Easter is quickly approaching, and to celebrate Holy Week, local churches are teaming up and holding lunch services throughout the week.

On Monday, lunch was served and pastor Jerry Light delivered a message at First Baptist Church.

The Holy Week services move to Cornerstone Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, Church Street United Methodist Church on Wednesday, Queen of Peace Catholic Church on Thursday and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Friday.

There will be lunch served every day, except Good Friday. All services begin at noon.

“For me, Holy Week is a celebration of what Christ has done for us,” said Jonathan Pitts, associate pastor at First Baptist Church. “There’s a great need for the good news of the Gospel, and Holy Week is an opportunity for us to celebrate Jesus’ life and his ministry and what he accomplished in his death for us but also his resurrection.”

Organizers say rotating services between churches is a great way to give churchgoers an opportunity to fellowship with each other.

“It’s an opportunity for us to get together and fellowship with other churches,” Pitts said. “I think it’s important as we work together in the city. We’re working toward the same goals and same causes with the Gospel, and I think it’s important for us to get together from time to time. We try to do that as much as we can, especially here with the churches downtown being close to one another.”

Elise Blackwell, who attends St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, was one of the many who attended Monday’s lunch service.

“[The services are a good time to] experience and share with other people whose beliefs may be different from yours, but we’re worshiping the same God,” Blackwell said. “I think it’s always a good thing to recognize the commonality even though they’re differences between us.”

In his sermon, Light spoke of the meaning of Easter, but also of the positive influence that churches can have when they come together.

“Easter is not about the past, it’s about the future,” Light said. “I want to encourage you to see this meal today, not just as a time to get together and fellowship, but as a beginning of an opportunity to help make Selma blossom.”