected can discover at their own pace who God is and what He can do for their lives. Services are held in a casual and communal manner in which participants gather at tables to worship and explore the Christian faith with others in a non-judgmental, no-pressure environment.

“Our dream is to be a church where everyone feels welcome and wanted,” says Pastor Joel, “where the barriers to discovering God and His infinite goodness are removed, and people can make real and refreshing changes in their lives.”

Those interested in learning more about Reliance Community, their services, ministries and activities, are invited to visit the church’s website at www.reliance-cc.org.