How are you preparing for advent at your Messy Church?
Sheep Trails, family advent wreaths, a coloring nativity and much more. Sometimes you may become overwhelmed with advent Messy Church opportunities. Johannah Myers, North and South Carolina Regional Coordinator and Messy Church leader for Aldersgate UMC in Greenville, SC started a Messy Church Sheep trail in her community several years ago. Read her previous post to learn all about it! Sheep Trail
Advent is a wonderful opportunity to connect your Messy Church community and your Sunday morning community. Are their activities that are traditional for your Sunday worship that you can bring to Messy Church?
On our Messy Church team leaders FB group page, people have been sharing various ideas for advent. Leyla Wagner, from Community UMC in Huntington Beach, CA shared “Something that we like to do is a Reverse Advent Box. We have families decorate a box to take home. Each day of advent, the family puts something (typically canned food or hygiene product) into the box and then donates the entire box to a local Food Pantry or Charity. It’s a good way to make space for “God” in all the busyness of preparing for Christmas.
Advent offers great opportunities to bridge the worship at Messy Church with at home family devotions. Check out the links of Advent ideas below and make sure to check out our FB Messy Church team leaders group page.
Advent Links
Advent in a Box Resource
- Robin Cannon, the RC for Ohio and our social media consultant for Messy Church USA is a partner in Family Ministry Tools which have created a wonderful resource called- Advent in a Box It is a pizza box filled with all-age devotions and activities to help families celebrate Advent and prepare for Christmas. We have created the devotions and activities for your church. You will need to print the materials, buy the supplies, and pack your boxes. Everything a family will need to do the activities will be in the box (aside from normal household supplies like markers and tape).
- You can order individually or per size of your church. Check it out here.
From Building Faith (Virginia Theological Seminary ) Website
• https://buildfaith.org/99-cent-advent-wreath/
• https://buildfaith.org/three-teaching-points-for-advent/
• https://buildfaith.org/advent-wreath-prayers-home/
• https://buildfaith.org/advent-at-home-in-community/
Ideas from Messy Church USA Team Leaders Page
- Printable Nativity Scene Coloring
- Take Home Advent Calendars
- DIY Stone Nativity
- Reverse Advent Calendar
Other Links