In our diocese we talk about Everyday Faith - the idea that our faith in Christ should make a tangible, daily difference to who we are and what we do through our prayers, actions and witness.
Christmas is a time when our churches and worshipping communities shine brightly in our parishes, as we extend invitations to special events and services to our friends and neighbours.
We have wonderfully good news to share when we take the Christmas story into our communities, schools, workplaces and pubs, with carol singing, nativities and Christingles.
It's also a time of year marked by amazing generosity as we offer loving service to our local communities and give to those in need.
We look forward to hearing all that you get up to this season. Remember to tag us on social media or drop us an email to share what you get up to.
As well as these wonderful church activities, how might you personally explore Everyday Faith in Advent? Here are four ideas that might inspire you:
Faith Conversations
If you have children at home or in church, it’s a great time of year for conversations about faith based around the Christmas story and message. Parenting for Faith have produced some useful conversation starters and prayer prompts to help children and their adults ‘chat and catch’ with God. The resource is available to download from their website.
Reverse Advent Calendars
We might be a week into Advent, but there’s still time to start a reverse Advent calendar. Each day, collect an item of non-perishable food ready to donate to your local foodbank. It’s a great way of practicing generosity at a time of year when some people find themselves in great need.
You can download a calendar from the Trussel Trust, or better still, ask your local food bank what they are short of.
Taking time to Prepare Him Room
Perhaps it’s become a cliché, but many people find that Advent, a season intended for prayerfully waiting and being shaped by God, can be a time when we don’t have time to stop for anything, let alone prayer. That’s why our diocesan Advent campaign is an invitation for each of us to ‘Prepare Him Room’, based on the line of the famous carol, Joy to the World.
We hope you can make a point of reflecting on God’s word within the context of your everyday life, as well as finding new meaning in some of our best loved Christmas Bible readings and carols.
Find our posts on Facebook, Instgram and X or visit our Advent 2024 webpage.
Praying into 2025
Advent invites us to wait with hope, so why not take some time to pray about your hopes for 2025 and record them in a time capsule? Thanks to A Rocha for this great idea:
Find a small box or jar (check the recycling pile!)
Pray and ask God for guidance as you approach 2025.
Listen for God’s voice - that might be in a word or a feeling or any other way that is personal to you - and write down what comes to you. Any words? Ideas? Areas of your life to work on? Issues you feel are stirring your heart?
Write any prayers you have for 2025, and anything you’ve heard from God on slips of scrap paper.
Put these slips of paper into your box or jar. (You may also want to include these somewhere you will see them regularly, like a journal).
Keep your container safe until the end of 2025. When you open it again at the end of the year, you may find answers to prayer, areas of your life God has worked in, and situations he has changed for you.
This time capsule idea was taken from A Rocha’s latest e-news. Read the original, along with a guide to making a foraged wreath, ideas to care for birds during winter and more.