The season of Lent is 40 days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.

Lent is a time of repentance, fasting, and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.

Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a “mini-Easter” and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.

All inside services will…

• be held in the sanctuary unless otherwise noted.
• be live-streamed to YouTube.com/AtascaderoUMC, starting 10-15 minutes before the in-person service is scheduled to start.
• be streamed live to the TV set up on the labyrinth outside the sanctuary building, unless it is after dark or raining.
• follow current COVID policies. At this time, all people 2 and older are to wear appropriate and properly fitted masks (N95 and KN95 masks are encouraged) while inside church buildings.

Lenten/Easter activities at Atascadero UMC:

• Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner at home on Tuesday, March 1. We encourage you to have breakfast for dinner with the family. Learn more about Shrove Tuesday HERE.
• Ash Wednesday service on Wednesday, March 2 at 7 p.m. This service marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Watch the service HERE.
• Lenten Study with Pastor Steve on the book “Good Enough: 40-ish Devotionals for a Live of Imperfections” by Kate Bowler & Jessica Richie. There will weekly check-ins with Pastor Steve via Zoom on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. from March 8 through April 12. The check-ins are optional. To RSVP for a book, contact the church office at mail@atascaderoumc.org or 805-466-2566.
• Palm Sunday Worship Service on April 10 at 10 a.m. CLICK HERE to view the 2021 Palm Parade.
• Maundy Thursday Service on Thursday, April 14 @7 p.m.
• Online Good Friday Service on Friday, April 15 TBA at the church on the church’s YouTube channel.
• Easter Sunrise Service on April 17 at 6:30 a.m. outside on the labyrinth. Dress warmly.
• Traditional Easter Service on April 17 at 10 a.m.
• Easter Egg Hunt on April 17 at approximately 11am (after the 10am worship service, whichever comes last) on the playground. Meet at the gate to the playground. Children should bring their own Easter baskets.
• Bright Sunday Worship Service on April 24 at 10 am.

YouTube Channel: YouTube.com/AtascaderoUMC

To view all of Atascadero UMC’s events on Facebook, click HERE. See our Google calendars HERE.