During the 40 days of Lent from March 6 – April 18 (not including Sundays) we would like you to Bless other people. Typically Lent is a time where we fast by giving something up, and spend time with Jesus to prepare for Easter. We want you to do that this year as well. Consider fasting from something during this season as a way to put God first. Below you’ll find some quotes to encourage you and some bible reading plans for the season of Lent or and for the week leading up to Easter…
But Easter isn’t just about me… Jesus gave His life for others so we should too. In addition to spending extra time with God and fasting from something we would like to challenge you to bless someone else each day. It can be something simple like completing a task, helping, or serving or something more sacrificial like volunteering, giving something away, “paying it forward,” or practicing radically ordinary hospitality by opening your home and life to friends or neighbours. You and your whole household (even young kids can do this) can participate and help to shift our eyes off of ourselves and onto what Jesus has done and what He can do through us in the lives of others.
And we would like to celebrate all the ways you bless others. We don’t do this to pat ourselves on the back, but as a way to recognize the BIG difference that many SMALL things can make in the name of Jesus. Please love for you to follow this link to tell us how many ways you’ve blessed others, and if you want you can list the ways you’ve done this. Then each Sunday we’ll update our count and highlight some of the things our church family has been able to bless others… and of course this will all be anonymously. We won’t ever share your name with anyone. Just imagine how inspiring it would be to reach Good Friday being able to thank God for 200, or 500, or 1000, or even 5000 (that’s only 125 people participating) opportunities to bless others!
Click Here to let us know how you’ve been blessing othersÂ
READING PLANS
“We fast because, as those already caught up in Jesus’ kingdom-project, in God’s new world, we need to be sure that we are saying a firm goodbye to everything in us that still clings to the old.” N. T. WRIGHT
“We fast because it helps to give us balance in life. It makes us more keenly sensitive to the whole of life so that we’re not so obsessed by our consumer mentality.” RICHARD J. FOSTER
“Fasting from any nourishment, activity, involvement or pursuit—for any season—sets the stage for God to appear.” DAN B. ALLENDER