Courthouse Square

For many, finding time during the week to attend church can be quite a challenge. But what if church came to you? On Ash Wednesday, February 10, Ginghamsburg Church will be offering “Ashes to Go,” a new approach to a centuries-old Christian tradition, at Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton from 11am-1:30pm.

Ginghamsburg Church is part of a nationwide movement that has clergy and lay people visiting transit stops, street corners, coffee shops and college campuses to mark the foreheads of interested passers-by with ashes and invite them to repent of past wrongdoing and seek forgiveness and renewal.

In the Christian tradition, Ash Wednesday marks the start of the holy season of Lent, a time for reflection and repentance in preparation for the celebration of Easter. For centuries, Christians have received a cross of ashes from palm leaves on the face at the beginning of the Lenten season as a reminder of mortal failings and an invitation to receive God’s forgiveness. Ashes are applied to the forehead, often with the words “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” “Ashes to Go” provides the opportunity to participate in that tradition for people who have lost their connection to a church, or have never participated before.

Ingrid McIntyre receives ashes from street chaplain, Lindsey Krinks. About 30 people gathered as a community to share in the Ash Wednesday liturgy and to raise awareness of those suffering from homelessness and poverty. McIntyre is a member of Christ United Methodist Church in Franklin, Tenn. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UMNS

“Ashes to Go” is about bringing spirit, belief and belonging out from behind church doors, and into the places where we go every day. “It’s a simple event with deep meaning, drawing on centuries of tradition and worship to provide a contemporary moment of grace,” says Pastor Rosario Picardo, Executive Pastor at Ginghamsburg Church.

“As people get busier and busier, we need the church in new and non-traditional ways. We especially need reminders of forgiveness in the tough places of our working lives. The people who accept ashes on the street are often people longing to make a connection between their faith and the forces of daily life, and “Ashes to Go” helps them feel that connection,” Picardo continues.

In addition to offering ashes and prayers, the church is offering free food from PA’s Pork, which will be on location at Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton from 11am-1:30pm.  They will have pork as well as a vegetarian option and a gluten-free option while supplies last.

Contact Pastor Rosario Picardo, Executive Pastor of New Church Development and Senior Pastor at The Point Campus of Ginghamsburg Church, rpicardo@ginghamsburg.org or 937-667-1069 for more information about “Ashes to Go” in downtown Dayton, Ash Wednesday, February 10 from 11am-1:30pm.

For more information about Ginghamsburg Church, visit their website—ginghamsburg.org.

Ginghamsburg Church is committed to changing the world, serving over 60,000 people annually in Miami and Montgomery Counties through its outreach services. Since 2005, the congregation has invested $7 million into sustainable humanitarian projects in the Sudan and South Sudan. A member of the West Ohio Conference of United Methodist Churches, the church has campuses located at Tipp City – 6759 S County Rd 25A, Tipp City, OH 45371; Fort McKinley – 3721 W. Siebenthaler Avenue, Dayton, OH 45406 and The Point, 506 E. Main Street, Trotwood, OH 45426.