Rained On, but Not Rained Out, Worshipers Greet the Dawn : Easter: Thousands in county brave the elements to attend services. A sparse but spirited group of 25 attends annual Libbey Bowl event.

Umbrellas and blankets sheltered the sparse crowd Sunday morning as steady rain dripped through the trees enshrouding Libbey Bowl in Ojai.

But the drizzle failed to dampen the spirits of those who attended the traditional sunrise Easter service.

“My first question was, are we going to cancel it or move it to our church,” said Lyn Thomas of the Ojai Valley Wesleyan Church. “But we decided to stay right here.

“It’s not too bad under an umbrella,” said Thomas, who presented the offering at the interdenominational service. “Besides, Easter Sunday is really the highlight of the Christian faith.”

Across Ventura County on Sunday, under wet, gray skies, thousands of people celebrated the Resurrection of Christ. Many worshipers attended church services before meeting with family and friends to celebrate the holy day.

Oak View produce deliveryman Ernie Greenwald said he was especially thankful this spring. He said he would spend the holiday pondering the messages he heard in the early-morning service he attended in Ojai.

“This is my first year here,” he said, raindrops dribbling down his dark hair and his pullover shirt. “I was just baptized last August. We should be grateful for what we have.”

Greenwald said there was no question where he would be spending Sunday’s sunrise. “Rain or shine, whatever,” he said. “I would have come.”

Standing nearby, insurance salesman Rick Ponce of Ojai was trying to dry off after the 45-minute service at Libbey Bowl. He had second thoughts about attending the Mass on Sunday.

“I opened the door this morning and almost didn’t come,” he said, ensconced beneath a bright-colored umbrella. “But I thought I’d drive by. That was the least I could do.”

Ponce spared his wife and child the morning drenching, however, and left minutes after the service to prepare breakfast and set up an egg hunt. “They got to sleep in,” he said.

Don Moore, a minister with Ojai Valley Community Church, said the annual sunrise service at Libbey Bowl has never been moved in the 11 years he has participated.

“The first thing I did was pray that the Lord would hold the rain until after the service,” Moore said. “But it was a good service for the 25 people that were here. I was glad we went ahead with it.”

Daybreak is a unique time to reflect on the teachings offered in the Bible, he said.

“It’s a beautiful time of day to think of the Lord and what he’s done for us,” Moore said.

About 1,500 parishioners huddled inside a big-top tent in Simi Valley for Grace Brethren Church’s sixth annual Easter Celebration. Despite raindrops that drizzled on some members of the congregation, those who helped erect the shelter were satisfied.

“We were concerned when we first woke up, but I got here and we vacuumed this whole tent,” said Jennifer Zeigler, an exotic car dealer from Simi Valley. “It was amazingly water-tight.”

“We found a dry spot,” said computer programmer Walt Thomas, “a place where there were no seams.

“It was a great service,” the father of three said. “We enjoyed it a lot.”

During the service, Pastor John McIntosh spoke of faith and hope.

Fifteen months ago, the Northridge earthquake badly damaged the high school football stadium where the Easter service had been held for years, McIntosh said.

“The earthquake changed everything at the football stadium,” he said. “So we decided to put up a tent on our vacant lot here.”

Most of the 1,800 white folding chairs were taken. The church sees as many as six times the number of parishioners on Easter as on any other Sunday.

“For some reason, people are more sensitive to spiritual things during the holidays,” said McIntosh, who challenged his congregation to participate more often in church activities. “And about one in four of those come back.”

Simi Valley psychologist Roger Coger said he has been attending Grace Brethren for years. On Sunday, his adult daughter accompanied him to the 10 a.m. tent service.

“I was wondering whether the parking lot would be soggy, but it turned out all right,” Coger said.

“I have a nice leather coat and sandals that got a little wet,” said Coger’s daughter, Kimberly, who manages apartments in West Los Angeles. “But it’s Easter.”

The Cogers said they would celebrate the holiday Sunday afternoon by visiting friends in Wood Ranch. “We had planned a trip to the mountains, but with the weather, that’s off,” Roger Coger said.

For days, forecasters had been predicting Sunday morning rainfall for most of Southern California, so the late-season storms were no surprise. But snow that capped the Topa Topa Mountains crossing Ventura County caught meteorologists off guard.

“The rain’s not that much of a surprise,” said Robert Baruffaldi of the National Weather Service.

“But the fact that it’s so cold and we’ve gotten snow sticking down to 3,500 feet and reports of snow as low as 1,500 feet . . . that’s unusual for this time of year.”

Baruffaldi said just over half an inch of rain fell in Oxnard during Sunday’s storm, with an equal amount dropping in east Ventura County. As much as one inch of rain fell in the mountain areas north of Ojai, he said.

Rainfall at the National Weather Service in Oxnard has topped 24 inches so far this rainy season. The total is more than double the average.

The skies are expected to clear by this afternoon. The forecast calls for temperatures reaching into the mid-60s in most of the county, Baruffaldi said.