Prepare for the season of Advent and the celebrations of Christmas and Epiphany

Find everything you need as you plan this Advent season — both in your congregation and at home. Do you need help as you assemble worship services and music programs? Our music and worship resources will offer you ideas and inspiration. Get ready for the celebrations of Christmas and Epiphany with resources geared towards planning festivities.

Each Advent is an opportunity to explore once again our relationship with God. Calendars and devotions can take us through Advent and into Christmas and Epiphany with Scripture readings and prayers.

Adults often seek more intentional devotion and study during the Advent season. Prepare the way for adults in your congregation to experience the Good News through fresh and dynamic educational ministry.

Consider taking a fresh look at how you give during Advent with alternative giving. 

This time of year can be hard on church leaders and their families as they extend themselves to others in the spirit of the season. We offer resources and ideas to help nurture your spirit and center you in the true significance of this special season.

B is for Beginning

The first Sunday in Advent always marks the beginning of a new lectionary cycle. This Advent we begin lectionary Year B, the second in the three-year cycle. The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) was developed by a broad ecumenical group (Consultation on Common Texts) in 1992 after ten years of shared participation with the Common Lectionary. The RCL provides an Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel reading for each Sunday and feast day in the year (as well as a related Psalm). The goals of the lectionary are basic:

• To enable congregations to hear a broad range of texts from all areas of scripture in a three-year period.
• To follow the Church year, which is based on the life of Christ.
• To help congregations of various denominations share the reading of scripture together.
• To avoid the danger of ministers preaching on their favorite texts.
• To offer diverse resources to help in sermon preparation.

If you have not been following the RCL, now is a great time to start. You can find a table of lectionary readings in the back of the Book of Common Worship (BCW) beginning on page 1035. (The daily lectionary in the BCW does not currently coordinate with the Sunday lectionary, but the Consultation on Common Texts has produced a new daily lectionary that is coordinated with the Sunday readings.)

Ideas for Reclaiming Advent and Christmas

In Advent we wait for the coming of Christ. At Christmas we celebrate Jesus’ birth. Shape your seasonal celebration to be one centered on the true meaning of Christmas. Prepare for the holiday by simplifying life, incorporating prayers, giving alternative gifts and serving sustainable foods. Share the love of Christ with others throughout your life with a living witness this season. Download Ideas for Reclaiming Advent and Christmas and explore expanded content in the online version.

PDS #2543208373
Order FREE Copies

Explore the meaning of Epiphany

Epiphany: The Glory of the Lord Revealed

The day of Epiphany, celebrated each year on January 6, directs our attention to the manifestation or appearance of God, the true Light that is Christ shining upon the world. The word epiphany itself means “to show,” “make known,” “to reveal,” or, as suggested in the words of Luke 1:78, “to break upon us.” Its origins are found in the Eastern Church, where connections were made to the nativity, the Baptism of the Lord and the miracle of Jesus’ changing of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Learn more.