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The Marco Presbyterian Church once again invites everyone on the Island and mainland Naples to join them in celebrating the 20th Annual Easter Sunrise Service on the Beach at 7 a.m. this Sunday, March 23 at the Marco Island Marriott Resort & Spa, and Mike Seigfried, Marco Presbyterian Church Administrator, said that smiling member volunteers will be delivering flyers to Island businesses the days before to remind people to bring their own blanket or chair.

The Rev. Thomas McCulley will open the service, the Rev. Bruce Fiol, the recently retired founder of Marco Presbyterian Church, will preach the Gospel, and the Rev. William Lyle, the new pastor of Marco Presbyterian Church, will close in prayer.

Marco Presbyterian Church Elder Kirk Nantz explained “Coordinator Assistant Alan Sandlin and I are the co-chairmen of the community event on and for Marco Island. However, many people plan their vacations so they can be here for the Sunrise Service and they stay at various places on Marco Island, and parking will be available at Marco Walk, but the logistics are really important here.

“This is our twentieth year, and obviously location is critical. Where on Marco Island can you gather eight to ten thousand people comfortably?” said Nantz, noting that this year 2008 will be a very special Sunrise Service because it’s so early in the year. The next earliest possible Easter can be is not until 2028.

“Our biggest challenge will be the staging – the platform for the rented stage must be set up the day before and removed the day after because there’s only a small window of time where we can occupy that stretch of beach. We are the guests of the Marco Beach Ocean Resort and the Marco Island Marriott Resort Golf Club & Spa to the south --that is where your beach access is located -- and the Marco Island Madeira Vintage Beachfront residences to the north. The Madeira is the host for the equipment,” Nantz said, “The equipment will stay there overnight and we (Marco Presbyterian Church event committee member volunteers) will provide the security.

“The platform is really north of the Marriott beachfront, and we will be bringing in generators for power,” Nantz explained, “The new ones are very quiet and we place them as far away as possible.”

All of the Island pastors have been invited to participate in the service that really starts at 6:45 a.m. Nantz said, explaining that it (the sunrise service) involves the whole community. “The pastors, the logistic support, except for the speakers -- we rent out the speakers and the sound system – bring it in Saturday and set it up, test it and ready to go on Sunday morning.”

Nantz said he wanted to address remarks made previously about the fact that people won’t see the sun rise above the eastern horizon because the beach is on the west. “Actually, it’s a benefit because God’s timing is perfect because you will see the sun rise in the east between the Marriott Spa and the Madeira condominiums!”