Welcome to 40 Ways in 40 Days with Essendon Baptist Community Church as we seek to follow Jesus through reading Matthew’s Gospel together during the Season of Lent 2026.

In the tradition of the Church, the 40 days of Lent mirrors Jesus’ own journey of 40 days in the wilderness, testing his own identity and call to baptism and ministry. 

For those who were new in their experience of Jesus, this process was often a learning preparation for the initiation rite of water baptism on the morning of Easter Sunday, where people would symbolically be ‘born again’, rising from the waters of death with the risen Christ.

As part of our ongoing formation at Essendon we seek to immerse ourselves in a collective ‘whole gospel’ reading each year. 

You are invited to join our 40 Ways WhatsApp Community and share a 'Way’ or ‘Pray’ of the Day about how the daily readings connect with you. You may want to share a personal story, a photo, a link, some art or a poem that reflects your own personal joy or struggle in response.