At Canadian Foodgrains Bank, we’re proud to be a membership of 15 Canadian church-based organizations working together to end global hunger.
Together, our members represent over 12,000 individual congregations across Canada, making up nearly 30 Christian denominations – each of whom mark Lent and Easter in uniquely different ways.
Here’s a quick introduction to the free Lent and Easter resources some of our member organizations have compiled:
Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM)
Canadian Baptist Ministries will be marking Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday with a series of short reflection videos, posted daily on their social media accounts. Both Canadian staff and overseas staff have been asked to contribute and share their thoughts on selected Bible passages, telling the story of Jesus’ journey to the cross and ultimately, his resurrection.
You can see these videos and follow CBM’s Holy Week journey on their Facebook or Instagram channels from March 24-31.
Development & Peace – Caritas Canada (DPCC)
Our member DPCC announced its annual ‘Share Lent’ campaign on February 14, following its annual tradition of launching a new Lent campaign every Ash Wednesday. This year’s theme is ‘Reaping our Rights’ and is based on the bible verse Galatians 6:9 – “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.”
This year’s selection of resources (available in English and French) includes a prayer card, mini magazine, poster, a faith-based reflection, and more. It aims to draw attention to the plight of rural, small-scale farmers around the world who are impacted by hunger, and asks Canada to protect the rights of food producers both near and far as they struggle against the changing climate, armed conflict, and forced displacement – just to name a few of the challenges.
Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D)
“When we respond to poverty, hunger and conflict in our global village, we discover God’s resurrecting power. The hungry are fed, the vulnerable are cared for, the sick are healed, and the poor are raised up.”
That’s the theme for this year’s Lenten resource produced by PWS&D and written by Rev. John Bannerman – to faithfully respond to Christ’s call to serve people in need. The liturgies are available as PowerPoint slides to show during your service, as well as colour and large printable versions for church bulletins. Each Sunday in the Lent calendar includes a group prayer and a story of the impact PWS&D’s local partners are making around the world.
Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF)
At PWRDF, this year’s Lent resource follows a daily reflection written by renowned biblical scholar, Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat. The daily resource focuses on the growing climate crisis and the global impact it is having on the wellbeing of people.
PWRDF invites participants to join the journey and dive deeper into a holistic understanding of “what health, wellbeing and good living require of us in our lives and our relationships with one another, with creation, and with God.” The resource is available via a daily email to subscribers, or you can download the full version in PDF format from the PWRDF website.
The Salvation Army Canada
As our member The Salvation Army Canada is a church denomination, their Corps Mission department creates Lent resources for use by their community across Canada. This year’s resources include an intergenerational Bible Memory Challenge, featuring memorization and get-to-know-you activities.
You can also download their general Lent resources, named ‘Lenten Awakening’. The seven-week series includes worship service materials, music options, dramas, readings, and other resources. It is available in English and Spanish.
United Church of Canada (UCC)
And from UCC, there’s more than one resource to keep you engaged in the lead up to Holy Week and Easter Sunday.
UCC has created a series of prayers that you may be interested in, including a prayer for growing a more just world, with a call to “take our lead always” from those who are most impacted by its brokenness. There’s also a variety of thematic and liturgical calendar worship resources that can be downloaded for your personal use, or with your faith community.
For downloadable links to these resources, visit the links below:
- Development and Peace-Caritas Canada
- Presbyterian World Service & Development
- Primate’s World Relief and Development
- Salvation Army bible memory challenge and Lent resources
- United Church of Canada prayers and worship resources
If you’d like to download the Foodgrains Bank Lent and Easter worship resource, click here.
