Lent

As a church, we want to take this time to prepare our hearts by spending time thinking and praying over selections of Scripture in addition to fasting. Each week (Monday-Saturday), we have suggested an area of fasting to apply to our lives. Far from a mere responsibility, these weekly fasts give us opportunities to pursue greater communion with Christ. By emptying our lives of commotion, clutter and noise, we hope to find greater room for Him to speak through His Word.

We invite you to consider how you could fast in whole or in part from the following things as we enter into the pre-Easter season of Lent. This is not intended to be a burden, but rather an opportunity to remind ourselves of the greater joy and satisfaction we have in Jesus.

Lent Schedule

Week 1 (Mar 4-9): Food
Suggestion: Fast from food a day or two throughout the week or fast from a meal each day and remember that God is the one who sustains you.

Week 2 (Mar 11-16): Television and Movies
Suggestion: Skip screen time altogether this week and spend more time with God or with friends and family.

Week 3 (Mar 18-23): Social Networking and Internet
Suggestion: Avoid scrolling, posting or surfing apart from essentials like work or school and redeem that time with prayer or Bible reading.

Week 4 (Mar 25-30): Caffeine and Sweets
Suggestion: Fast from treats or desserts – drink less coffee (or none!) and remember that your joy/energy/focus is found in Christ.

Week 5 (April 1-6): Radio and Music
Suggestion: Turn off the radio in the car or on your commute. Listen to an Audio Bible App instead.

Week 6 (April 8-13): Shopping for Non-Essentials
Suggestion: Be content in Christ and avoid shopping for anything you don’t absolutely need.

Week 7 (April 15-20): Sleep
Suggestion: Get up an hour earlier or go to bed an hour later and spend that time in prayer.

Easter Weekend: April 19-21!!

We will be following a guide put out by Village Church in Texas.

Lent for Families

TriCity Kids will be following The 40 Names of Jesus by Jennifer L. Spencer this year for families to go through together. Each day begins with a Bible reading that is usually 1-2 verses long (a few passages are three verses), has a devotional that can be read aloud as a family, and ends with a key phrase that sums up the meaning of the name.