The Redwoods will again become nature's cathedral for Rotorua Christians at the Good Friday service.
Rotorua Association of Christian Churches chairman Reverend Scott Clifford said the inter-denominational service on April 14 was an opportunity for the churches to come together.
"We don't have 500-year-old cathedrals as in Europe but we have the Redwoods."
Mr Clifford said with the service moving from the now defunct City Focus to the Redwoods last year, it was a change "from the heart of the city to the soul of the city".
"The Redwoods means so much to so many."
The Procession of the Cross starts at 9am from the Coffee Club in the Redwoods Centre.
The service under the sails at the Redwoods will start at 10am and last for an hour.
Mr Clifford said four to eight churches would be involved with the running of the service but he thought 20-plus churches would be represented at the event.
John-Paul Metcalfe and Karen Metcalfe, pastors at C3 Church, were helping with set-up.
This year Mrs Metcalfe would be putting up decorations, such as fairy lights and doves.
"We wanted to step it up and have something new and different," said Mr Metcalfe.
"It will be a celebration, with the churches coming together to celebrate our core belief."
Mr Clifford said he expected hundreds to attend as they did each year.
The event will go ahead rain or shine.
He encouraged those coming along to park by the Redwoods i-SITE visitor information centre, and said there would be parking wardens to manage traffic.