Rock Church Hosts Good Friday Service at San Diego Padres Petco Park

By Melissa Barnhart, Managing Editor Friday, March 29, 2013

Members of the Rock Church in San Diego, Calif., are sharing the message of Jesus Christ by taking Good Friday service to the masses at Petco Park for a day filled with family activities centered around Christian ministry and service.

Christians who regularly attend church services might not consider that a large number of people, who want to learn about God's message of salvation, might not feel comfortable entering a church to hear the life-saving message of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for all of humanity.

For this reason, the Rev. Miles McPherson, senior pastor of Rock Church, and his congregation will, for the first time, host Good Friday service at the Padres' ballpark.

"We want to engage the community and be there to love and serve those in need," said McPherson, the former NFL player who leads the fourth largest church in Southern California.

"Jesus wanted His people to be out loving other people. For every way a person can be lost, we want to help them be found," said McPherson, who will deliver the Good Friday message from noon to 1 p.m. "We want to bring hope to every street and every person and to do that, we need to meet them where they are."

Between 300 and 500 volunteers will be coordinating the free event, and giving away 500 Bibles and guiding guests to various booths that will be set up to provide free haircuts and makeovers; and to provide prayer and information about local support groups.

The church will also have tables set up for people to write messages on cards that will be delivered to members of the U.S. armed forces who are serving overseas.

Rock Church staff and volunteers have set high goals for the event, which includes: collecting 60 pints of blood, collecting 2,000 pounds of food for organizations such as the San Diego Food Bank, and distributing 12,500 articles of clothing to God's Extended Hand and Monarch Schools.

Several ministries will be at the event to provide prayer, support and encouragement to survivors of suicide, single parent families, blended families, those seeking counsel from prison ministries, and those who've experienced sexual abuse.

Likewise, the care package ministry will be distributing care packages filled with toiletries, baked goods and Bible verses. And, for those who are living with cancer, the cancer ministry will be giving away free books, knitted scarves, hats and wigs.

There will also be a home improvement ministry on site that will be giving away free paint cans filled with donated tools and supplies, along with a raffle for free services. In addition, a coupon ministry will be distributing money-saving coupons for household products.

There will also be an all-ages family zone that will include a face painting and a balloon station for younger children, and an interactive youth area that will feature a skateboarding demo and a creative art workshop.

Rock Church's website includes a Good Friday event page that cites the Bible scripture of Romans 5:8: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Pastor McPherson is the author of several books, including Do Something! Make Your Life Count. Members of his congregation have given the city of San Diego thousands of volunteer work hours in recent years, including help in improving the city's emergency call center.

More information about Good Friday and Easter services at Rock Church are available here.