Before people used Easter Sunday as an excuse for a new outfit and before Good Friday warranted a day off at school, Easter was a celebration of the utmost spiritual significance to early Christians.

Over the next week, local churches will try to bring the life of Jesus Christ and the struggles of the early Christians to life and remind their audiences why Easter became such an important holiday in the first place.

Park Memorial Methodist Church performed their Easter program for the first time Friday night. Their musical drama called "A.D. A Musical for Easter and Beyond," took their audience from just moments before Christ's crucifixion to the struggles early church members had after Christ ascended to heaven.

"It starts as Jesus' life is ending," said director Edith Synco. "It doesn't go through the last days of his life and then stop at the resurrection. It shows what his disciples went through after he was gone."

Synco said the drama will not only benefit those who watch it, but also those who participate.

"Everybody has a talent," she said. "For some it's hard to go up to someone and witness. But, they can do a lot through their scenes and the drama."

Bush Memorial Baptist Church is also presenting a contemporary Easter musical. There musical will portray the last week of Christ in a program called "Walk the Way of the Cross."

Becky Bush, who is the director of music ministry at Bush Memorial, said she is excited about the drama.

"We want the last week of Jesus' life to become a part of the present," she said. "We want the audience to feel like they are actually there with him."

The program combines audiovisual, bands, children and a 35-voice choir. She hopes the audience will leave better than they came.

"I hope they leave with a better understanding of the true meaning of Easter," she said.

Troy Vineyard is also planning a special Easter Sunday, but rather than letting the normal adult leaders take charge, they are turning it over to their youth. They will handle everything, including the sermon.

Pastor Les Teel said they did the same thing for their Christmas program and received a lot of positive feedback.

"God did something through those children we couldn't do," he said of their Christmas program.

Teel said children and youth can often leave a greater impression because of their innocence and sincerity.

"To see their passion for Christ makes you wish you had that first love again," he said. He added that their spirit and excitement is "vibrant and infectious."

He said they will present a drama to the song "Every Breath I Take."

Teel said it is not a traditional drama because it takes place in modern times.

He said it will help the congregation see that the Christ who lived and died 2,000 years ago is the Christ worshipped today.