Five Lenten Practices for Families

Lent 2020 begins February 26th, on Ash Wednesday. Lent is the 40 days before Easter, not including Sundays and is a time of reflection, spiritual practices, and preparation for Easter. Here are five ideas for your family to practice or experience during Lent.

1. Make Pretzels - learn about the story of the pretzel and it's connection to prayer and make pretzels with your family. Read more here.

2. Coins for Lent Calendar - Download the Coins for Lent Giving Calendar. You may want to collect coins, or items that can be donated. You may also want to adapt some days to be relevant to your family or community. The calendar is a way to be grateful for what we have and give to others.

3. Learn a new way to Pray - here are a few examples:

• Praying in Color
• Prayer beads - This can be as simple as a pipe cleaner with a few beads. Start at one end with an opening like, Dear God, and then use each bead to pray for a person, place, something specific or general. Learn more from Prayerworks Studio (including a video from United Methodist Communications).
• Prayer Walk - as the weather starts to warm, go for a walk outside. Notice the changes in the earth. Give thanks to God for the beauty. Pray as you walk for nature, for your neighbors, for the people in the cars who drive by, etc. Enjoy being outside!
• Check out these ideas from Illustrated Ministry

4. Lenten Paper Prayer Chain

• Cut out 40 strips of paper (47 if you want to include Sundays and Easter). Write a person, place or group of people (i.e. firefighters, police, teachers, etc.) on each strip. Attach them into a paper chain. Take one off each day and pray for what is written on the chain. Mealtimes or bedtime are a good time to do this.

5. Family Fast

• Do a family fast during Lent. This could be for a specific amount of time, a day, or through all of Lent. For example, your family fasts from technology from 6-7pm every day throughout Lent. Or your family fasts from sugary foods every Friday. Or your family fasts from eating out at restaurants throughout Lent. When you fast from something, make sure that you fill that space by growing closer with God. Praying together, doing a Lenten practice, reading a Bible story, etc. Be sure to talk about what you are doing instead of what you are fasting from. This gives family members something to look forward to.

For additional ideas about Lent practices with your family visit here.

Click here for a flyer download you can share with others.