Lent is a 40-day season of the church year that calls Christians to focus on repentance and personal devotion in preparation for the coming celebration of Easter. It begins with Ash Wednesday and continues through the Easter Vigil.
Lent 2026
February 18 – April 4
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper & J2A fundraiser
Tuesday, February 17
5:30 PM • Parish Hall
Nothing says, “we’re about to start Lent,” like a plate full of PANCAKES. Come join us for your fill of syrup, butter and flapjack goodness – plus every pancake will support future J2A youth pilgrimages.
Suggested donation = $10 per person or $25 per family. Please pay online when you RSVP, or bring cash or checks to the door.
Ash Wednesday
Wednesday, February 18
Lent officially begins with Ash Wednesday. This solemn day is named for the custom of placing blessed ashes on the foreheads of worshipers as a sign of penitence and a reminder of our mortality. Join us for one of three services of Holy Eucharist.
12 PM – Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes
In person – Church
This is a traditional service with music and singing.
5:30 PM – Intergenerational Ash Wednesday Eucharist
In person – Parish Hall
This service uses inclusive language and is intentionally planned for all ages.
6:15 PM – Simple soup supper
In person – Parish Hall
7 PM – Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes
In person – Church
Online – Facebook, YouTube | Download bulletin
This is a traditional service with music and singing.
Ashes to Go
8–10 AM and 1:30–3:30 PM
If you’re pressed for time on Ash Wednesday, come get Ashes to Go. We’ll be in front of the church for two hours in the morning and two hours after lunch.
Lent 1
Sunday, February 22
8 AM, 9 AM and 11 AM – Holy Eucharist
Intergenerational Lenten Prayer Stations
10 AM • Parish Hall
All ages are invited to join us for interactive prayer stations that will be spread throughout the parish house. Individuals and families can travel through the various stations – each engaging in different types of contemplative and hands-on prayer as we enter the season of Lent.
A Contemplative Path through Lent with A Different Kind of Fast
Tuesdays, February 24 – March 31
11:30am–12:30pm or 5:30–6:30pm
The Trees (1701 Pleasant Green Rd)
Are you feeling like you’d like this Lenten season to be different? Is the way of the Desert Fathers and Mothers – who modeled silence, detachment, and stepping away in order to deepen and clarify – calling to you this year? Using A Different Kind of Fast by Christine Valters Paintner, we’ll explore practical contemplative practices while we consider letting go of endless distractions and busyness. Led by Laura Kirby, Executive Director at The Trees. Suggested donation $20 a session, $120 for series. Register: Sign up here
Engage! Lenten Book Study: For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional by Hanna Reichel
Weekly discussions: Wednesdays, Feb. 25 – March 25 • 6:30pm
Library and Zoom
This Lent, as many of us carry worry, fatigue, and unease about the direction of our common life as a nation, you’re invited to read For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional, by Hanna Reichel. This collection of brief chapters offers honest reflection, steadfast faith, and steady guidance for anxious times. Rather than escaping the moment, they help us stay present – naming fear, seeking wisdom, and holding fast to hope that is rooted, resilient, and shared.
Each week on Wednesday nights at 6:30, we’ll gather to discuss a few chapters. Get the book
Lent 2
Sunday, March 1
8 AM, 9 AM and 11 AM – Holy Eucharist
10 AM – Formation Hour
Quiet Day
Tuesday, March 3
10 AM – 2:30 PM • The Trees (1701 Pleasant Green Rd)
Spend your time in quiet – writing, walking, painting, praying, reading. Come for an hour or stay all day. A simple lunch will be provided. No registration required. Open to the public. More info
Lent 3
Sunday, March 8
8 AM, 9 AM and 11 AM – Holy Eucharist
10 AM – Formation Hour
Lent 4
Sunday, March 15
8 AM, 9 AM and 11 AM – Holy Eucharist
Sharing Sabbath: Parent Gathering
12–2 PM • The Trees (1701 Pleasant Green Rd)
St. Philip’s parents are invited to gather together for lunch, conversation, and rest in the woods. Childcare available at St. Philip’s until 2:30. Babies are welcome to join the lunch (and we can set up some napping spaces if needed). If you’d like to join the gathering or have any questions, reach out to Emily Sparks at emily@stphilipsdurham.org.
Lent 5
Sunday, March 22
8 AM, 9 AM and 11 AM – Holy Eucharist
10 AM – Formation Hour
Bake & Pray – Lenten retreat with Kendall Vanderslice
Saturday, March 28
9 AM – 3 PM • The Trees
Are you looking for an opportunity to slow down and prepare for Holy Week? Join baker, writer, and food and theology scholar Kendall Vanderslice for a Bake and Pray retreat. Learn to bake a simple loaf of bread – and along the way learn to use your time in the kitchen as an opportunity to meet with God. We’ll explore the ways God is revealed to us through bread, both in Scripture and in Christian tradition. Register & more info
Holy Week: Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday
Sunday, March 29 – Sunday, April 5