Churches in downtown Selma will come together for its Holy Week services beginning Monday, April 2 through Friday, April 6.

First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Church Street United Methodist Church and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will all host a day and lunch hour during the sacred week.

First Presbyterian Church will hold its worship services Tuesday at noon, with lunch in the church’s fellowship hall.

Interim pastor Sid McCollum said he encourages all churches to be involved in the week’s activities.

“We’ll have a half-hour lunch and worship service in our Cornerstone room,” McCollum said. “‘Maundy Thursday’ is the evening when Jesus and his disciples gathered in the upper room. We will gather on worship at 5:30 (p.m.) for dinner and 6:15 for service.”

On Easter Sunday, April 8, the church will hold a “blue jean service” at 8 a.m. and a traditional service at 11 a.m.

Monday, First Baptist will serve lunch and host a special service with music and preaching in its education building. Church Street UMC will serve lunch in its fellowship hall on Wednesday and St. Paul’s Episcopal will have “Maundy Thursday” services Thursday evening. There will be no noon services on Thursday. St. Paul’s will also hold a Good Friday service at noon. There will be no meals served that day as churches are encouraged to fast. Easter Sunday services will resume at their regular times.

Church Street UMC will hold a Palm Sunday service April 1 beginning at 10 a.m. The church will celebrate Easter Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

“We’ll have our children bring in palm branches as we sing an anthem hymn about Palm Sunday,” said Church Street pastor Fred Zeigler. “Thursday night (April 5) we’ll have a holy communion service at 7 p.m. with the Lord’s supper as part I and the Tenebrae, or ‘service of darkness,’ where we’ll be reading the book of John about the Crucifixion.”

During the Tenebrae service, Zeigler said, a portion of scripture will be read concerning the 14 “stations of the cross.”

“We’ll extinguish 14 candles … ring a bell … it’s a very moving service about the crucifixion,” Zeigler said.

McCollum hopes the services will encourage the public to “reflect on the incredible grace of God” and the real message of Easter.

“Christmas, Easter, all this stuff is all familiar to us Southern folk,” McCollum said. “I hope that people can step back and reflect afresh on the love of God to send his son into the world and face death on the cross for us — it just blows me away when I think about it.”

For more information about church service times, call the churches.

St. Paul’s Episcopal and First Baptist churches were unavailable for comment.