Advent Resources
“For unto us a child is born." - Isaiah 9:6
"Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given," Isaiah declares. As we prepare to receive the Christ child anew in this season of Advent, our faith compels us to hear the cry of all children, especially poor children. We must remember that every day millions of children are born suffering from hunger and poverty. Many of them will die of preventable disease.
If we are to receive the Christ child fully into our hearts, we must allow the Holy Spirit to work within us and shape our lives. We are called to take on God's passionate concern for the world's poor and oppressed people. This Advent and Christmas, let us remember with Isaiah that the Child who brings light to those "who walk in darkness" tells us that if we "offer food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted," our own "light shall rise in the darkness" and our "gloom shall be like the noonday." (Isaiah 58)
Suggested Advent activities:
Worship Resources
Include special prayers to lift up children and families in poverty during the Advent season.
Advent Liturgical Resources
Advent Prayers
Litanies
Preaching Resources
Lift up global poverty and the Advent call to justice in preaching/teaching
- Advent preaching resources from Hunger for the Word (available from our online store)
- First Sunday of Advent
- Second Sunday of Advent
- Third Sunday of Advent
- Fourth Sunday of Advent
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas Day
Drama for Children and Youth
Dedicate a religious education or Sunday school class to the theme, "unto us a child is born."
Take Action
Find how you and your church can take steps this Advent season to spread hope by taking actions to help hungry and poor people around the world.
Other Advent Resources
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
The World Hunger Resource Packet offers new resources and updated favorites to help encourage "Go and do likewise" reflection and action. The free packet includes a Hunger Guide for Congregations for the Advent season and can be ordered online at http://www.elca.org/hunger/resources/packet.html.
- The Presbyterian Church (PC-USA)
The Peacemaking Program offers a variety of prayers and other worship resources for days and seasons of the Christian year as well as days with particular significance for peace and justice concerns.http://www.pcusa.org/peacemaking/worship/worship.htm#advent.
- The Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist Church offers the 22nd edition of its Peace with Justice Advent devotion booklet which can be found at http://www.umoi.net/.
If you have any comments, questions, or other resources to suggest, please send an email to Bread for the World's Senior Local Church Outreach Associate Danielle Mutone-Smith.
