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A community in northern New South Wales is doing Easter with a difference.

Woolgoolga is celebrating Easter visually with the aim to express the True Meaning of Easter — the forgiveness of sins and the opportunity to have eternal life, all through God sending His Son Jesus to die for us in love (John 3:16-17).

It is with hope that this may influence other towns and regions in Australia to do a similar project with their community in a public space, all to help show that it goes beyond chocolate eggs and bunnies; being about Jesus and the hope of eternal life for those who believe.

A Field of Flowers and Butterflies

Woolgoolga Community Creations (WCC) has invited groups and individuals to contribute to an Easter Community Paper Sculpture in the main reserve of Woolgoolga, NSW, 25 km north of Coffs Harbour. It has created a field of colourful flowers and butterflies, with the flowers representing transformation (Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 5:17) and the butterflies representing new life and being born again (John 3:3). There are signs expressing God’s word in relation to Easter and also words of love, hope and joy handwritten on flowers and leaves.

Fiona Bennell said, “It is a project of soft evangelism through a visual display, being done with the community, for the community and in the community”.

The Whole Community Getting Involved

Local groups are busy making paper flowers and paper and fabric butterflies, groups including local primary schools, the Woolgoolga Retirement Centre, the Clarence Valley Correction Centre (a nearby women’s gaol), the local Anglican Church’s Jesus Club, the Mini Vinnies, WCC Craft Group, and any interested individuals, including the disabled and homebound, normally limited in their travels, to help all feel a part of the community.

A cross lights up at night, along with selected heart-shaped areas of flowers that will be softly illuminated, by being painted with white glow paint.

Signs and Wonders: Moments from Last Year

This is the second year of it happening. Last year some beautiful events happened that we believe were responses from the Holy Spirit including a blue butterfly that flew into a classroom while the children were being taught how to paint the butterflies, a rainbow in the sky on first day of installation (after no rain prior), and a cross-shaped cloud in the sky on the Easter Saturday afternoon at around 3 or 4 pm, the time when Jesus was said to have died before ascending into heaven.

The idea started through Fiona’s background in art, evangelism and previous work with urban design and paper community sculptures. Though she and her background were unknown to a community worker, and previous pastor, Kim Satchell, he approached her and asked her for any ‘idea’ for Easter she might like to suggest, be it a display in a home, or a much wider concept, after he himself had been prompted by the Holy Spirit to do ‘something’ for Easter.

Fiona believes this blessing on Woolgoolga may have been initiated also by having recently started a regular prayer group in her home (seven months prior) with the purpose of helping the lost in Woolgoolga, and surrounding areas, to come to know the Lord.