Dare to Imagine
Let's "Dare to Imagine" this Advent season... Dare to imagine that God is with us. Dare to imagine what God can do in, among, and through us. Dare to imagine the possibilities before us as we draw near to God and nearer to each other after a season of much separation. Let us dare to open ourselves to the growth of Christ within us, and imagine the gifts of God for the season to come. Read here to find out about attending Sunday worship in person, and look below for many other possible practices to strengthen our daring and stretch our imaginations.
For All Ages
HMC has purchased 2 inter-generational weekly devotionals that anyone in the church can use as a guide to a meaningful Advent season. One is "God With Us: an illustrated devotional" from Illustrated Ministry. The other is "Naming Jesus" by SALT project. Pick up a paper copy, login to the members section for the pdfs, or contact Pastor Alissa to access a paper or digital copy.
Advent-at-Home from Mennonite Church USA is designed for all ages and uses the texts & themes we hear in worship. This year's resource is written by Talashia Keim Yoder, pastor of Christian Formation at College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana.
Here are some ideas for Advent stories for children and Christmas story books for children.
More Prayer & Reflection
Click here for a list of the season's Scripture texts, to do your own reading and reflecting.
Goshen College faculty, staff, and students conutribute to daily Advent (and Lent) devotionals, based on the lectionary Scriptures, that you can receive by email or read on their website.
Author Kate Bowler has created a daily Advent devotional called "The Season of Almost" that is free to download.
Another Road: An Immigrant and Refugee Advent Devotional is produced by Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Christian Social Justices. Read online or download the PDF, also follow daily word reflections on Instagram.
Jan Richardson invites people to a contemplative Advent of art, music, and reflection through Illuminated: An online journey into the heart of Christmas.
Advent Calendars
Advent Calendars aren't only filled with chocolate. Try filling this one from Praying in Colour.
Or try this Outdoor Advent Calendar that incorporates 29 nature ideas that you can choose from and arrange in any order to fit your schedule. With kids especially in mind, use some of these ideas for an Acts of Kindness Advent calendar.
#AdventWord is a global, online Advent calendar, offering meditations and images to connect to daily Advent themes, and to which you can add your own images using the hashtag #AdventWord and the word of the day.
Giving
As a congregation, we will collect donations for our annual Advent Giving Project. Click here for information.
There are many more ways to enter into the generosity of the season. For example, supporting the Christmas giving suggestions of organizations like MCC and MEDA.
Photo above by Teddy Kelley, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons