Lent is a solemn religious observance that begins on Ash Wednesday and covers the nearly seven weeks (40 days, not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter. Lent is a time of preparation and reflection through prayer, self-denial, and repentance.
WEEKLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNER
5:00 – 6:00pm | The Wright Place
Join us for dinner and fellowship with your church family! Dinner can be purchased for $10/adult, $4/child, with a max cost of $27/family.
Menus & Online Payment
PLEASE NOTE: Dinner reservations are no longer required!
Ash Wednesday- February 14
Morning Service
7:00am | Wesley Abbey
This 15-minute morning service, at 7:00am in Wesley Abbey, will have a sermon by Rev. Brandon Bures. Pastries and coffee will be available after the service.
Traditional Service
6:00pm | Main Sanctuary
The traditional service at 6:00pm in the Main Sanctuary will have a sermon by Dr. Geoffrey Lentz and music led by the Sanctuary Choir. Please note that there will not be any children’s programming in the evening, however, the nursery will be available for infants – 5 years old. We encourage the whole family to attend the service together!
Wednesday Night Lenten Services
Wednesdays, February 21 – March 20 | 6:00 – 6:45pm | Main Sanctuary
Each Wednesday in Lent we’ll come together for a special midweek service to worship and hear a guest speaker from around the Alabama-West Florida and South Georgia Conferences. We’ll also have special music each week from our Music Ministry.
Our Guest Speakers this Year:
FEBRUARY 21
The Rev. Doreen Smalls
District Superintendent of the Northwest and Southwest Districts of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the UMC
FEBRUARY 28
The Rev. Dr. Mark Labranche
Church Relations Officer of the Alabama-West Florida United Methodist Foundation, Pastor Emeritus at Saint Luke UMC in Pensacola, & Former Associate Pastor at FUMC Pensacola
MARCH 6
The Rev. Stephanie Arnold
Senior Pastor of FUMC – Birmingham, AL
MARCH 13
The Rev. Gillian Walters
Senior Pastor of FUMC – Fort Walton Beach, FL
MARCH 20
Rev. Dr. Jay Cooper
Senior Pastor of FUMC – Montgomery, AL
Lent for Kids
Wednesdays, February 21 – March 30 | 6:00pm | Chapel
Children (K-5th) will participate in a worship time geared just for them with an activity time to follow. Drop-off in Chapel and Pick-Up in Gym.
Church-Wide Lenten Devotional & Hybrid Class
Sundays, Starting February 18 | 9:45 – 10:45am | Lower Sanctuary, Room 117 & Zoom
All members are encouraged to use Pauses for Lent – 40 Words for 40 Days by Trevor Hudson as a devotional guide this season. On Sunday mornings during the season of Lent, Donell Seager will lead a short-term Sunday School class based around Pauses for Lent. This class will also be offered via Zoom for those who wish to join us virtually (click HERE for Zoom link). All are welcome to join!
This resource is available through Cokesbury or Amazon. We will have copies available in the front office beginning February 1 for pickup. Suggested donation is $10 per book.
OTHER LENTEN PRACTICES
Centering Prayer Class
Wednesdays, Starting February 14 | 5:30 – 6:00pm | 2nd Floor Wright Place, Room 233
Donell Seager, spiritual director, will lead this weekly class to facilitate the deepening of our relationship with God and each other through the practice of centering prayer. Centering Prayer is a way of practicing silent prayer and is an integral practice for the deepening of our relationship with God. It is also an excellent practice to pick up during Lent because it is also a practice of surrender to God’s will and God’s action and presence in our lives. Contact DonellSeager@Gmail.com for more info.
Lectionary Lunch Bible Study
Mondays, Starting February 19 | 12:00 – 1:00pm | Dining Room
Join Rev. Brandon Bures on Mondays for a lectionary study this Lentn season. The study will look at the Gospel Lesson for the coming Sunday with lunch provided. Bring your Bible!
Holy Week
Palm Sunday Services
Sunday, March 24 | 8:30, 11:00am, & ICON at 11:00am
First Kids: Palm Sunday Parade & Family Holy Week Program
Sunday, March 24 | 9:45 – 10:45am
All children and parents are invited to participate in this special Palm Sunday event! We will go on a parade through the church halls, then over to Wesley Haven. After our parade, we will all go into the Great Hall for an interactive Holy Week experience. Parents will drop off children in their normal Sunday School room and then line up on the 2nd floor catwalk in the gym.
Easter Egg Hunt & Lunch on the Grounds
Sunday, March 24 | Noon | Lawn
All are invited to our annual Easter Egg Hunt! We will enjoy a picnic lunch, egg hunt, prize drawing, games, music, & and fellowship on the FUMC lawn. We are asking our congregation members and all families of children attending to donate a dozen stuffed eggs (no chocolate please) per child. Please have them dropped off in the designated bins by Sunday, March 17. Make sure to bring your own chair, blanket, & basket! No registration is required (donation accepted).
Labyrinth & Stations of the Cross
Monday, March 25 – Wednesday, March 27
10:00am – 2:00pm & 4:00 – 7:00pm | Wesley Abbey
The congregation and community is invited to use this sacred space as an opportunity to focus their hearts and minds on the significance of Holy Week, as we all prepare ourselves for the coming Easter Sunday. This formational opportunity is hosted with Center for Sacred Space.
CANCELED: Journey to the Cross ConcertTuesday, March 26 | 7:00pm | Main SanctuaryPlease note that this concert has been canceled.
Passover & Last Supper Remembrance Meal
Thursday, March 28 | 5:30pm | The Wright Place
Click HERE to Register
This special meal is an opportunity to remember and understand what Jesus did with his disciples at the Last Supper. Each of the items arranged on your plate has special significance to the retelling of the story of the exodus from Egypt which is the focus of this ritual meal.
Maundy Thursday Service
Thursday, March 28 | 7:00pm | Main Sanctuary
On this night we commemorate the supper Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion, when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and instituted the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Join us for a Holy Thursday message, music from the Music Ministry, and Holy Communion.
Good Friday Tenebrae Service
Friday, March 29 | 7:00pm | Main Sanctuary
Tenebrae is a service of darkness commemorating the crucifixion. This service includes readings from the passion narrative while candles are extinguished.