There are many San Antonio churches throughout the city. Faith is a big part of the lives of people living in San Antonio. Here we will discuss some of the most popular churches in our city.

The church below is Northwest Hills Baptist Church where my family and I attended for over six years. It is just one of many Baptist churches you will find throughout San Antonio. They have a traditional worship style with a lot of hymns. Our experience was not a positive one here.

Some of the churches here are hundreds of years old, like the San Antonio Missions located downtown.

Another church of interest built in 1879 is the Little Church at La Villita.

While you are downtown, you will want to visit San Fernando Cathedral, a Catholic church built back in 1738.

Perhaps the most popular San Antonio church, not to mention the largest congregation, is one that you have probably seen on TV around the country,  Cornerstone church with Pastor John Hagee.

Then there is Oak Hills Church. It used to be a part of the Church of Christ denomination. You may not recognize the name, but you have heard of their senior pastor, popular Christian author, Max Lucado. If you are an NBA fan, you have also heard of one of their associate pastors, former Spurs superstar, David Robinson!

Not far from Cornerstone, is another large, non-denominational church called Harvest Fellowship.

Harvest puts on some of the best musical dramas each Christmas and Easter and our family always goes to be ministered to. Gospel singer Linda Martin is featured in Harvest's musical program.

A big church with five weekend services every week and a huge Monday night teen service every week ministering to 500 teens is a non-denominational church called Bandera Road Community Church or BRCC for short. BRCC also has a downtown campus and they minister to homeless and the needy all through the year. We have been attending BRCC since November 2008 and the music is awesome. The preaching hits you where you live.

In addition, there are many other churches, big and small, denominational and non-denominational. Most of them are either Catholic or Baptist.

Harvest Church, aka Harvest Fellowship, is a large church off of Loop 1604, one exit past Cornerstone. This church has a phenomenal music program and produces wonderful Christmas and Easter musical dramas every year.

These productions are always free to the public so if you are in town the weekend of Easter or one or two weekends before Christmas, be sure to attend one of their performances. You will be blessed.

Gospel singer Linda Martin is a featured singer there. The pastor is a gifted speaker. There are a lot of programs for all ages. The people are very friendly and act like they are happy to have us there every time we go. If this church were closer to our house, we would go there every week, but from where we live in San Antonio, it is quite a journey, especially with gas prices the way they are.

Well-known author, Max Lucado, is the senior pastor at Oak Hills Church right here in San Antonio.

On the local news here in San Antonio a few years ago it was announced that David Robinson joined the staff here at Oak Hills Church after his retirement from the Spurs. Someone who attends the church on a regular basis told me that he is currently on staff there in November of 2008. However, the Oak Hills website does not list the former Spurs superstar as a staff member.

This is a huge church with several services each weekend. They are not like most Churches of Christ because they play instruments during their worship. It is a great church with good, Biblical teaching.

Max Lucado is a very good author, in my opinion. I have several of his books and I love to read what he writes. His work is easy to read and applies to the reader's life. There is a bookstore at the church. You can also buy his books at any bookstore.

The church has programs for all ages with a good children's program and various adult programs to get adults involved.

This church is located at 19595 IH 10 West and is right across I-10 from the Bass Pro Shop at The Rim. The Rim is close to The Shops at La Cantera. Just go up to the next light and take the turn around under I-10 and you will see it.

Sheriffs are out on Sundays directing traffic because there is so much of it near this church. Attendees wear shorts, jeans, and nice dress clothes so whatever you happen to have with you, you are welcome there.

Feel free to visit and then go across I-10 to one of several new restaurants for lunch. There is a lot of new construction going on in that area.

Each year, there are several community-wide San Antonio Easter Sunrise Services for everyone to enjoy. Easter is a great day of celebration because it is the day the Jesus arose from the dead, proving once and for all that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he has power over sin and death! What better way to celebrate this than to go to an early morning service and watch the sun come up. I have been to many sunrise services throughout the years and they are a wonderful way to begin the day.

This year, Easter is on Sunday, April 12,2009. Some years, it is in March and other years, it is in April. The weather is usually warm at this time of year, but that early in the morning, you should bring a sweater or a light jacket. Don't worry about dressing up. Just jeans and you are good to go. Some people put on their actual Easter clothes and do hair and makeup, but I just do the bare necessities and then go home and change for regular Easter church services.

In San Antonio, if you want to visit the Riverwalk, go to the sunrise service at 7 a.m. at the Arneson River Theater in La Villita downtown. This service is put on by St. John’s Lutheran Church and Grace Lutheran Church.

Northwest Community Church is having a sunrise service at O.P. Schnabel Park, at the corner of Bandera Road and Braun Road at 6:45am.

If I can find some information on more San Antonio Easter Sunrise services, I will post them on here. Most churches have Easter services at the regular time if you are not a very early morning person.

Happy Easter! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

Every year on Good Friday, the San Fernando Cathedral sponsors a San Antonio Passion Play open to all so we can remember what Jesus did for us on Good Friday so long ago.

Good Friday is sometimes in March and sometimes in April, depending on when Easter is. Good Friday is always the Friday before Easter Sunday. This is when Jesus, the son of God, was put to death on the cross, taking our sins upon him, making it possible for us to be forgiven for them. Because Jesus died for us, we can be forgiven and will one day go to Heaven to be with Jesus. Of course, the gift of forgiveness is free to us, but it is something that we have to receive.

So we do not forget the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us, churches around the world have reenactments and this Passion Play is put on each year in downtown San Antonio so we can remember.

This event begins at Milam Park, located at 500 W. Houston Street, at 10am with a prayer service. At 10:30am, the actual play begins. Spectators are asked to join in the procession down Houston Street. They will then head south on Main Street and will end up at San Fernando Cathedral.

San Fernando Cathedral is a beautiful and very old Catholic church. I am not Catholic, but I appreciate the beauty in this building. The stained glass and other artwork inside are spectacular.

A form of the San Antonio Passion Play has been going on here in San Antonio for more than 250 years now according to our local NBC affiliate, WOAI TV. Good Friday for 2009 is on April 10 and WOAI TV will carry the procession live on the internet on their web site at 11am.

For more details, call the San Fernando Cathedral at (210) 227-1297.