Dear Edgeboro Friends & Family,

Alright, no fancy introduction here. I need to start by getting something off my chest. I have something to confess and I hope you can find some grace and understanding within yourselves.

I’m writing this in the last full week of January and I must confess…

…that my Christmas tree is still up.

Thank you for listening. I feel better now.

Sometimes, we all need to be reminded of when a new season is approaching.

Lent, a season for reflection and preparation, is only a few short weeks away, beginning on February 14th. Soon will be a time to intentionally rid ourselves of distractions and recalibrate ourselves to continue following Jesus. In order to do this, we are encouraged to make a change to our normal routines, and in order to make any change we make an impactful one, we might need to plan ahead and look forward to opportunities that might help us in our Lenten journey. So here are some that will be at the church:

  • Start Lent by attending worship on Ash Wednesday, February 14th, 7:00pm.
  • Make time to attend our Lenten Dinners & Services each Wednesday during Lent beginning at 6pm (February 21st & 28th, March 7th, 14th, & 21st).
  • Engage in some fun and friendly competition while learning about important figures from Church history by filling out a bracket and playing along in our Lent Madness competition. (Brackets and other materials will be made available soon! Learn more at lentmadness.org)
  • Gain a fresh start in practicing generosity by giving an extra Lenten gift with your offering (by using the special Lent envelope enclosed with this newsletter) or by finding another way to give a special gift to our partners in ministry like Esperanza for Bethlehem, Northeast Ministry, or the Board of World Mission.
  • Try participating for the first time in any of the ongoing activities and ministries here: Nursery Volunteer, Lay Reader, help with a food outreach event, make sugar cakes, etc.

This list is certainly not complete with all the opportunities that we have to make changes to our “normal lives” to help us recalibrate, but I hope it gets each of us thinking about what we might have to do to make Lent meaningful.

May you be blessed in your openness, planning, and creativity in this time approaching Lent.

Grace & Peace,
Pastor Dan