Advent Resources

(Posting off schedule this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday — normal posting day.)  Also I hope that posting these Advent resources a couple of days early will help you in planning your Advent observance this year.)  Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

The beginning of the church year:  Advent – the season of waiting.  Advent is the season of thoughtful reflection and repentance – a time to rethink our priorities, realign our lives with God’s desires for us, and seek forgiveness.  It also means to start anew.

As we near the first Sunday of Advent, I want to share some resources for those who desire to observe this season.  I know there have been times when I wanted to begin a new tradition or simply try something new, but did not have the energy or the time to “do the research” or “go looking for ideas,”  thus my plans never got off the ground.

So whether you aspire to a full-blown celebration of the Advent season or simply wish to begin with baby steps, I pray that the collection of ideas below will help you get started.

Readings

• “Arrival: Preparing to Celebrate Christ’s Birth” by Billy Graham.  A five-week devotional.  (Free PDF download.)
• “Good News of Great Joy: Daily Readings for Advent” by John Piper.  25 daily readings.  (Download options:  eBook as a PDF file, eBook as an EPUB file, and eBook as a MOBI file)
• “The Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent” by John Piper.  25 brief devotional readings.  (Downloadable as a free PDF.)
• “Unwrapping Advent: Celebrating the Wonder of Jesus’ Arrival Then and Now” by Margaret Feinberg.  A four-week devotional.  (Free PDF download.)

Readings for Families

• Celebrate Advent with The Jesus Storybook Bible (Including Free Printable Reading Plan) by Adriel Booker.
• 25 Hands-On Nativity Lessons for Kids – Read the Nativity account with your children.

Books

• Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J.M. Nouwen: Daily Scripture and Prayers together with Nouwen’s Own Words by Redemptorist Pastoral Publication.  This book contains a reading for each day of the Advent and Christmas seasons.   A pertinent excerpt from the writings of  Henri Nouwen, a related quotation from Scripture, a prayer for the day, and a suggested activity that offers a concrete response to mark the season is included in each reading.
• Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus:  Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas edited by Nancy Guthrie.  22 readings for Advent.  (Available on amazon.com in paperback or kindle format.)
• God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Forty devotions that guide and inspire readers as they move thematically through the weeks of Advent and Christmas.  (Available in several formats from amazon.com.)
• Good News of Great Joy: Daily Reading for Advent by John Piper.  (Available on amazon.com in paperback or kindle format.)
• The Advent Jesse Tree: Devotions for Children and Adults to Prepare for the Coming of the Christ Child at Christmas by Dean Lambert Smith.  25 devotions tracing the heritage of Jesus through the stories and prophecies of the Old Testament.  (Available at amazon.com as a hardcover book or kindle.)
• The Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent by John Piper.  (Available on amazon.com in paperback or kindle format.)

Activities

• Advent calendar and readings by Focus on the Family.  Prepare for Christmas with Thriving Family’s 2015 Advent Activity Calendar — Tales of Christmas Past: 25 Inspiring true stories of the season. Assemble a beautifully designed Advent poster to help your kids focus on Christ this Christmas. Then read Scripture passages and stories that relate to individual flaps on the poster. You can also create easy-to-fold booklets for each story.  (Free PDF downloads.)
• Create a Random Act of Christmas Kindness (RACK) Advent Calendar.
• Make your own Advent Calendar. (A quick internet search will supply you with many ideas.)
• Think outside the box and turn your paper calendar into an Advent calendar in a jar.
• Check out this list of family activities for celebrating Advent.
• Visit alifesurrendered.com for a list of “Christ-honoring, giving-focused, family-bonding” Advent activities.
• Compose 12 Days of Christmas notes.  Use these for your Advent calendar or send the notes off to family and friends.
• Involve your family in creating a DIY Advent wreath.  
• Print off an Advent wreath coloring page.  
• The Advent Calendar paper chain.
• Give your paper chain a theme. For example, The Names of Jesus or The Lineage of Jesus.
• For many more ideas, please feel free to visit my Advent pinterest board. And be sure to add your ideas to our list by sharing them in the comments below!

soli deo gloria,