Lent is a season in the Christian year that begins with Ash Wednesday (February 14 this year). Lent is 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter (April 1 this year–I’m not fooling). In the Christian church, Lent is usually a time for intentional spiritual focus. Some people give things up for Lent, some take on new spiritual practices. At St James, we will have a 4 part emphasis for Lent 2018.

1-Read the New Testament with the Community Bible Experience We will read through the entire New Testament this spring (mostly during Lent) and gather to discuss what we read. We will use a new format Bible called the Books of the Bible. This is the trusted NIV translation formatted with no chapter or verse numbers, and no notes added. It is designed to be read just like any other book–from beginning to end! The books are available at St James starting Sunday February 4. Hardcover books are $5 and paperbacks are $3. We will offer 3 opportunities to gather and discuss our reading: Wednesdays at 11am or 6pm in room 5. We will also gather on Sunday morning after fellowship time (around 11:40am) in the pastor’s office.  It is also possible to host your own group! For more information, contact Pastor Richard by email, or you can text or call (520) 222-8690. You can read about CBE here (be sure to watch the Program Overview Video) and check out more free resources here.

2-Let God Lead will be our Sunday morning worship sermon series for Lent. Each week we will consider a different way we can let God lead us or a different area in which we can be led by God. If being a Christian means being a follower of Jesus Christ, then LETTING GOD LEAD should be very important to us!

3-Experiment with Prayer Each week we will also learn and try a different way to pray. These methods will be introduced in our worship services and in our CBE discussion groups each week.

4-Serve Others We will offer several opportunities to serve other people during Lent. Give one of them a try, or do them all! Links and details will be posted on THIS PAGE, so check back! Our service projects will also be included in our weekly church email. To receive the email and stay up to date, click here.

Here are some links to some more information about Lent:

http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/what-is-lent-and-why-does-it-last-forty-days

http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/40-days-of-lent-find-your-own-spiritual-path