The 2022 Easter Sunrise Service will be an in-person!
This worship service is free and open to the public.
Seating and parking are available on a first-come basis.
Gates open at 4:30 a.m.
Pre-worship service music begins at 5:30 a.m.
The worship service begins at 6:00 a.m.
Worship Leaders
Rev. Dr. John J. Yu serves as the lead pastor of True Light Community Church (Aurora, CO), which is comprised of mainly Korean American members. He also leads a Psalm New Worshipping Community that aims to provide breathe and rest in God to those who are weary in this cutthroat society. He is an active member of Denver Presbytery, currently serving as its vice-moderator, and helped lead Racial Ethnic Diversity Workgroup in Denver Presbytery for a number of years. Furthermore, he is the president of the Pastors’ Association of Korean Churches in greater Denver area for the year 2022. He is also the Director of Communications for the Confluence Institute of Christian Leadership Development, and actively serves the National Caucus of Korean Presbyterian Churches as well.
Prior to his ministries in Denver, CO, he has served as an Associate Pastor, overseeing English Speaking Ministry and Youth Ministry at the Korean First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC, and as an Associate Pastor in Educational Ministry and Youth at the Austin Korean Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX.
Rev. Dr. Yu has earned his Doctorate of Educational Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, GA), his Master of Divinity degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (South Hamilton, MA), and his Bachelor of Arts degree, with double major in Economics and Politics, as well as East Asian Studies Program from Brandeis University (Waltham, MA).
Rev. Dr. Yu is married to Meesun Yu, who is a registered nurse, and they have three children, Jean (9), Micah (8), and Haley (5). A little fun fact is that all three children are born in different states.
During his free time, Rev. Dr. Yu enjoys spending time with his family. He loves to travel, attend museums and other cultural events, and watch sports. He is also a foodie and self-claimed coffee snob. He loves to try out new food/restaurants, and you will often find him at a local, coffee shops when he is doing work.
The Most Reverend Kae Madden was recently elected the first bishop to serve the five communities of the Rocky Mountain Region of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion (ECC). She is the co-founder (2004) and pastor (2006) of Church of the Beloved Ecumenical Catholic Community in Northglenn. The Colorado ECC communities celebrate inclusivity and radical hospitality grounded in Catholic tradition. Grateful for our membership in the Colorado Council of Churches, she looks forward to interacting in purposeful ways.
Bishop Madden’s personal mission is to serve God and to call forth, create and build authenticity, harmony and synergy with individuals, groups and communities. Prior to ordained ministry, she was involved in programs of service in a variety of programs including Catholic Charities through church-based community organizing and SHARE Colorado which distributed monthly food packages through statewide neighborhood host sites staffed entirely by volunteers. Little did she know that her professional experience in visioning, “startups,” facilitation, team building and volunteer management would serve her well as a pastor and now with initiatives on a regional level as a bishop.
Bishop Madden earned her Master of Arts degree with a focus on Adult Christian Community Development and her Bachelor of Arts from Regis University, Denver CO. Her degrees include components on Adult Education, Grief, the Spirituality of Family, and Organizational Development.
A farm girl from Nebraska, Bishop Madden is married and in ministry with her husband Greg. They are blessed with an ever-expanding family of kids and grandkids and friends. She enjoys creating oil pastel mandalas, walks, and relaxing with mindless fiction. In honor of her grandmother who was visually impaired, she founded and sustained a twenty-year personal ministry, The Word Proclaimed, bringing the daily lectionary readings, the Word of God, and a brief reflection, to the busy, isolated and blind through convenient, monthly recordings.
Dr. Thomas Mayes is a Colorado native, Vietnam Veteran, husband of 43 years, father of 4 Adult children & 8 grandchildren. In 1990 Dr. Mayes founded the Living Water Christian Center and E.S.C.A.P.E. (Everyone Sharing Child Abuse Prevention Education). Dr. Mayes, a Diamond Life member of the NAACP is a Certified Facilitator with the SAAF (Strong African American Family). Dr. Mayes serve as President of the Greater Metropolitan Ministerial Alliance and Chair of the Religious Affairs committee for the Aurora NAACP.
He is a Certified John Maxwell Leadership Speaker, Coach, Mentor and Trainer, providing training throughout the U.S. and So. Africa. He is also a charter member & community liaison of the Aurora Key Community Response Team established following the Rodney King incident in L.A. Dr. Mayes is a former board member of the JAC (Juvenile Assessment Center) and has served for the last 12 years on the Aurora Police Victims Witness Advisory Board. He also has served on the Aurora Police IRB (Incident Review Board) since 2006, Dr. Mayes served on Congressman Ed Perlmutter’s African American advisory Board.
In the early 1990’s Dr. Mayes served as community liaison for the City of Aurora during the (alleged) profiling and racial unrest at the Aurora Mall. He is the recipient of Clergy of the year and Volunteer of the year 2006-2007. He authored the book “The Brilliance of Ignorance” and has partnered with former Aurora Police Chief’s Bennett, Dan Oates and Chief, Nick Metz to create over 2 dozen community forums/meetings mediating controversies, and perceived racial bias in cases of controversial Police shootings. He served as a community liaison for the Aurora Police Department during the following days of the Century 16 Theater shooting 2012 bringing Rev. Jesse Jackson to Aurora to speak against violence. He mediated negotiations between protesters and city officials/police during picketing in Aurora after the Ferguson, Baton Rouge shootings. In 2020, Dr. Mayes was tasked to serve on the Aurora Police task force to provide recommendations for Police reform.
Worship Music Leaders
Meeting through the reach of Conifer Community Church, members of the mountain band Blood Brothers have collaborated to build a community-based ensemble that provides the conifer/evergreen area with top notch musical performances at outdoor festivals and local venues. Building from humble beginnings as a duo, Blood Brothers is now a fully-fledged quintet armed with a diverse set list of classic rock, folk, country, and worship music that spans over five decades of timeless songs audiences of all ages and walks of life love Singing together.
Lance Swearengin- vocals, guitar
Josh Harwood- vocals, guitar
Tyler Phillips- vocals, keyboard
Bob Brown- bass
Taylor Mead- drums
Born into a musical family, Sheryl Renee also known as “the lady with the Golden Voice”, has used her gift of song to reach and touch people for over 40 years. She is blessed and honored to share this Easter Sunrise Service with you all. Learn more at www.sherylrenee.com
Fr. Michael Nicosia is a priest of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion (ECC) living
in Aurora CO with his husband Marc. A member of the St. Paul Catholic
Community in Denver, he currently serves the ECC’s Rocky Mountain Region as
Vicar of Ecumenical Engagement and as a member of the Colorado Council of
Churches (CCC) Board of Directors. A regular contributor to Council events, Exec.
Director Adrian Miller refers to him as “the CCC’s house band.” A singer and
Native American flute musician, he is also a member of a local Broadway Cabaret
troupe.
It was with the Xavier Company, a Christian performing arts troupe in NYC, that
Michael found his gifts meeting the needs of the world. Art and faith now
combine in planning worship services of all kinds. With a particular focus on our
baptismal charge to be “the Body of Christ incarnate, the Blood of Christ poured
out for the life of the world,” he is an advocate for social justice, providing clergy
support for Capitol Hill United Ministries, the Women’s Homelessness Initiative,
and Colorado Faith Communities United to End Gun Violence. After years of
service as a chaplain in eldercare, then hospice ministry, he currently works as a
PRN Chaplain at Highlands Ranch Hospital.
Before his religious calling, Fr. Michael received his BFA in Art and Art Education
from Syracuse University; it was in an Interior Design class that watercolors
became his preferred medium. His company Spirit Songs exhibits his postage-
stamp-size paintings at the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls & Toys’ annual
shows, and offers them with larger works on-line. An award-winning member of
the Aurora Arts Guild, his talents continue to be used in service of the Church,
having designed logos for the ECC as well as for the CCC Easter Sunrise Services.
The Worship Service Bulletin
Coming soon.
Important Information
| Now in its 75th year, the Colorado Council of Churches (“CCC”) is once again proud to sponsor the annual Easter Sunrise Service held in the dramatic and spectacular setting of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. |
| DIRECTIONS TO RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE |
| Coming from Downtown: take I-70 west to exit 259, turn left at the bottom of the Morrison exit ramp, cruise on downhill 1.5 miles to the Red Rocks Park entrance. Coming from south Denver: take C-470 to the Morrison exit, turn west and follow the signs to the Park entrances. |
| 4:30 a.m.–Doors open. 5:30 a.m.–Music worship begins. 6:00 a.m.–Worship service begins. 6:19 a.m.–Sunrise. 7:30 a.m.–Worship service ends. This is an outdoor service — dress warmly! Please monitor weather broadcasts before heading to the venue in case the service is canceled due to inclement weather. The worship service will be streamed online from the Colorado Council of Churches website (www.cochurches.org) and Facebook Live. Thus, people all over the world will be able to access the service and be spiritually inspired. We will also provide an ASL Interpreter for the hearing impaired. The CCC’s social media hash tag for this event will be #RedRocksEaster! No pets allowed except for service animals. Admittance and parking are free. You do not need to reserve a seat to attend this worship service. Thousands of people gather for this annual and joyful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For many of them, this is their only exposure to the Gospel. It takes considerable resources to do this free community event, and we primarily rely on donations to cover our costs. |
Please Support This, and Future, Easter Sunrise Services at Red Rocks
You may support this annual worship service in 3 ways by:
- Clicking HERE to donate via PayPal.
- Using CashApp to $colochurches.
- Mailing a check payable to the “Colorado Council of Churches” to:
Easter Sunrise Service
Colorado Council of Churches
1140 W. 5th Avenue
Denver, CO 80204
