A forecast of rain on Easter Day would disappoint any priest planning to celebrate a sunrise service, but for the Rev. Chris Smith and his plan to hold a sunrise celebration for unchurched ski and snowboarding enthusiasts atop Bromley Mountain in Vermont, a forecast of rain portended a disaster.

Normally Easter occurs after ski season has ended in Vermont. An ecumenical sunrise service on Easter had been a tradition elsewhere in the region in years past, but in recent years it had been discontinued. If the weather was good, Fr. Smith, who was ordained in the Church of England and served as an assistant at Holy Trinity Brompton, expected at most a few dozen participants, some of whom he hoped might subsequently enroll in the next Alpha course offered at Zion Church, Manchester Center, where he serves as associate rector. Based on that assumption, he began planning for a brief ecumenical service about six weeks ago, working with Bill Cairns, the manager of the Bromley Mountain ski resort and a parishioner at Zion.

Mr. Cairns agreed to open the resort early and provide staff so that worshipers would be able to get to the top of the mountain in time for the start of the 5:30 a.m. service. The only condition was that everyone who went up would have to ski or snowboard back down.

Despite the early forecast, conditions for skiing and worship were nearly perfect on March 27. Easter Day dawned without a cloud in the sky and the temperature in the low 20s. Participants sang a hymn, recited a psalm together, heard a gospel reading from John and a short homily by Fr. Smith. The service concluded with participants reciting the Lord’s Prayer together. The only hitch was that there were not enough bulletins or bagels for 200 persons who braved the frigid temperatures and the early hour.

The early morning service made for a long day for Fr. Smith, who also participated in three other Easter Day services, including one at 7 p.m., at Zion.