What is Lent?

• A church season that includes 40 days (not including Sundays) of preparing for Easter (God’s ultimate sacrifice of Jesus + Jesus’ resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins); just like Advent, we must “get ready” through prayer, “fasting” and acts of service. It’s like “Spring Cleaning” of your life!

Lent IS…

• time set aside to focus on God–getting closer to your Creator, discovering more about yourself, and finding out how much you’re loved by God and others. 
• an opportunity to attempt to fathom the mysterious, never-ending love that God has for you.
• a time when you might remove something that takes up a lot of time/energy/space in your life (“fasting), so that you can replace that time with friendship-making with God.

Lent IS NOT…

• a punishment for spending too much time on your phone or Netflix
• that fuzzy stuff in your pockets (That’s lint!)
• a hater of pancakes and all things yummy and sweet (see Shrove Tuesday info)

THIS YEAR…consider replacing something in your life that is zapping your energy with spending time with God. (See “Instead of ___, try ___” examples below.)

(Sorry, you still have to go to work and school and do homework.) But how often to you really check Instagram/Snapchat/Facebook/games on your devices? How much of that content actually makes you feel energized/happy/centered/productive/feeling loved/closer to God and people? Maybe it’s time to spend some of that time with God. Here are some ideas:

Instead of ________, try _________.

• Instead of texting/Snapchatting, try writing a note to a family member or friend you haven’t seen in a while (like with a pen or pencil and real paper!) or picking up the phone and calling them.
• Instead of surfing Netflix for a good story, try cracking open your Bible and reading Matthew 5 (the Sermon on the Mount) or any of these awesome stories: https://biblestories.org/ Get more out of the Bible.
• Instead of streaming YouTube for the new Star Wars or Mission: Impossible trailer, try going on a cold walk outside or just look out your window for 5 minutes and count how many gifts from God you can see outside. Try to find things/animals/people/moments of wonder you’ve never noticed before.
• Instead of dying for some new shoes/game/clothes/gadget/car, try cleaning out and donating items you no longer need or use. More infohere.
• Instead of being hard on yourself because you don’t like your looks/labels/job/age/skills/personality/voice/self, name all of the things about yourself that can be used for God’s glory. Think creatively and write these physical and personality traits down; display this list in a place you’ll see every day. And use those amazing parts of yourself to draw others to the love of Christ.

---

Here’s what is happening this month…..

7–Wednesday Faith and Fun from 5:30-7:30pm (Fellowship Hall); Dinner+Valentine’s Day, Shrove Tuesday, and Lent, oh my!

• + Adult Connections meets Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30pm (Parlor)

11–Sunday morning Worship at 9:00am (Sanctuary); BFG from 10:15-11:15 

14–Ash Wednesday Worship at 6:30pm (Sanctuary)

• + Valentine’s Day – share lots of God’s love!

16–Family Game Night from 6:30-8:30pm (Fellowship Hall); free event for ALL. Bring a game or snack to share (optional), and let the games begin!

18—Sunday morning Worship at 9:00am (Sanctuary); BFG from 10:15-11:15 

Happy Tuesday! Remember to eat pancakes next Tuesday! You are so very loved.

~Laurel