Aurora church's Easter Egg Scramble includes biblical lessons
Around 80 Aurora-area children were treated to an Easter Egg Scramble Saturday, March 27.
The Aurora Advent Christian Church, 905 N. Edgelawn Drive, held its sixth annual scramble for children through fifth grade. About 3,500 plastic eggs were filled with candy, toys and prize tickets. After the scramble, participants could exchange the tickets for sports balls, bubble sets, kites, gift cards for area restaurants and children's Bibles.
To keep the event safe, families were asked to wear masks and several start times were held.
Carol Akers, the church's office manager, said the scramble is their favorite event since it started in 2013. It was canceled last year due to the pandemic. Akers said around half of the church's members have helped in some manner, including filling the eggs and buying the prizes.
Advent's pastor, the Rev. Matt Mull, says the community appreciates how they bring the story of Easter every year in a creative way. This year's message for the kids involved a giant chocolate bunny.
“I compared it to the great things of Easter that we love, the Easter Bunny, candy, egg hunts, but that if that is all that Easter is about we miss something,” Mull said.
“I then proceeded to break the bunny in half, showing how it was hollow inside. I then took out another huge chocolate bunny and talked about how the real story of Easter is about Jesus, who rose from the dead, and then broke it open to show that it was solid. We can have a solid hope because Jesus is risen.”
The children were also asked to share extra prize tickets with those who didn't find one. It was an opportunity to teach the kids about loving your neighbor as yourself.
Akers said the church supports the community in other areas as well.
“We have been hosting a pancake breakfast to raise funds for Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity for over 25 years. We missed out this year, but were able to collect nearly as much in donations,” she said.
“We encourage regular contributions for the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry (and) participate in the Salvation Army Angel Tree most years.”
The church's youth group is holding a rummage sale April 10 to help with the cost of a summer mission trip to Pittsburgh.
For details, visit www.auroraadvent.org or call (630) 896-1963.