"What if the Easter message isn't true," asked pastor Jason Jordan. "What if Jesus didn't rise from the dead? What if he did? What does this change?"
Jordan plans to address these questions and more on Sunday during West Side Church of God's 10 a.m. Easter service at the Black River Coliseum (BRC). The service is free and open to the public.
"The idea really comes from the New Testament," Jordan said. "Every time we see someone speak or preach in the New Testament, they preach about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul actually poses the question himself in 1 Corinthians 15:1-34."
Jordan said he thinks church leaders often make assumptions and do not "tackle the tough questions."
"If I am a non-believer, I want to know, 'What does this matter? What if he did and what if he didn't?'" said Jordan, who added that by pulling the service's theme directly from the scriptures he hopes to engage the culture.
Four years ago, when he began pastoring West Side Church of God, it had a congregation of about 25 people, Jordan said. Since then, it has grown to include more than 360 people who are divided between two services.
At last year's Easter celebration, which was held at the church, approximately 640 people were in attendance. This year, that number is expected to rise to 750, which is a primary reason the service has been moved to the BRC for the first time.
Another reason, Jordan said, is because he "wanted to go big.
"If Easter is at the heart of the Christian message, why not broadcast it in the largest venue (Poplar Bluff) has to offer? The church isn't suppose to stay inside, it's suppose to go outside its walls," Jordan said.
West Side Church of God is located at 2807 Channon Drive, just off Barron Road.