Advent is a season of anticipation, waiting, and hope. During Advent we place ourselves into the Old Testament narrative of Israel waiting for her Messiah to rescue her from sin. We also emphasize the hope of the Church, that Jesus Christ will come again in glory and set the world right. As we live out our Christian life during Advent we encourage you to give, to take time to reflect, be in community, worship as a family, and attend services. Read below about the different ways for us to enter into the hopeful expectation of Advent.
Stewardship 2023
God has blessed Christ’s Church with faithful givers who support the life and ministries of our local church body. Consider pledging to give for the year 2022 as a way to walk in love as Christ loved us as gave himself for us.
Support Missionaries
Christ’s Church supports several missionaries around the world to aid in their obedience to Christ’s command to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. In particular we support Pastor Oleg in Estonia, Stephen V. in the Czech Republic, the Alenski family in Belize, the Smith family in Chile, the Kogo family in Kenya, and Mary McKinney in Muscoy. Consider giving to the missions fund or to a particular missionary.
Advent Playlist
Throughout Advent we sing songs that give voice to our longing, hope, and desire for Christmas and for the return of Christ. Consider listening to this playlist throughout the season to become familiar with songs that we’ll sing and to direct your heart towards the coming Christ.
Read an Advent Devotional
John opens his gospel by speaking of Jesus as light: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” In anticipation of the light of Christmas, consider illuminating your mind through an Advent devotional such as Watch for the Light or Advent for Everyone.
Wednesday Study
During Advent our Wednesday night study will meet in-person at the church and focus on themes related to Christ’s first and second advents. Invite a friend to come for pie, decaf coffee, and a discussion about the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, the second coming of Jesus, the final judgement of the living and the dead, and the mystery of the incarnation.
Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar
Use the PDF template from this blog to create a random acts of kindness Advent calendar. This is a great way for parents to help kids think about how to show the love of God to family, neighbors, and friends.
Family Prayer
Say Family Prayer together every night. Turn out all the lights and light some candles or your Advent wreath to help the kids visualize how Jesus’ birth brings light to the world. Invite your kids to light or blow out the candles. At the end of prayer sing an Advent song together (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel will be our sequence hymn throughout Advent and would be a great option). You can find a Spotify playlist of Advent songs here and you can watch this video to learn more about how to lead Family Prayer here.
Decorate in Stages
A great way to help kids gain a sense of Christmas approaching is to decorate your Christmas tree in stages. In the Offringa house on the first Sunday of Advent we put up the tree, on the second Sunday we add ribbon, on the third Sunday we add ornaments, and on the fourth Sunday we add the lights. Finally, on Christmas Eve the star at the top of the tree is lit. We keep the tree up through Epiphany as an extension of Christmas after the waiting season of Advent.
Worship Services
Sunday services will be held at 9am and 10:45am throughout Advent. On Christmas Eve we will have a 6:30pm service of Holy Communion. On Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25th we will have a service of Holy Communion at 9am and 10:45am. On the second Sunday of Christmas, January 1st, we will celebrate the Holy Name and Circumcision of Jesus at 9am and 10:45am. On Friday, January 6th we will celebrate the Epiphany at 6:30pm.