Reach Church will expand its service schedule for Easter Sunday, March 31, at the Lake Washington High School auditorium in Kirkland, with the primary theme being “Love Came to the Rescue.”

Reach, which officially launched weekly services on Jan. 13, will hold two services, the first at 9 a.m. and the second at 11 a.m., in anticipation of higher attendance levels.

In between services, the church will celebrate resurrection of Jesus with a gathering in the school’s commons. Visitors attending Easter service are invited to enjoy free food, goodies for the kids, an egg hunt, bouncing playhouses, and a photo-booth featuring free, professional-quality pictures.

Still only months old, Reach is expanding its involvement in several outreach projects, both locally and abroad, one of which will play a prominent role on Easter Sunday. As a modern example of love, rescue, and resurrection, part of each service will be dedicated to raising awareness for Rescue: Freedom International, a non-profit organization working around the world to bring holistic freedom to those suffering from sexual slavery.

“As our name suggests, ‘rescue’ is really just the beginning of the journey,” said Jeremy Vallerand, president of Rescue: Freedom International. “The hope is true, lasting freedom that addresses the whole person – body, mind, and spirit.”

“We have been excited to unveil our partnership with Rescue: Freedom for quite a while now,” said Brian McCormack, pastor at Reach. “We believe resurrection is all about hope being injected into lives that seem otherwise hopeless.”

On Easter Sunday, Vallerand, who is part of the Reach community, will share the emotional stories of several young women who escaped the clutches of sex slavery and who now serve as modern day examples of hope and resurrection.

“I believe it is essential to connect people to real life stories of hope and restoration,” said Vallerand. “It is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the injustice in the world and miss the profound beauty happening all around us. Sexual slavery is a nightmare beyond our wildest dreams, but we must also recognize the amazing stories of healing.”

Reach has partnered with Rescue: Freedom International in the fight against sex slavery, and on Easter Sunday, will be donating $5 on behalf of every first-time guest who fills out an information card. There are an estimated 27 million people in slavery in the world today, more than any other time in history. Many of them are women and children who have been sold into sexual exploitation.

“While the problem of slavery is immense, there is also great hope that comes as a result of communities like Reach joining together to pursue freedom for others,” said Vallerand.

“Change is happening,” he continued. “Hope is real. I believe that when we share in that story and see that hope in action, it changes us too.” McCormack agreed. “We don’t just want Easter to be about remembering great things God has already done,” he said. “We want it to be about being a part of what he is doing today, here in Kirkland, and on the other side of the world.”

For more information about Reach, go to www.ReachChurch.cc.