Community members are invited to attend Wednesday evening Lenten services that are being held at local churches.

As part of the program, area churches are taking turns hosting worship every week beginning at 7 p.m. A Good Friday service on April 7 will complete the schedule at Parkesburg Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 406 W. Second Ave.

The first worship service was held on March 8 at Parkesburg United Methodist Church (UMC). The worship schedule will continue at the following locations: March 15, First Presbyterian Church of Parkesburg, 511 Main St.; March 22, Faith Community UMC, 332 Chester St., Atglen; and March 29, Parkesburg Baptist Church, 103 West St.

Each service will include a time of music, worship and fellowship. "We typically invite another pastor to give a short message so that people get to hear pastors other than us in their pulpit," said Rebecca Brown, pastor of First Presbyterian Church. "On March 15, I will open and close the service and the praise choir from Mount Zion AME will join us. We will have a bulletin so (people) can follow along in the service."

Brown noted that she worked with pastor Mark Beiderman from Parkesburg UMC last year to offer the Lenten series for the first time. This year, more churches have joined in.

"Our church hosted the Good Friday service last year, and we had eight pastors participating and over 100 people there. Our sanctuary at the Presbyterian church is pretty big. For me, it was gratifying to see that beautiful sanctuary full of people," Brown said.

Area churches also partnered to host a service during the Parkesburg Sesquicentennial that was held outdoors in Minch Park. "The community worship that we did as part of the 150th celebration of Parkesburg last spring was a huge success," Brown noted. "People loved it."

Brown said that the pastors are connected through Parkesburg Churches Community Outreach (PCCO), which provides assistance to local individuals and families in need. "We are trying to be more ecumenical. We are trying to foster that sense of a ministerium," Brown said. "I have only been in Parkesburg a short time, but (I learned that) we really have some great local pastors. Everyone is so welcoming, and we work together really well. It's really uplifting."

Lent is a Christian observance that starts on Ash Wednesday and lasts for 40 days, not including Sundays, representing the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness before His crucifixion. The 40-day period for Christians is a time to reflect, fast and give penance in preparation for the resurrection of Christ, which is celebrated on Easter Sunday, which falls on April 9 this year.