Interdenominational Relationships Bring Unique Easter Experience to Colorado Community

Castlewood Canyon Church is reaching across denominational lines and building relationships that are uniting spiritual leaders throughout the Denver area. Their purpose is simple – to see Kingdom advancement through prayer and outreach.

For several years, Jack Serr, lead pastor of Castlewood Canyon Church, had felt compelled to pray for Israel on a regular basis after being introduced to the International Day to Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, an event traditionally held on the first Sunday in October.

After settling in Colorado, Serr states that he began to develop a deep desire to understand the Jewish roots of Christianity and help his constituents bridge the gap between the local Messianic Jewish congregations and their own. He states he was stirred in his spirit by the Lord to reach out to the local Jewish community of Denver.

The church started giving gift baskets during Rosh Hoshana (Jewish New Year) to local Orthodox synagogues to show their unity and support for the Jewish community. Serr also began to meet with Messianic Jewish leaders in the Denver area and, through these relationships, they began to unite in heart and spirit, even sharing from each other’s pulpits.

The church continued to develop meaningful relationships with the Jewish community, local rabbis, and members of the synagogues, and offered to host certain Messianic feasts, the largest of which is their Easter Passover meal.

Serr and his wife, Lynnett, have served together in ministry for over four decades. Before their arrival at Castlewood Canyon Church in 2000, the couple had ministered in several different capacities across the globe.

After graduating from Trinity Bible College in North Dakota in 1978, Serr took a youth pastor position at Anchorage First AG in Alaska where he ministered, not just to the church, but to the entire community. From there, Serr and his wife began temporary missions work in Malawi and, once they had completed their overseas assignment, moved back to the United States and served as youth pastors in Salt Lake City.

Now, they are championing unity among believers in the city of Denver.

Every Easter, Castlewood Canyon Church hosts a Seder meal for anyone who wishes to attend. The church building, which is over 6,000 square feet, overlooks 35 acres of wooded state park property, adding a breathtaking scenic backdrop to the event.

The church fills their sanctuary with round tables and caters a meal of traditional Passover foods. They begin with the Seder presentation, sing a song of blessing, and then close with the meal.

“Seder means order,” says Serr, “so there is a specific order to the meal. We bring in a local Messianic Jewish rabbi to lead it so it is done well.”

The Seder meal is designed to re-tell the story of the Israelites on the night of the Passover before their departure from Egypt. On the night they were delivered from slavery, the blood of the Passover lamb was put on doorposts to serve as a sign that would save members of that household from death.

“The blood brought physical deliverance for the Israelites,” Serr states. “Then, we get to Jesus (Yeshuah, which means salvation),” he continues. “As the story of Passover unfolds, we share how Jesus, the Passover Lamb was killed for our deliverance from the slavery of sin and offers us forgiveness of our sins. The Seder presentation starts from the Old Testament (original covenant) and ends with the New Testament (fulfilled covenant).”

The outreach’s purpose is to provide a rich experience that supports an event important to their Jewish neighbors but also helps believers and non-believers alike understand what the Passover is really about.

Kimberly Lutter, a regular attendee at the Passover Seder says that the event has been part of her family’s life for many years but the impact of it on her faith continues to grow.

“Every year God brings His story of deliverance and redemption fresh to my heart. I love being gathered together with friends and family to recall and experience the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, which is all symbolic of our deliverance from bondage,” she says.

“Some don’t understand the importance of Israel or Christianity’s Jewish roots. We want to offer insights that make things in the Bible come alive. We want to illuminate things through experiences such as this,” says Serr.

He states that the event has built wonderful relationships with the Jewish community and that they consider each other partners in ministry. He states this is something “only God could put together.”

“God is opening doors of relationships in such big ways,” he says. “Only the Holy Spirit can stir Jewish hearts, like our hearts, to receive the gospel as we know it to be, but we just want to do our part in that and show them love and support. If there ever was a time for believers in the Messiah to reach out to our Jewish communities, it is now.”

Ashley B. Grant

Ashley B. Grant has a master's degree in Human Services Marriage and Family Counseling from Liberty University and is a credentialed Christian counselor through the American Association of Christian Counselors. Grant also holds certifications in crisis pregnancy counseling and advanced life coaching. Ashley is a fourth generation Assemblies of God preacher’s kid and has one daughter and three sons.