Lent
Lent and HOly Week at ESUMC
Lent and Holy Week invite us to slow down and walk intentionally with Jesus on the road that leads to the cross and the empty tomb. This season is a time for prayer, reflection, repentance, and renewal—a time to tell the truth about our lives and to open ourselves again to God’s grace. At Edenton Street UMC, we enter this season together, trusting that God meets us not in perfection, but in honesty and hope.
From Ash Wednesday through Easter, we gather for worship, prayer, and shared practices that help shape our hearts toward love of God and neighbor. Whether you are joining us for the first time or returning to familiar rhythms, you are invited to journey with us through Lent and Holy Week as we remember Christ’s suffering, reflect on our call to discipleship, and prepare to celebrate the resurrection that changes everything.
A Invitation to Almsgiving
Throughout Lent, we invite you to join us in the practice almsgiving—the sacrificial sharing of our resources to join God’s work in the world. Almsgiving turns our hearts outward, helping others experience dignity, hope, and new life.
Our almsgiving goal this year is to raise $28,500 to fully fund an additional Zoe Empowers orphan empowerment group in Liberia and journey with them over the next three years. Through local partnerships, Zoe Empowers equips orphaned and vulnerable youth with education, vocational training, mentoring, and sustainable resources that break cycles of poverty and to never need charity again in just three years.
Please join us as we practice living like Jesus by sharing our resources and cultivating charitable hearts!
EVENTS
Fat Tuesday Celebration
Tuesday, February 17 | 5:30-7:30 PM | Kerr Hall
Join your eStreet Family for Angela’s famous pancake supper, benefitting Edenton Street’s mission partner, Zoe Empowers. There will be music, crafts, fairy hair, balloons, and more. Let us know you’re coming here!
Ash Wednesday
Wednesday, February 18
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent—a sacred season of reflection, repentance, and renewal. In this quiet and meaningful service, we remember our need for God’s grace and the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Through prayer, Scripture, and the imposition of ashes, we are reminded that we are dust, and to dust we shall return—and that even in our mortality, we belong to God.
Receiving ashes in the shape of a cross is both a sign of humility and a declaration of hope. It is an invitation to turn our hearts again toward God and to begin the Lenten journey together. Whether you are new to this tradition or it is a familiar and grounding rhythm, we invite you to join us as we enter this season with honesty, courage, and trust in God’s mercy.
Drive-Thru Ashes - 7-8 AM & 11:30 AM-12:30 PM @ Curtis Center
Ash Wednesday Service - 2 PM @ Chapel
Ash Wednesday Service - 7 PM @ Sanctuary
Stations of the Cross
Sunday, March 1 | 10:15 AM | Kerr Hall
Sunday, March 15 | 2:00 PM | Umstead Park
Stations of the Cross is a reflective prayer experience that invites us to walk with Jesus through the final hours of his earthly life. Moving station by station—from his condemnation to his burial—we pause to read Scripture, pray, and consider the depth of Christ’s love and sacrifice.
This ancient practice creates space for quiet reflection and personal response. As we journey through each moment of suffering, we are invited to see our own lives in the story—our grief, our sin, our compassion, and our hope. Stations of the Cross helps us slow down, enter the story of Holy Week more deeply, and prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter morning.
eStreet Kids Community Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday, March 28 | 10:00 AM | Fred Fletcher Amphitheater
Join families from Learning Together, ESUMC Early Childcare Program, and Door Step Ministries for a fun-filled Easter Egg Hunt. Bring an Easter Basket and a dozen cookies to share with our Community friends.
Palm Passion Sunday
Sunday, March 29 | 10:00 AM | Sanctuary
Come begin Holy Week at a special joint service at 10:00 on Palm Sunday. We will begin outside the doors of the sanctuary, and then the children will lead us into the sanctuary waving palm branches and singing “Hosanna.” Throughout the service of worship we will experience a dramatic retelling of the last week of Jesus’ life, from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the crowds crying “Crucify him” to the cross. Prior to the joint worship service, we will gather 9:00 am to then be sent out to walk and pray over the places and spaces that make up our parish.
Maundy Thursday Family Dinner & Worship
Thursday, April 2 | 6:30 pm meal / 7:00 pm worship
On Maundy Thursday we remember Jesus’ Last Supper with the disciples and the new mandate he gave, “Love one another.” Come to a special joint service in Kerr Hall on Maundy Thursday. We’ll begin with a light supper of soup and bread at 6:30 followed by service of worship that will include Holy Communion, the preached word, music, and hand washing. All ages are encouraged to attend, and Wiggler Worship will be provided for children ages 3 through first grade. We’ll conclude our worship in Garden Gallery Courtyard with a time of silent prayer as we remember Jesus’ who prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Good Friday Worship
Friday, April 3 | 7:00 pm | Sanctuary
Join us for a meaningful Good Friday service as we reflect on Christ's sacrifice. This solemn gathering will include scripture readings, contemplative music, and time for quiet prayer. Together, we will journey through the crucifixion, embracing themes of love, redemption, and hope. All are welcome as we prepare our hearts for the joy of the Resurrection and experience God's love and grace in our shared worship.
Holy Saturday Prayer Vigil
Saturday, April 4 | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm | Sanctuary
Experience connection with God through prayer on Holy Saturday. You are invited to pray in our Sanctuary from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (please enter through the Garden Gallery) or pray where you are. Sign-up is not necessary. Prayer guides are available here.
Easter Worship Service Times
Sunday, April 5
6:25 am - Sunrise Service @ Capitol Square
9:00 am - Contemporary Service @ Kerr Hall
10:00 am - Churchwide Celebration @ Commons
11:00 am - Sanctuary Service @ Sanctuary
Other Offerings
St. Paul and Smoky Hollow: A Community Story Film Screening
February 25 | 6:30 PM | Bulla Youth Center
Join us for a meaningful evening as we watch St. Paul and Smoky Hollow: A Community Story, a powerful film that shares the history, heritage, and resilience of the Smoky Hollow neighborhood—located just down the street from our church—and the people who called it home. St. Paul AME was formed by the enslaved members of our church, whose faith and determination helped shape a community that endured across generations. The film invites us to learn, remember, and honor a vital piece of Raleigh’s past. Following the screening, St. Paul Historian Melody Hunter-Pillion will lead us in a conversation about the film and its significance for understanding our city’s history, the impact of displacement, and the strength of community. Let us know you’re coming here!
Bible Study
March 5 - March 25 | Wednesdays, 6:30 PM | Chapel Annex
ESUMC is embarking on The Bible Year - A journey through Scripture in 365 days using daily readings and the devotional guide by Magrey R. deVega. This bible study will use excerpts from book to guide us through reading the bible.
Parenting with Clair Ashburn
March 4 | 5-6:15 PM | Chapel Annex
Come engage in a time of learning with Parent Coach (and mom of three littles), Clair Ashburn. Learn the “how’s” and “why’s” of growing as a respectful, calm, intentional, and connected parent. Register here!
Parenting with Laura Brimberry
March 11, March 25, April 8, April 22 | 5-6:15 PM | Chapel Annex
4 Sessions:
Understanding Resilience: Helping Kids Cope and Grow
The Friendship Journey: Social Growth Along the Developmental Cycle
Boundaries and Technology: Helping Support Parents in a Screen Saturated World
Encouraging Responsibility and Independence: Small Steps that Foster Growth and Confidence
Register here for one or all!
Ella’s Race
March 21 | 8 AM | North Raleigh
Join our ESUMC team and run, walk or volunteer at Ella's Race on March 21. This family-friendly event includes a 5K, 10K, and 1 mile fun run, plus face painting, a bouncy house, and free Chick-fil-A biscuits! Hosted by Chick-fil-A Falls Village in loving memory of ESUMC member Ella Newmiller, who lost her life to a pediatric brain tumor, the race supports the search for a cure for pediatric brain cancer and fights for children like Ella. ESUMC team members get a 15% discount through the end of February—register today!
Raleigh Black History Trolley Tour
March 22 | 12:15 PM | Garden Gallery
We are excited to have historian and author Carmen Cauthen be our guide for a Raleigh Black History Trolley Tour. The tour starts and ends at ESUMC. We hope you'll join us for this unique opportunity to learn more about our city! Sign up here.