Beginning Sunday, February 12, we will be selling books and handing out free “How to Guides” to help prepare us for our church wide Lenten experiment beginning March 5. As a community we will be reading The 7 Experiment: an experimental mutiny against excess by Jen Hatmaker. In addition, there will be a weekly fast focusing on seven different forms of excess (food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending, and stress.) The “How to Guides” will lead us through the fast and provide discussion questions each week to help us reflect on our experience. It is our hope that this Lenten Experiment will help us draw closer to God as we reflect on our weekly experience of fasting.
A free “How to Guide” will be available starting February 12 to help explain the Lenten fast and provide discussion questions for weekly group discussion. We are encouraging everyone who is practicing the Lenten fast to find a group to meet with weekly to discuss your experience and what you have learned. Below are some ideas and opportunities to help you find a group to journey with on this weekly fast.
Families:
Each week discuss possible ways your family might fast together. Be careful to not make the fast too challenging for your kids. The idea is not to overwhelm them with the task, but rather recognize our struggle together with each week’s focus on excess. At the end of the week, use the discussion questions to talk about your experience, why it was challenging and what did you learn from the experience.
Friends:
Invite one or two friends to join you on this Lenten fast. Meet up once a week to talk about how you will approach the new fast each week and use the discussion questions to talk about your experience of fasting.
Groups for Everyone:
Sundays- 10:45-11:15am with “How About You” Groups
Sundays -10:45-11:45am with Annette Sneaker
Sundays – 12:00-1pm with Emmy Zumwalt and Joffa Braymer
Wednesdays- 5:30-7pm with Randy Parsons (dinner and discussion of fast)
Women’s Groups:
Mondays- 11:30-1pm with Laura-Grace Anderson
Tuesdays – 8:30am with Erin Gottschalk and Sheri Mazariegos
Wednesdays- 9:45-11:15 (Christian Yoga followed by discussion of fast)
Thursdays – 7-8am with Jayne Rideout
Thursdays- 9:30-11:30am with Sandy Franks and Kelli Martin
Men’s Groups:
Thursdays- 7-8am with Ben Howell
Young Adults:
Mondays- 6:30-8pm with Jon Tschanz (dinner and discussion of fast)
Students:
Sundays- 10:45-11:15am with “How About You” for Students
Tuesdays- 6:30-8pm with high school groups for girls and guys