Last minute Ash Wednesday checklist for parish teams

Ready or not, Ash Wednesday is almost here. 

Lent is meant to be a sacred season of recollection, prayer, and penance. But let’s be honest, when you work at a parish, it can sometimes feel less like a season of spiritual renewal and more like a season of stress, endless to-do lists, and administrative penance. 

We know there is so much to get done, and you’ve probably been planning for the Lent and Easter season since before the new year. As you tie up all the loose ends and your team and volunteers prepare for one of your highest attended liturgies of the year, use this last minute checklist to prepare your team to create a positive parish experience for any person who walks through your door. 

Hospitality 

• Confirm that you have enough volunteers to have a strong presence at every Ash Wednesday liturgy. Pushpay’s app-based volunteer management solution is a great way to streamline this process!  
• Work with your communications team to prepare handouts that should be distributed to attendees. A postcard with your parish’s Lenten events and Easter Mass times, or a connect card, with an online form attached via QR code. 

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Liturgy

• Swap those green garments for violet, and replace fresh flowers with dried florals! Lent is here! 
• Ensure that all of your liturgies are covered, and allow your people to swap assignments with each other if needed. 
• Work with your communications team to make sure the proper announcements are read following each Ash Wednesday liturgy. 

Finance Manager + Finance Council 

• Set Ash Wednesday giving goals based on the attendance you expect and previous years’ data. You can use Pushpay’s AI for Giving to quickly gather insights on generosity at your parish if you don’t get to this until the last minute.  
• Make online giving simple and easy by using QR codes or Tap to Give cards in the pews and Online Giving for Parishes, to help you reach those goals! 
• You should also continue to leverage envelopes for those members of your community who count on them! Consider making more envelopes available than usual, as you will likely see higher attendance. Pushpay’s seamless integration with National Church Solutions ensures giving options for traditional and digital givers alike.

Faith Formation 

• Make sure your online calendar featuring upcoming faith formation opportunities is up to date and have clear next steps for parents and parishioners who are interested in signing up.
• If you’re hosting a Lenten Mission, make a registration form available at Ash Wednesday (on a QR code on the pews, a postcard handed out to attendees, or projected on screens) to collect attendees’ RSVPs and information. 
• If possible, make a Lenten resource available to all Ash Wednesday who are looking to go deeper during the Lenten season.
• Invite your volunteers to make themselves available at your parish’s Ash Wednesday liturgies to connect with newcomers and answer questions about faith formation programs at your parish. 

Communications and Marketing 

• Tidy up your parish’s home page and social media channels. These will be seen by more newcomers in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday than usual. Make sure things are clear and attractive! Make Mass times (especially Ash Wednesday Mass times) prominent on your home page and in your social posts. 
• Work with your liturgy team to make sure parish announcements are clear and inviting at the end of each Ash Wednesday liturgy, in order to inform attendees of what’s coming up throughout Lent and Easter.
• Work with your hospitality team to create a plan to connect with newcomers and follow-up with them to invite them to be part of your community. 
• Prepare any unique signage or advertisements that should be displayed (i.e., promotion for a Lenten mission, an upcoming retreat, Lenten fish fries, Confession schedule, or Stations of the Cross times, or connection opportunities). 
• Have a plan for capturing and sharing photo and video content from Ash Wednesday to highlight at the beginning of Lent, and to promote Ash Wednesday in the future.

Whether it’s the end of the Christmas season or the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, keep this checklist handy. Ash Wednesday sets the tone for the whole Lenten season. When it’s thoughtful, prayerful, and well-prepared, it doesn’t just mark the beginning of a new season, it invites your parishioners into a transformative experience. May this year bring your parish’s best Lent yet!

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