Chatham Bible Church

Lent at Chatham

WHAT IS LENT?

For centuries, Christians from many traditions have observed the season of Lent, modeled after Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness. This is is a time of repentance and rediscovery of God’s grace.

Lent is an opportunity for both personal and communal renewal and growth. Individual believers are encouraged to withdraw into the wilderness with Jesus by taking on a temporary limitation and adding spiritual practices to foster a deeper communion with God. It is a chance to take stock of your spiritual condition in light of the gospel and to seek a greater influence of the Holy Spirit. Corporately, it is a time of preparation for remembering Christ’s suffering and death during Holy Week and celebrating his victorious resurrection at Easter.

WHEN IS LENT?

Our observation of the 2026 Lent season begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18 and ends on Easter Sunday morning, April 5.

HOW WILL WE OBSERVE LENT AT CHATHAM?

This year, Lent at Chatham will be a focused season of prayer. This will include a special Formation Class and many opportunities to unite in prayer together as a church.

‣ Sunday Formation Class, 9 a.m.

During our regular Chatham Formation Class time, we'll consider the topic of "How to Pray: Different Types of Prayer." This class will meet in the Fellowship Room upstairs.

‣ Wednesday Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.

Beginning on Ash Wednesday, we will gather to pray each Wednesday during Lent and into Holy Week for an hour starting at 6:30 a.m. We will meet in the Learning Center's Hospitality Space.

‣ Friday Lenten Prayer Nights, 7 p.m.
During this season, we will set aside Friday nights to join in prayer together with a special emphasis on confession, repentance and intercession. Our first Lenten Prayer Night on February 20 will include a special time of worship in song. Each Friday, we'll gather in the Worship Center.

‣ Women's Day of Prayer & Concert of Prayer - Friday, February 27
On this Friday, once every hour from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., we want women at Chatham to go before the throne to intercede for various groups of women. This day will culminate in a Women's Concert of Prayer in the Worship Center starting at 7 p.m. Learn more at our Women's Prayer Day page.

‣ Pray for the Lou Prayer Walk - Saturday, March 14
In light of the recent tornado, we are planning to prayer walk in the city of St. Louis as we participate in Pray for the Lou, a regional event with opportunities to unite in prayer with other St. Louis area churches and believers. More details to come. Learn more on our Pray for the Lou page.

‣ Men's Lenten Prayer Night - Friday, March 20
Details to come.

‣ Men's Prayer Ruck at Truman Park - Saturday, March 28 @7 a.m.
Today, Men's Ministry will gather at Truman Park for an action-packed prayer experience, hiking 1.5 miles carrying crosses as we read/pray through the gospel accounts of the crucifixion.

‣ Holy Week
Our Holy Week services will include Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

LENTEN SCHEDULE
During Lent, we encourage you to commit to attending the Sunday Formation Class and joining in at least two of our special prayer gatherings ahead of Holy Week.

Ash Wednesday, February 18 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
Friday, February 20 - Lenten Prayer and Worship Night, 7 p.m.
Sunday, February 22 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, February 25 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
Friday, February 27 - Women’s Day of Prayer / Women's Concert of Prayer, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 1 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, March 4 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
Friday, March 6 - Lenten Prayer Night, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 8 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, March 11 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
Friday, March 13 - Lenten Prayer Night, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 14 - Pray for the Lou Prayer Walk, 10 a.m.
Sunday, March 15 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, March 18 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
Friday, March 20 - Men’s Lenten Prayer Night, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 22 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, March 25 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
Friday, March 27 - Lenten Prayer Night, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 28 - Men’s Prayer Ruck @Park, 7 a.m.

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

Palm Sunday, March 29 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, April 1 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
Good Friday, April 3 - Worship, 7 p.m.
Easter Sunday, April 5 - Worship, 10:30 a.m.

WHAT SHOULD I DO DURING LENT?

It is critical to keep in mind that the point of Lent is not to observe rituals or take part in programs. The goal is to pursue a deeper relationship with God. The main question is: What will help you get closer to the Lord? Consider the following three areas:

‣ GIVE IN. Commit to additional spiritual disciplines. You can do something with your family or as a small group, or participate in special prayer meetings at church. You can follow a daily Lenten devotional; increase your Bible reading time; add confession, singing, intercession, or some other kind of prayer to your regular time with God; or go on prayer walks. Consider focusing on a particular area of growth like humility or gracious speech.

‣ GIVE UP. Commit to the biblical discipline of fasting. In its most basic and common form, fasting is total abstinence from food. Fasting should never become a means of manipulating God into giving us what we want, like a hunger strike. Instead, it is an expression of our humility and dependence on God. If your health allows, consider fasting every Wednesday or Friday during Lent (intentionally skipping one, two or all three meals that day). Remember to stay hydrated. You can also do a partial fast by giving up certain things that exert an influence over you or seem particularly important. Consider fasting from T.V., social media, video games, or other forms of entertainment; coffee, soda, or other stimulants; meat or sweets; alcohol; sex or sleep. Partial fasts sharpen our spiritual appetite and make us more aware of God’s presence and power.

‣ GIVE AWAY. Commit to generous giving of your money, time, and energy for the benefit of others. Consider giving financially to missions, benevolence, someone in need, or the church. Look for opportunities to serve someone by giving them your time or using your skills for their good. We'll have a special opportunity to support local schools during this season.

Additionally, to help us remember that our sacrifices and disciplines are a response to Christ’s finished work on our behalf, you can use Sundays as feast days to relax your Lenten commitments.

WHAT RESOURCES CAN I USE?

On Lent:
‣ Aaron Damiani, "The Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of Lent" (Chicago: Moody, 2017)

On Prayer

‣ Our resources on Fervent Prayer are available to download or read online.

On Fasting:
‣ John Piper, "A Hunger for God: Desiring God through Fasting and Prayer" free download (Wheaton: Crossway, 1997)

On Media Fasting:
‣ Sarah Gregor, "Going Dark for More of His Light: Prepping for a 40 Day Social Media Fast" article, miniministry.com

Daily Devotional Options:

‣ Our Lenten devotional, "Meditations In the Book of Isaiah," is available to download or read online.
‣ Gospel in Life offers a free 40-Day Lenten devotional.
‣ Nancy Guthrie, ed. "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter" (Wheaton: Crossway, 2009)
‣ Henri Nouwen, "Show Me the Way: Daily Lenten Readings" (New York: Crossroad, 1992)