'Ashes To Go' Offered Wednesday At Alpharetta Churches

ALPHARETTA, GA — For people around Alpharetta wanting to participate in Ash Wednesday, but who may not have time, a few churches around the community are trying to solve that problem.

Midway United Methodist Church in Alpharetta is making it easier for people to stay connected to their faith on one of the holiest days of the year. The church is debuting a new concept this year for Ash Wednesday called “Ashes to Go.”

From 6:30 – 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Midway’s clergy will be outside its main building, administering ashes to those who drive up, along with a blessing. Free coffee and donuts are available for participants, as well.

“Ashes to Go” at Midway is an option for those who don’t have a church home, who are mobility-impaired, or whose schedule prevents them from attending worship that day. Ashes are available to anyone who asks - participants do not need to be a member of the church.

"You don't even have to park or get out of your car," the Rev. Jennie Andone, Sr. Pastor at Midway, said. “We’ll have folks directing traffic so people can just drive up, roll down their windows, and receive the ashes in the shape of a small cross on their foreheads or backs of their hands, and we’ll pray with them. And they’ll stop under the covered entrance, so it’ll happen rain or shine.”

Midway also offers Ash Wednesday worship services at noon and 7 p.m. in its historic chapel. The church campus is located at 5025 Atlanta Highway in Alpharetta, at the corner of Highway 9 and Campground Road.

Alpharetta Presbyterian Church is also offering “Drive-thru Ashes” administered by the church's pastors at the front of its property next to Academy Street, 180 Academy St.