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Lent and Easter 2024 schedule

We are pleased to announce our schedule for Lent and Easter:

Ash Wednesday – February 14

11:30am – 1:30pmAshes to Go (Drive-In Style)
7:00pmWorship w/Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes

Every Week During Lent

Daily Prayer on YouTube
Daily Devotional from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Palm Sunday – March 24

10:30amWorship w/Holy Communion
12:30pmCommunity Easter Egg Hunt

Maundy Thursday – March 28

7:00pmWorship w/Holy Communion

Good Friday – March 29

7:00pmGood Friday worship

Prayer Vigil – March 29-31

Learn more…

Easter Sunday – March 31

10:30amFestive Worship w/Holy Communion
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Prayer Vigil shifts are still available

We invite you to join us in our Holy Week prayer vigil, a time of reflection and devotion to prepare for Easter. Shifts are still available on Saturday and Sunday for those who wish to participate in this sacred experience. Please sign up online or contact the church office to reserve your spot. Thank you for your commitment and faithfulness!

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It’s Holy Week – spend some time in worship and prayer

As we enter the most sacred time of the year, we nvite you to join our church family for Holy Week worship and the prayer vigil. Holy Week is the final week of Lent, when we remember the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On Palm Sunday, April 2, we celebrated Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem with a procession of palms.

On Maundy Thursday, April 6 at 7 pm, we will commemorate Jesus’ last supper with his disciples and his commandment to love one another with a service of Holy Communion.

On Good Friday, April 7 at 7 pm, we will meditate on Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross with a Tenebrae service of readings, prayers and hymns.

On Easter Sunday, April 9 at 10:30 am, we will rejoice in Jesus’ victory over sin and death with a festive service of praise and thanksgiving. All our services will be livestreamed on YouTube.

In addition to these worship services, we also invite you to participate in our prayer vigil from 8:00 pm on Good Friday to 10:00 am on Easter Sunday. During this time, we will keep a continuous prayer chain in our prayer chapel, praying for our church, our community and our world. You can sign up for a 60-minute slot online or by calling the church office. Shifts are available for much of Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. This is a wonderful opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and to intercede for others in need.

We hope you will join us for this meaningful journey through Holy Week. May God bless you and your loved ones as we prepare to celebrate the mystery of our salvation.

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Pray with us this Holy Week

As we enter into the the holiest time of the church year, many of us are searching for ways to deepen our spiritual journey and connect more deeply with our faith. One such opportunity is the Holy Week prayer vigil, a time of quiet reflection and renewal held in our prayer chapel.

Introspective and moving.
A renewal for all.

Michele, past participant

Beginning after the Good Friday worship and running until Easter morning, the prayer vigil offers a sacred space for individuals and families to spend time in prayer and contemplation. Our attendants are present during nighttime shifts to ensure the comfort and security of all participants.

In the prayer chapel, a variety of prayer resources are available, including hymnals, devotionals, and other materials to help guide your spiritual journey. We also provide a private restroom and light refreshments for your convenience.

This is a time for quiet reflection and renewal, a time to step away from the busyness of life and connect more deeply with God. Whether you come alone or with a friend, the transformative power of prayer is waiting for you in our prayer chapel.

We invite you to sign up for a one-hour shift and experience the grace and beauty of this sacred space. Allow prayer to transform your heart and spirit during this holy season of Lent, and discover new strength and renewal for the journey ahead.

Join us for the Holy Week prayer vigil and find solace, peace, and grace in the transformative power of prayer.

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Announcements

Lent and Easter 2023 schedule

We are pleased to announce our schedule for Lent and Easter:

40 Days of Lent

Ash Wednesday – February 22

11:30am – 1:30pmAshes to Go (Drive-In Style)
7:00pmWorship w/Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes

Every Week During Lent

Daily Prayer on YouTube
Daily Devotional from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Weekly devotional activities in your Lenten booklet

Palm Sunday – April 2

10:30amWorship w/Holy Communion

Maundy Thursday – April 6

7:00pmWorship w/Holy Communion

Good Friday – April 7

7:00pmGood Friday worship

Prayer Vigil – April 7-9

Learn more…

Easter

Easter Egg Hunt

Learn more…

Easter Sunday – April 9

10:30amFestive Worship w/Holy Communion
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Join us for worship this Holy Week!

We invite you to join us online or in person as we enter the holy mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the sake of the world.

Maundy Thursday, April 14 at 7:00 pm. This service of Holy Communion recalls Jesus last meal with his friends, his washing of their feet, and his commandment (“mandatum” ➡️ mandate ➡️ Maundy) that his followers must show their love for one another by imitating Jesus’ own acts of humble, loving service. The worship concludes with the stripping of the altar – a solemn removal of all decorations and ornamentation, leaving the worship space harsh and exposed as Jesus’ story moves rapidly toward the nakedness of the cross.

Good Friday, April 15 at 7:00 pm. The great “Three Days” continue as we mark the trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. It is an awful, terrific, tremendous day in the truest sense – a day that inspires awe, terror and trembling at the power of God laid bare in the frailty of a dying human body. But we call the day “Good,” because the power at work that day was for our sake and the sake of the world. With this in mind, our service emphasizes prayer for all the wounded creation Jesus died to make new. The central image is of the dead wood of the cross in actuality being the blossoming Tree of Life, in which was hung the salvation of the world.

Easter Sunday, April 17 at 10:30 am. Just as Jesus shared in our death on Good Friday, on Easter Sunday we rejoice that he has risen so that we might share in his eternal life! The bleak emptiness of the sanctuary erupts into a glory of petals, the cross bursts forth in blooms, and the Church’s song of “Alleluia!” (“Hallelujah!” ➡️ “Praise the Lord!) returns with vigor to our worship after forty days’ absence. Musical celebrations and Holy Communion complete the air of victory and joy.

Masks and social distancing will be required at all services. We will be utilizing windows and air filters to maximize airflow in the worship space. Vaccinations (and boosters) are highly encouraged, though not required. If you are not feeling well, we invite you to join us online rather than in person.

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Evening Prayer for Lent 2022

You can join us in person or YouTube every Wednesday night during Lent for Evening Prayer. If you’re joining via YouTube, you can follow along with this order of service:

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Lent and Easter 2022 schedule

Please join us this Lent and Easter as we walk with Christ to the cross … and beyond the grave!

Lent Schedule

Ash Wednesday

March 2

12:00-1:00 pm | Ashes to Go (drive-in style)

7:00 pm | Worship with Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes

Wednesdays in Lent

March 9, 16, 23, 30
April 6

7:00 pm | Evening Prayer

Palm Sunday

April 10

10:30 am | Worship with Holy Communion

Maundy Thursday

April 14

7:00 pm | Worship with Holy Communion

Good Friday

April 15

7:00 pm | Good Friday Worship


Easter Schedule

Easter Sunday

April 17

10:30 am | Worship with Holy Communion

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Announcements

Ash Wednesday is March 2, 2022

Please join us as we begin the season of Lent, marked with the cross of Christ in ash:

Ashes to Go

We’ll offer ashes to go in the front parking lot from 12:00-1:00. Please keep to the left and follow the signs. We ask that you wear as mask, since imposing the ashes brings us into closer contact than normal.

Ash Wednesday worship

We’ll offer a service of Holy Communion with the imposition of ashes Wednesday evening at 7:00. You can join us in person or online – but you’ll have to find your own substitute for the ashes at home!

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Worship Opportunities Abound

Lost track of the ways to worship at The Good Shepherd this spring? Here’s a quick rundown:

Sunday Mornings

As of late February, we aren’t yet holding services in person. (Visit our COVID-19 Information Center at goodshepherdlife.org/covid for the current status.)

  • Join our service interactively using the Zoom app on your Mac, PC or smartphone. It’s as easy as clicking the link on our Worship page.
  • You can phone in from your any telephone by calling 1-929-436-2866. Enter the code 266 831 067 when you’re prompted. Long distance rates may apply.
  • You can watch the service live or any time later on our YouTube channel.

Wednesdays in Lent

We’re offering a joint Zoom service with Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Eastmont each Wednesday in Lent. Use the instructions above to join by phone or using the Zoom app. (You can watch the video on YouTube if you prefer, but you won’t be able to participate in the discussion and fellowship time that way.)

Holy Week and Easter

COVID-19 cases are still higher now than they were at the peak of last summer’s initial outbreak – but they are trending in the right direction. We are hopeful that if the trends continue it might be possible to hold some form of in-person services during Holy Week and Easter, but it is too early to tell.

Based on the extremely positive feedback we’ve received about our Christmas Eve service, we’re confident that we’ll be able to make these important services powerful and meaningful no matter whether they’re in-person, online only or available both ways.

Keep an eye on our website for news. We’ll also use mailings, phone notifications and email to keep you in the loop.

Every Day

Our nationally-recognized devotional program Daily Prayer is available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Join us each day for 10-15 minutes of scripture, prayer and encouragement in the midst of a chaotic world.