Here we are, at the doorposts of a new church year. In Advent, we both begin again and anticipate what is up ahead — the birth of Jesus! Below are some suggestions for Advent resources for individual and church use. We hope this is a helpful starting point for your spiritual growth this most beautiful season.
Spicing Up Your Communications for Advent Webinar
Watch Lisa Taylor, Diocesan Director of Communications, and Nicole Miller, Diocesan Webmaster to learn tools and resources to make your website and holiday communications pop.
Advent Calendars for Your Church
Advent calendars and similar traditions can be helpful tools for faith formation at home. Here are a number of options, some of which are free and some require purchase or donations.
Study
Formatted for easy use as a church or group study. Levine is a revered scholar of Christian scriptures, writing from a Jewish perspective. She brings a great love of our tradition, combined with knowledge from her tradition that helps us see things in a new light.
Children
Offers a fun and engaging set of four Sunday Advent programs for children.
Combines activities and teaching.
Westminster Press (Presbyterian)
Enhanced by daily illustrations symbolizing each Scripture, this Advent study and devotional guides readers from ancient stories and prophecies to the manger and beyond to deepen faith and grow in appreciation of Jesus as Messiah.
All Ages
Join us each week to create, learn and pray. There are DIY projects for families and communities that will take you from Advent to Christmas and through Epiphany. You will find: DIY wreath ideas with prayers and reflections, DIY creche ideas and information about St. Nicholas. There is also a guide to hosting an alternative gift market and our Gifts for Life Catalog.
St. Nicholas Day Resource
Learn: Who was St. Nicholas?
Learn: Who was St. Nicholas?
Worship and Celebration
Ready made booklet, downloadable pdf
The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist in Hingham, Massachusetts has created an online “BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Leaders Advent Calendar.” Visit this website each day gives people an opportunity to learn about a different leader. The calendar is ordered from December 1 – 24, so it can be adapted to this year’s Advent season as well.
Virginia Theological Seminary Resources
If your community is looking for ideas and resources to deepen members’ faith formation during Advent, this list of new and recent formation resources can help you get started.
Creative Approaches
Post a daily photo based on the word of the day. A great Advent discipline for photographers and visual thinkers!
Resources for group study, individual and family resources, using poetry, creativity, and more, from the poetry to Mary Oliver, to the wonder of birds, to the Magnificat. Also, easily editable very short videos for church use.
Sanctified Art Advent Resources
Sanctified Art has released their Advent resources, and the collection includes printable “Insisting on Hope this Advent”. They have many bundles include many elements: devotional booklets , sermon planning guide, advent calendars for children and adults, visual art, ministry resources and more for the Advent-Epiphany season. Downloads for personal use can be purchased for each, and bundles for church use can be purchased at varying rates by quantity starting at $20 for up to 25 copies.
Outdoor Advent Calendar
Although this list of calendars is designed to focus on faith-related resources, one calendar that isn’t explicitly Christian deserves mention. 1000 Hours Outside, a practice launched by Ginny Yurich to promote time outdoors for children and families, created a free “Outdoor Advent Calendar.” It includes 29 activities to do outside, and two different versions are available: one tailored to warm climates and another for cool areas. Because the calendar is undated, it can be used in any Advent season. It can be a helpful resource for incorporating creation care into your Advent celebration.
Devotionals
Bread for the World is a national Christian citizens nonprofit that addresses domestic and international hunger.
Well-suited to individual or family devotions.
If you like poetry, or want to learn more how to use it for devotional purposes, this may be the book for you.
