Group activities for Advent and Epiphany

Advent workshop

Carol Murphy, certified Christian educator,
First Presbyterian Church in Great Bend, Kansas

This intergenerational Advent workshop, suggested for the first Sunday of Advent, is a fun and educational way to decorate areas of your church building that might be overlooked.

Ahead of time, select four specific areas of the church to be decorated. Collect or create pictures of four symbols of the Advent season: stars, bells, angels, and nativity scenes. (You may choose other symbols of Advent if you want.) Make sure you have enough pictures for each
member of your group to choose one. Try to have equal numbers of each picture if possible, depending on the size of your group. Gift-wrap a small box and place the pictures of the symbols in the box. Set up four separate stations with various craft items and mark each station with a
picture of one the four symbols.

Begin the workshop with an overview of the meaning and history of the four symbols that you have choosen. After the overview, have your workshop participants form four groups, one group per Advent symbol, by having each participant draw a piece of paper with a picture of one of
the four symbols out of the gift-wrapped box. (Regroup the participants if necessary to make sure children are included in each group.)

Have each group go to the station marked with their assigned symbol. Invite the participants to use the craft materials provided to create their own interpretations of their symbol. Assign each group one of the four areas of the church that you selected for decoration and invite the
participants to decorate their area with the craft items they made.

When the decorating is completed, gather everyone back together for refreshments. (You could serve sugar cookies in the shapes of each symbol used at the workshop!)

Celebrate Epiphany!

Today, in the western world, little is made of Epiphany, the revelation of the Savior to an international group of wise men. The story of the Magi is usually incorporated into Christmas pageants, and so the rich meaning of Epiphany is lost in the heartwarming story of Christmas.

Actually, Epiphany was celebrated in the Christian church before a date was set for the celebration of Christmas.The word epiphany means “an appearance” and usually refers to a divine appearance. Epiphany celebrates God’s appearance among humankind in the person of Jesus. The Christian community uses the word to commemorate the appearance of Christ to the Gentiles; we celebrate the visit of the Magi to the Christ-child because in this visit, God made his Son known to all the world.

The star that guided the Magi has become the symbol of Epiphany, which is observed annually on January 6.

The following are a few suggestions for celebrating Epiphany in your church. You could involve all members of the church or just the children and youth.

• Coordinate a Star Processional. On the Sunday closest to January 6, begin the worship service with worshipers following a star into the sanctuary. Sing an appropriate hymn during the procession, such as “We Three Kings of Orient Are” (The Presbyterian Hymnal, no. 66) or “What Star Is This, With Beams So Bright” (The Presbyterian Hymnal, no. 68).
• Help those “from afar.” Since the Magi came from afar, use the Epiphany theme to highlight a mission project of your denomination.
• Have an “undecorating” party. Take down the Christmas decorations in your church. Serve cider and goodies. Sing Epiphany songs. Put up Epiphany decorations (stars, candles, pictures of the Magi).
• Have a treasure hunt. Provide clues that lead participants through different areas of the church to the sanctuary or fellowship hall, where the treasure (the Christ-child) is discovered. Read together the story in Matthew 2:1–12.
• Hold an Epiphany party. Serve Epiphany cake. Invite participants to make star decorations using a variety of craft materials. Use them to decorate the church or let the participants take them home as reminders that God’s love was sent to all.
• Make Epiphany stars. Cut star shapes out of gold or yellow paper. Attach a note that reads: “Epiphany Star: The Magi followed a star to bring gifts to the Christ-child. In the same spirit of giving, secretly do a good deed for someone in your family. Leave the star on his or her pillow. This person may in turn do a good deed for someone else, passing the star on. May this remind us all that small secret acts of kindness bring love and peace into our hearts and homes.” Pass out the stars and notes to the congregation on the Sunday closest to January 6.