Lent & Easter

Join us as we move through the Lenten journey and into the excitement of Easter and the promise of the Risen Christ. For 2023, worship and prayer opportunities will be offered in a variety of formats.

Lent & EASTEr

Worship Opportunities and Events are listed below. All are welcome.

  • Palm & Passion Sunday

    April 2

    9:00 & 10:30 am

    Commemorate both the triumphant arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem, and the turn the crowd takes. Both 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM worship services will include communion; the 10:30 AM servicealso includes a special anthem prepared by our Palm Sunday Children's Choir under the direction of Christina Griffin. The 10:30 service will also be viewable through our livestream - Worship at Home (click here!).


  • STations of the cross

    Monday, April 3- Friday, April 7

    11:00am-1:00pm and 5:00-7:00pm

    In-person in the Octagon


    St. Paul’s will offer a self-guided Stations of the Cross event throughout Holy Week. Each station is sponsored by a group or family from St. Paul's. This program honors the ancient story of Jesus’ earthly journey and death while recognizing the ways this narrative speaks to us and our world today. 


    The Stations of the Cross are a series of Scriptures which tell the story of the crucifixion. Even though we know that death does not have the final word and resurrection is coming, this is a practice that gives us an opportunity to reflect and repent. This self-guided experience consists of eight stations (abbreviated from the traditional fourteen). Each station will invite you to reflect in different ways on a particular thought or Scripture.

    • First Station: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
    • Second Station: Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin
    • Third Station: Jesus is Denied by Peter
    • Fourth Station: Jesus is Judged by Pilate
    • Fifth Station: Jesus Bears the Cross
    • Sixth Station: Jesus is Crucified
    • Seventh Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
    • Eighth Station: Jesus is Placed in the Tomb


    If you have any questions, please contact Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext. 104.

  • Maundy Thursday

    April 6

    7:30 pm

    Featuring the Sanctuary Choir and Chamber Players

    In-person in the Sanctuary and livestreaming


    This evening worship experience includes the presentation of the moving program "Hope in the Shadows." You can read more about this stirring musical offering at our Music page.


    You will be able to watch the worship service on our Worship at Home page.

  • Good Friday

    April 7

    7:30 pm

    In-person in the Sanctuary


    Good Friday, also sometimes called Black Friday, commemorates the crucifixion and death of Christ. The service will feature music selected by organist Marvin Mills. Worship in the Sanctuary or through our Worship at Home page.

  • Easter Sunday

    April 9, 2023

    7:00 am - in-person, outdoors in Clum-Kennedy Park

    9:00 am - in-person in the Sanctuary at St. Paul's

    10:30 am - in-person in the Sanctuary at St. Paul's

    10:30 am - livestreaming - Click HERE to watch from home.


    Celebrate the message of hope made alive in the resurrection of Jesus Christ! 


    The First Service of Easter will be held outdoors in the garden-like setting of Clum-Kennedy Park. (Parking is available in the lot between Johnson's flowers and Old Town Market on Kensington Parkway.) As with our outdoor services in the past year, please bring your own chairs and dress for whatever the weather might bring. 


    Both the 9:00 & 10:30 services will be held in the Sanctuary of St. Paul's UMC and will include the Sanctuary Choir and brass. The 10:30 service will also include music from the Joyful Ringers bell ensemble.


    The 10:30 service will be livestreamed for those who prefer to worship at home. You will be able to find the video and a downloadable *pdf of the worship bulletin on our Worship at Home page.


  • Easter Eggstravaganza

    Children in 5th grade and younger will have an opportunity to participate in an Easter Egg Hunt following the 10:30 a.m. worship service on Easter Sunday. 


    Children will gather in the Octagon with coloring activities and will be called to Reinhardt Park in age groups for hunting eggs. (Children should bring their own bag or basket.)


    While there is no cost for this event, registration is encouraged for planning purposes; please sign-up online via this link: https://forms.gle/dRaHmBi8HcMeGvXeA. 


    If you can assist with the Egg Hunt or want to donate stuffed plastic eggs, please contact Minister of Spiritual Care and Formation, Dr. Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext 104. 

Easter Offerings

God has blessed the ministries of this church and has allowed us a vision that looks far beyond our own Sanctuary to see people and places in need. Each year, we dedicate 100% of our Easter Special Offering to serve those outside the walls of St. Paul's. 


Please consider making a one-time Easter Special Offering donation. Click the button to give securely online.

Easter Offering


St. Paul's leaders serving in the Simplified Accountability Model Ministry Table and the Strategy, Accountability, & Leadership Table determined the 2023 designated beneficiaries will be: 

  • The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Ukraine Relief responding to humanitarian crises with immediate aid and long-term rebuilding solutions.
  • The Hunger Ministry at St. Paul's, providing any household facing food insecurity in the 20895 ZIP code with shelf-stable groceries and a grocery store card for purchasing perishables and dignified access to hygiene products.


Donations by cash or check may be sent to St. Paul's by mail (St. Paul's UMC, Attn: Easter Offering, 10401 Armory Avenue, Kensington MD 20895) or drop-off any time using the office door mail slot. Checks should be made payable to "St. Paul’s UMC" with the words “Easter Offering” on the memo line. Additionally, special offering envelopes will be available in the worship bulletins for Easter Sunday.


Please note, all other offerings or donations, such as those toward your 2022 yearly giving or pledge, should be made using an envelope other than the Easter Offering envelope. Thank you!

Easter Lily ORders

St. Paul’s Sanctuary will have Easter lilies this year.  All friends of St. Paul’s are invited to sponsor a lily in memory or in honor of a loved one. The cost is $20 per plant. 


Click the button to order online and pay by credit card.

LILY ORDER


In-person orders will be taken between worship services on Sundays, March 12, 19, and 26 for those wishing to use cash or check.


The full list of dedications will be printed in the Easter Sunday Worship Bulletin for the 9:00 & 10:30 worship services.


Sponsors may take home their plants following the 10:30 a.m. worship service on Easter, April 9. (The church office is closed on Easter Monday, April 10.) Plants can also be picked up in the Narthex during office hours starting April 11. Plants left after April 16 may be delivered to those who are ill or otherwise wishing for a little extra cheer.