Lent Event 2016
Announcement Prompts for Church Services
Community Announcement 1 for Sunday 7th February
With Ash Wednesday just 3 days away, UnitingWorld has invited us to join this year’s Lent Event.
In Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness, without earthly comfort, he found sustenance in his relationship with God.
Similarly, we are invited to participate in an expression of God’s mercy and grace by giving up something we can
do without, and donating the money saved to UnitingWorld’s life-changing community development projects
across Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
To accompany us on the journey, Lent Event offers a new GUIDE TO LIVING LENT plus a full range of
resources to provide spiritual enrichment. These include a bible study written by Rev Dr Tony Floyd, daily
prayers, worship resources for Sunday services and children’s activities. All are available free on
www.lentevent.com where you can also subscribe to the Lent Event Daily Prayers. You can also get the prayers
delivered each day to your phone by downloading the Lent Event app.
Be sure to collect your Guide to Living Lent today where we can learn more about the people and communities
that Lent Event is supporting this year and a personal savings box for each of us. UnitingWorld thanks you for
sharing the vision for a world that is free from poverty and injustice.
Community Announcement 2 for Sunday 14th February
As Lent traces the journey of Jesus to the Cross, these 40 days before Easter is our dedicated time as Christians
to reflect on his life and his sacrifice. It’s also an opportune time to reflect on our own life and to consider
sacrificing something in order to learn what it means to rely on God and put our faith into action.
Through Lent Event we learn how our brothers and sisters in Christ in the global church are putting their faith into
action every day as they live without access to things we take for granted; things like clean drinking water, going
to school and access to health care. We learn in a personal letter from Rev Choul of the Presbyterian Church in
South Sudan about the impact of civil war and the resilience of trainee midwives and their tutors there as they
sustain an unwavering determination to complete the training course that will ultimately save lives.
Read Rev Choul’s letter and Lenten greeting in the Lent Event Guide to Living Lent where we can find practical
ways to stand in solidarity with the people and communities within our global church. Lent Event also offers a
range of resources for our spiritual nourishment over the 40-day journey, including a bible study written by Rev Dr
Tony Floyd, daily prayers and resources for worship and children’s activities too. Download for free from
www.lentevent.com and get the free Lent Event app from your App store to receive the prayers daily on your
mobile device.
Today we will see a short video and learn about the people that Lent Event supports. Though we face our own
daily challenges here in Australia, many of us are in a position to respond to God’s call to share what we have so
that others may live lives of dignity. Be sure to collect your Guide to Living Lent and savings box to help
UnitingWorld’s vital, life-changing projects.
Community Announcement 3 for Sunday 21st February
During these 40 days of Lent people and church communities around Australia are immersing themselves in the
spirit of Lent Event to ACT, REFLECT and CONNECT. We Act by giving up something we can do without. We
Reflect on the scriptures and we Connect with the people and communities of our overseas church partners as
we learn about the circumstances that challenge their lives.
This week Lent Event encourages us to ‘meet up’ with our community to share what we’re learning on our Lenten
journey. Whether we meet at church or at home, we’re encouraged to connect and share. One idea is to host a
lunch or dinner with a ‘world’ theme making use of the delicious recipe from our church partner in Zimbabwe. It’s
available on www.lentevent.com along with colourful placemats. As we read, watch and learn about the inspiring
life stories of our overseas church partners, we draw closer to our global brothers and sisters in Christ and
become inspired by their strength. We also discover on our Lenten journey that simple sacrifices we make in our
own life can make a positive difference to the lives of others and we rejoice that we are all part of the one, global
church.
Lent Event 2016
Announcement Prompts for Church Services
Community Announcement 4 for Sunday 6th March
Would you be surprised to discover that some of the happiest people in the world live in poorer communities?
These are the communities who are always willing to give, even if it means that they have very little. As we
contemplate this, we recognise that though these people have fewer possessions, they’re more social and giving.
We have much to learn.
The focus of Lent Event this week is all about de-cluttering our life and home, so that we may live more simply
and fully with Christ. Read the blogs on www.lentevent.com and consider that by taking very simple measures we
can help support the faith-filled action of the Uniting Church’s partner communities as they strive to live healthy
and well-resourced lives. Giving up bottled drinks, sweets, or a monthly magazine subscription and donating the
savings may not seem like much, but as our church community joins with other congregations who are also
participating in Lent Event, we can collectively fight the issues that cause poverty. If you haven’t already done so,
please collect a Guide to Living Lent for ideas to support you each week of Lent.
May our worship, study, reflection and prayer during these 40 days guide us to build genuine connections with
our overseas church partners, and journey with them into a future of hope.
Community Announcement 5 for Sunday 20th March
Palm Sunday heralds Lent coming to a close. During this time many joined the Lent Event community to live out
God’s bigger picture of renewal and restoration through Action, Reflection and Connection. Your faith-filled action
during Lent Event means that more people in Asia, Africa and the Pacific will have access to healthcare,
education, and a means to earning a living. The money you have saved and donated will support these initiatives
and our overseas church partners and UnitingWorld express deep gratitude.
It’s time now to get our Lent Event donations in for this year. Please donate directly to UnitingWorld. You can
make a secure donation via the Lent Event website, App or post a cheque directly to UnitingWorld. Tax Receipts
will be issued to each person forthwith. All donation information can be found on the brochure and Money Box
and at the Lent Event website www.lentevent.com Thank you!
Community Announcement 6 - Easter Sunday 27th March
This Easter, UnitingWorld offers a sincere Thank You to all who participated in Lent Event in support of people
and communities in Asia, Africa and the Pacific. For those living without access to clean water, healthcare, or
even the chance to go to school; your sacrifice during Lent will make a big difference. If you’re yet to make a
donation, please complete the giving slip in the Guide to Living Lent brochure and post directly UnitingWorld.
Secure donations can also be made via their website. All donation information can be found on the brochure and
Money Box and at the Lent Event website www.lentevent.com Thank you!