More than 400 people gather at Tamworth's Oxley Lookout to celebrate Good Friday at The Chapel Collective service

It marked the first time since 2019 The Chapel Collective were able to host a large-scale service, and senior pastor Darren Bonnell said attendance was well-and-truly back to pre-COVID levels.

"There's about 430 people here today, which is great," he said.

"The great thing about Good Friday is it's less our church and more community... probably a quarter of today's gathering is people who don't normally go to church.

"For us, that's why we brought it here - to see if we could make it accessible to people who might go to church once a year."

Good Friday is one of the most important dates on the Christian calendar. It commemorates Jesus' crucifixion and death, which is told in the Christian Bible.

Pastor Bonnell said the day is about forgiveness, but it's also about hope leading into Sunday, the day of Jesus' resurrection.

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"So that's our message across the weekend - it's forgiveness and moving towards hope and so between Friday and Sunday that's what we endeavour to do," he said.

Families gathered to enjoy free coffee and cooked pancakes and come together in song and prayer, and Pastor Bonnell said the lookout was the perfect setting.

"It's iconic if you're a Tamworth local, it's probably the most iconic location in Tamworth," he said.

"I think it's easier to have a spiritual experience for a person being out in nature - you're suddenly mindful of creation, of god."

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