Advent Resources
Advent is a holy season for Christians, marking the start of the Christian year. In Advent we wait. We wait for a baby to be born in Bethlehem, but we also prepare for the presence of Jesus Christ in our hearts and in our lives. It is a time of preparation, of patience, and of spiritually grounding ourselves for the year to come.
Advent is one of our favorite seasons to resource from a formation perspective! It is the start of a new liturgical year. Advent's scope is compact (in terms of days) yet everlasting (in terms of preparing ourselves to receive the gift of Jesus' salvation). It is also ideal for faith-at-home.
Read
Who is Coming to Our House (Joseph Slate, ill. Ashley Wolff) tells the story of the animals preparing to welcome the baby Jesus. A great introduction to the season of Advent for young children!
Faithful Families for Advent & Christmas (Traci Smith) offers a variety of activities, crafts, and new traditions to make Advent a sacred time at home.
All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginning (Gayle Boss) In twenty-five portraits depicting how wild animals of the northern hemisphere ingeniously adapt when darkness and cold descend, we see and hear as if for the first time the ancient wisdom of Advent: The dark is not an end but the way a new beginning comes.
Shadow and Light: A journey into Advent (Tsh Oxenreider) offers Scripture and reflections to invite you to a quiet and simple recognition of this sacred Advent season.
Being Christian (the Rt. Rev. Rowan Williams) is a simple exploration of four essential components of Christian life—baptism, Bible, Eucharist, prayer—perfect for the four weeks of Advent.
Learning to Walk in the Dark (Barbara Brown Taylor) examines how to find our footing in times of uncertainty and giving us strength and hope to face all of life’s challenging moments.
Learn
Advent Faith at Home / Adviento: Una guía para la fe en el hogar
Advent Resources from Illustrated Ministry ($) offers a good selection for a variety of ministry contexts. New this year: From the Manger Advent Devotional and Advent for Families.
Families Celebrate Advent and Christmas ($) is a colorful deck of cards describing rituals, prayers and reflections for these busy seasons. The cards are undated and can be used from year to year.
Advent Resources from salt+ ($) are delightful, accessible digital and printable items which work well for all ages. New this year: Starry Nights: An Advent Devotional Full of Light and Wonder.
Advent Resources from Sanctified Art ($) are creatively artistic explorations of God’s living words. New this year: Words for the Beginning.
Journeying the Way of Love Advent Resources are updated each year to reflect the seven-fold practices for a Jesus-centered life.
Do Not Fear from the Follow Me curriculum ($) is a four-part study that works well in the timeframe and theme of Advent.
Calling All Angels: An Advent Study of Fearlessness and Strength ($) works well for individuals or small groups during the Advent season.
Watch
Introduction
What is Advent all about? How is Advent different than Christmas? In this video, Busted Halo explains the significance of this special season in the Church and why the experience of waiting, hope, and preparation is still so important in our lives today.
Learn More
Christians have long observed the Advent season by meditating on peace, hope, joy, and love. Study these rich biblical words with the first of a four-part Advent series from BibleProject.
Reflect
“Yearning and Promise” explores Advent and the expectant longing for the birth of Christ through cityscapes, wilderness, and water, with scriptures drawn from Isaiah 40 and Matthew 1. The audio for this video is in Swahili with subtitles in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean.
Gifts for Life
Since 1940, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working alongside church partners all across the world to facilitate transformative, lasting change. Explore all Gifts for Life categories, which are based on the four key priorities of community development proven to be most effective in our faith-based work: early childhood development, women and girls, climate resilience and disaster response.
This is an excellent resource for individuals and families seeking to include generous giving in their Advent preparations, and for congregations looking for impactful and intentional gifting focus during the season.
Do
Advent is a wonderful season to encourage faith-at-home activities. Here are three specific traditions that can become part of family Advent observance.
Advent Calendar
Advent Calendars are a useful and fun way to count down the days until Christmas. Ideas for calendars are all around—some have chocolate behind each day’s door, and others, found on Pinterest, suggest family activities or service ideas for each day. Some are simple and some are complex craft projects Choose the one that works for your family, although we prefer the ones that are Christ-centered.
Advent Blocks ($)
Advent Wreath
The Advent wreath is a visual symbol marking the progress of the season of Advent. Advent wreaths are traditionally a circle of evergreens with four candles, in either purple or blue, to symbolize the four weeks of Advent. Perhaps tradition appeals to you, or perhaps you'd like to try something new this year! Check out Pinterest or Etsy for some creative new takes on this wonderful tradition, or simply place four candles of any color on a tray on the table. Children love the anticipation of lighting the candles each night, adding a new candle each week.
Jesse Tree
The Jesse Tree is an interactive way to tell the story of people and events that form the family tree of Jesus Christ. As we prepare, in Advent, for the birth of Jesus, these symbols are a way to connect our own faith in Jesus to these stories, some familiar and some less familiar.
St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas, lover of the poor and patron saint of children, is a model of how Christians are meant to live. As priest and bishop, Nicholas put Jesus Christ at the center of his life and ministry. His concern for children and others in need or danger expressed a love for God which points toward Jesus, the source of true caring and compassion. Embracing St. Nicholas customs can help recover the true center of Christmas—the birth of Jesus.
Pray
Christmas Card Prayers
As you receive Christmas cards, in the mail or digitally, or as you make connections with friends and family, pray for each one of them. Pray for peace, health, and that they may know God’s love.
#AdventWord
AdventWord is a global Advent calendar. Sign up for daily emails, post images to social media, and meditate on the mystery and wonder of Advent with fellow Christians from around the world.
Advent Prayer Stations
Here are three prayer stations developed by the Diocese of New Jersey formation team, for use at home, in small groups, or in congregations.
Prayer Stations >>
Prayer Cards >>
Mary Advent “Wreath”
Using the Song of Mary (Luke 1:46-55), these interactive prayer stations look at the different roles Mary had in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ: Mother, Witness, Revolutionary, and Disciple.
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
— Collect for the First Sunday of Advent, BCP p. 211