Scripture in Advent

It is easy to love scripture during Advent.  The beautiful language of the Annunciation and the foretelling of Christ’s birth is so comforting.  Advent is also on one of the shortest liturgical seasons, so you don’t have to maintain the discipline of reading the Bible every day for very long.  If this is a spiritual discipline that helps ready you for the coming of Christ, then let me make a suggestion….. have a plan.  

Backwards Advent Calendar

I love Advent!  I get to work on it in September all the way through December!  For me it is such a time of joy.  Preparing for the Christ Child and readying ourselves for Him to enter are lives.  What do we do to get ready?  There are so many options!

A book? A daily reading of scripture?  Something more 21st century….. a daily inspiration in our inbox? An online community studying the same passage?  Or there is, of course, the classic countdown Advent Calendar.  

Bible Study Resources

We live in an amazing time when experts on every topic imaginable are at our fingertips!  Expert information about cooking, languages, science, history, health, biographies and so much more is available in an overwhelming amount like never before.  This applies to religion as well.  Blog, scholarly writings, exegesis, opinion pieces are all mixed together out in the world-wide web.  How do you know what is solid scholarly information and what is the opinion of one person? 

Bible Study Methods

Me to a potential small group leader: “Would you like to be a small group leader for ____ group?”

Wonderful and qualified person: “Oh no!  I don’t know anything about the Bible!  What could I possibly offer?”

This is a very common interaction when I am looking for a Sunday school teacher, youth leader, small group leader, etc.  They feel like because they didn’t go  to seminary (which I didn’t either) they are unqualified to lead anything biblical.  This is completely false!  

Worship Bags

Worship Bags are an easy cheap way to engage children in worship.  These are so welcoming to visitors and sends the message that children are welcome in church.  Best of all, they can be put together on a slim budget and don’t take a lot of upkeep! Currently, St. Andrew’s has worship bags (I have also heard them call “Play and Pray Bags” – super cute!) in both of our worship spaces and new things are added every month to keep them fresh.  We had a wonderful volunteer crochet bags for us.  But you could just as easily get cloth bags from Michaels.  

Children’s Chapel

At St. Andrew’s we are blessed with many young members who attend Sunday morning.  After a year of the nursery being filled with 4-5 year olds, I decided that there were better ways to use their valuable time during worship.  Thus, Children’s Chapel was born.  Our Chapel is specifically tailored to those ages 3-7.  They process out ahead of the Gospel Book with their own cross and Crucifer (one child chosen before the service) into a Sunday School room.  They are in Chapel until the Peace.  The Chaplain rotates every week.

Here is the general outline of our Chapel:

No Prep Youth lessons

This has happened to everyone.  You think that your partner is providing the lesson and when you get to youth group, they are aren’t even there.  Then you remember that they are visiting their mother in St. Louis and you were supposed to provide a lesson.  Now what?

Here are some no prep lessons for youth group.  (A Middle or high school group of any size)

Thankful Pumpkins

This is my very first blog post ever!  So I decided to start off simple.  What better way to start a new endeavor than by being thankful.  This year, all of our Sunday School classes and all of our youth groups are using thankful pumpkins to steer their prayers in class.  Each class has a pumpkin and is writing on it something or someone they are thankful for.  At the end of November, all of the pumpkins will be used to decorate to decorate the altar.