The holidays are just around the corner, and Advent is almost here! And we want to find ways to celebrate together, even though we can't be in the same room.
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Advent Wreath and Candles
We’re encouraging our church family to get Advent candles. We light candles every year to celebrate the various weeks of Advent. And this year is no different. But rather than just the candles lit during our online broadcast, we thought it'd be really special if we joined together in our individual homes to light our own candles during the Sunday morning service.
If you don’t already have candles, here are a few ideas to purchase some for your home by the first Sunday of Advent, November 29:
Buy local to support a small business in your neighborhood. Or explore these local online purveyors: Lit Brooklyn, Brooklyn Candle Studio, Apotheke, Joya Studio, Whole Foods Market, and Artist Craftsman Supply.
Buy from a nonprofit that supports artisans, such as Preemptive Love, First Candle, and Xoan.
Buy in bulk and gift some for your neighbors and friends.
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Advent Daily Devotionals
We recommend you find a series of daily reflections to walk through as we lead up to Christmas. These books and online resources included below invite you to not simply “go through the motions” during the holidays, but to deeply and personally connect with the hope, peace, joy and love that Christmas dares to offer us.
Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
Online Devotionals:
Trinity Grace Advent Calendar — read through our archives (previously sent as a daily email series in 2018) with a scripture reading, prayer, and suggested activity for adults or kids that you can enjoy in your home.
Good News of Great Joy — John Piper, author of Desiring God, recorded a series of daily podcasts to focus on the solid joys and lasting treasure we have in Jesus within the context of Advent.
The Advent Project — Biola University’s Center for Christianity Culture and the Arts celebrates Advent through art and scripture with a free daily email subscription.
Jesse Tree Projects:
The Jesse Tree — 25 devotions with prompts to create and hang homemade Christian symbols on your tree. This book also traces the heritage of Jesus through the stories and prophecies of the Old Testament. Each reading (for kids or adults) includes a scripture, a story and commentary, questions to ask, a prayer, and a song.
Faithward Jesse Tree — download a free e-book with a complete daily Jesse Tree experience for kids or adults, which includes a scripture reading, a read-aloud narrative, a daily question, and a prayer, all designed to help explain the meaning behind the symbols.
God With Us — a family-centered, memorable, flexible, and gospel-focused approach for children ages 4-14, this Jesse Tree guide includes ideas for embroidered felt ornaments and black-and-white coloring pages that can be transformed into DIY ornaments.
Devotional Books:
Good News, Great Joy, For All People — our friends at Church of the City created this book as a special way to encounter the hope, peace, joy, and love of Jesus and to discover why Christmas is good news for 21st-century people in a hurting world.
Shadow and Light — concise and customizable guide for the Advent season to invite you into quiet focus. Each day includes a reflection, a question, and a simple activity to engage the senses, such as lighting candles, listening to music, and viewing art.
Watch for the Light — ecumenical in scope, this book provides readings from great modern thinkers, including Lewis, L’Engle, Nouwen, Aquinas, Manning, Yancey, and others, giving the phrase “holiday preparations” new depth and meaning.
StoryMakers Advent — our friends at Calvary St. George’s Church created two family-friendly books filled with original art, stories, activities ideal for enjoying at home, plus a guide for grownups.
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service opportunities
Throughout the month of December, we will be sharing ideas and opportunities to participate in service projects and social justice initiatives through volunteering and donations. Here’s the start of our list:
Helping Hands Toy Store
We are partnering with our friends at Trellis for their 6th annual toy store to provide presents for families in need across Brooklyn. They particularly need volunteers this year to help wrap, distribute, and provide hospitality for guests, so please consider signing-up!
Stay tuned for more!
