St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church was turned into a springtime festival on a delightfully sunny morning last month. The Southwest DC church was part of an interfaith Easter Monday event along with faith-based Montessori school Waterfront Academy.
Easter Monday is always the day after Easter Sunday and is often celebrated as a holiday in itself in some countries. The children of the SW DC community and St. Matthew’s parishioners were invited to attend the event, which culminated in an Easter egg hunt, along with students from Waterfront.
The courtyard of St. Matthew’s included lots of fun events, including a petting zoo by Squeals on Wheels with lots of rabbits (appropriate given the day!), chickens and ducks who quacked loud enough to make their presence known. Those who ran the petting zoo were patient with the children, and very informative.
In addition to the petting zoo, there were plenty of snacks and even an Easter bonnet decorating station. Some of the bonnets were quite the showstoppers, with stickers, ribbons and streamers galore.
All children were then invited to participate in an egg hunt. One mother was overheard saying how she appreciated the prizes being toys and not candy, since her child had a lot of Easter candy in the days prior. The hunt was very laid-back, and children of all ages, from toddler to elementary, were given a fair chance to find eggs.
The children were all excited to see the Easter Bunny himself even make an appearance. They were invited to sit on his lap or stand next to him for pictures. Even the members of the SWBID in attendance sat with the Easter Bunny for some festive photos.
The event was the first of its kind and was sponsored by Camp Aventura, SW Business Improvement District, VALO apartments on M St. SW, the CGCN group and Galley Fresh Meal Delivery.
Waterfront Academy serves children ages 18 months through 8th grade. They are a dual-immersion Spanish and English faith-based school. They have an academically rigorous program that follows the practices of Dr. Maria Montessori. Waterfront emphasizes independence, problem-solving and cultural awareness. The school frequently takes advantage of living in the Southwest DC neighborhood, going on field trips, enjoying the outdoors and more.
St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church is a missional congregation that believes God’s grace is given to all people through the death and resurrection of Christ. Pastor Phillip Huber wrote that all at St. Matthew’s believe in the dignity of every human being and believes they are our brothers and sisters despite disagreements, looking different or belonging to another faith tradition.