The first Easter service on The Flower Mound was held in 1974. At the time, Flower Mound had only a few hundred citizens and most knew each other.
The Town had become sharply divided following its incorporation in 1961 to avert the attempted annexation by the City of Irving. The resulting taxes, population growth and forming of a local government led to seven attempts by citizen groups to dis-annex various parts of Flower Mound between 1971 and 1977.
The Summit Club had organized in January 1974 and its members– and then-mayor Tom Webb– decided that the Easter Sunrise Service would be a good way to bring the people of Flower Mound together.
The town’s namesake, the actual Flower Mound, was privately-owned by Edward Marcus, a Jew. Buddy Dwyer, the Summit Club’s first president, was given the task of asking Marcus if the club could use The Mound for the Easter Sunrise Service. Marcus was gracious and allowed them the use of his property.
The first recorded religious sermon in Denton County was on a Sunday morning in May 1841 to Texas Rangers that were in pursuit of hostile Indians who were raiding area settlers; most likely, on The Mound. The namesake of Denton County and the City of Denton, John B. Denton, presided over that morning sermon.
The Easter Service became a Flower Mound tradition that has been carried on by The Summit Club, The Women of Flower Mound and The Mound Foundation. Rotations of youth groups from different Flower Mound churches present a service, song and praise. This year, Temple Baptist Church in Flower Mound will preside at the service.
Easter arrives on Sunday, April 16, and the 44th Annual Sunrise Service will be celebrated on The Mound beginning at approximately 6:45 a.m. in anticipation of the 6:58 a.m. sunrise. It will be a 5- to 30-minute celebration. If there are heavy rains or severe storms, the service will be canceled.
The Sunrise Service is somewhat rustic; there is no stage. The worship leaders are somewhat down from the crest of the Mound, facing west. Those worshiping sit on the ground, or in lawn chairs, facing a beautiful sunrise (hopefully).
The Mound is a 12+ acre native prairie grassland that rises above the surrounding area. It makes a dramatic backdrop for the Service. Over 300 species of native flowers have been identified on The Mound.
The Mound is located near the intersection of FM 3040 and FM 2499. Parking will be in the Tom Thumb and neighboring parking lots. Participants should plan to arrive by 6:30 a.m. to park and walk to the service site on The Mound.
Light refreshments and coffee are being provided by local merchants, and will be available after the service.
Information is available at: www.summitclub.org; www.theflowermound.com; or www.womenofflowermound.org.
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