Advent is a time for our hearts to be stirred and strengthened as we consider God’s unwavering faithfulness and unmatched love, shown in the sending of His Son.
The Christmas season is quickly approaching or for some, it is already in full swing – you may need to repent. This time of year offers many opportunities for families and friends to spend time together in celebration and active remembrance of Christ’s coming. It is a time for our hearts to be stirred and strengthened as we consider God’s unwavering faithfulness and unmatched love, shown in the sending of His Son.
We all know that busyness and holiday obligations can quickly overtake our calendars and threaten our joy. Before that happens, set aside time to consider what you hope this Advent season to be marked by for yourself, your family and your community. Then determine a plan to make that hope a reality.
Intentional Advent
To help you do just that, we’ve created an Advent Guide with readings, devotionals and activities that can be used on your own or with family, roommates and friends. We will post the readings daily on our blog so stay tuned and check back everyday. If you would like something to share the story of Christmas and God’s great plan for Jesus’ birth with your children you can download The Jesus Storybook Bible Advent guide here for FREE!
As a church, we will walk through the Advent narrative over the next few weeks—the need for and promise of a Savior, the birth of Christ, the proclamation of the Messiah’s coming to the shepherds through the angels and the journey of the Magi to worship the one true King. Together, we will look back and trace God’s faithfulness as we also look forward to Christ’s promised return with confidence, hope and expectation. Along with the Advent Guide, we have created a Spotify playlist, the playlist includes the songs and hymns suggested in each weekly devotional.
An Advent wreath is traditionally made up of four outer candles representing hope, peace, joy and love. During each week of the Advent season, a new candle is lit. The center candle, called the Christ candle, represents Jesus, the Messiah, who has come and is coming, and is usually lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Suggestions for Living on Mission
These are a few suggestions for living missionally this Advent season. These ideas can be done as individuals, with your family, or with your Missional Community. Our challenge to you is to choose a handful of ideas from this list, or come up with your own, and put them in to action during the weeks of Advent, looking for ways to develop community, have gospel conversations, and show people the love of Christ as we look toward Christmas.
- Help with Affordable Christmas which serves underprivileged families in our community
- Put up Christmas decorations for an older or a busy family
- Rake leaves or shovel snow for a neighbor
- Take Christmas cookies to neighbors, co-workers, or friends
- Recruit some neighbors to go caroling in your neighborhood or at a local nursing home
- Invite friends or neighbors over for coffee and dessert
- Host a cookie exchange (5-6 people) make cookies, get together, and exchange cookies
- Provide gifts for foster kids through MissouriBaptist Children’s home
- Hand deliver Christmas cards rather than mailing them
- Host a Christmas get-together for neighbors and friends
- Invite friends with kids to watch a kids’ Christmas movie together. Make hot chocolate or cider and let the kids wear their pajamas.
- Invite friends and neighbors to watch an appropriate adult Christmas movie.
- Organize a night to go look at Christmas lights with friends and neighbors. Carpool or walk together.
- Host a Christmas-themed dinner party and invite 1-2 couple from your Gospel Community and 1-2 couples who are not part of your Gospel Community.
- Serve at a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or some other needs-focused ministry. Invite neighbors and friends to join you.
- Invite a family or friend to join you for Christmas dinner.
- Invite a friend to join you on at “Downtown Living Windows” and/or “Candlelight Tours of the Governor’s Mansion (Dec. 6, 6 – 9pm).
- Invite a friend to “Festival of Light” at Concord Baptist Church (Dec. 13 – 15, 7pm) and coffee afterward.
- Invite a friend to our Christmas Eve Services (Dec. 24th, 6pm).
- Host a football watching party and invite people from your Gospel Community and other friends and neighbors.
Our sincere hope and prayer for you in this season is that your heart would be drawn to behold the beauty of Jesus as you reflect on His first coming and be moved to live a life of humble, hopeful obedience as you await His return.