We invite Midwest District churches to share ideas about how your church will be commemorating this special time in the Christian year.
Your shared Advent/Christmas ideas will be posted on this page with links to additional materials and ideas developed by the Conference.
Please share your Advent/Christmas ideas via email to Liz at [email protected].
Michigan Conference Advent Resources
Grand Rapids First UMC will be hosting a variety of online/drive-thru Advent at Home events which include Advent Care packages, daily Advent devotionals, “Being Well for the Holidays” (Zoom class), Christmas Baking and Holiday Meal (Zoom classes), Drive-Thru Communion, Christmas Caroling (Zoom), Ugly Sweater Party (Zoom), Christmas Nativity Drive-Thru Experience, Longest Night Service (online), and three online Christmas Eve service options at 5, 7, and 9 pm. All information about the above event can be found HERE.
Grandville UMC has divided up the congregation into geographic clusters of 10-18 households (162 households total), and one volunteer in each area will deliver Advent Care Packages in black bags to the households in their area on black Friday. Each kit contains a letter with instructions and an Advent prayer, a set of Advent Candle tealights, two handheld candles, and two Fellowship Cups in a “meaning of Christmas” reusable tote bag featuring a verse from Isaiah/Matthew. Families with children receive four Fellowship Cups and a “make your own Advent wreath” activity set to build and color. Congregation members will be invited to light the advent candles with Pastor Ryan each Sunday at the beginning of online worship, to light their handheld candles for the singing of Silent Night during the Christmas Eve service, and to participate in Communion together in December. The bags and activity set are from Oriental Trading, the Fellowship Cups from Cokesbury, and the candles from Amazon: total cost was $3 per kit. Click HERE to view a photo of the Advent bag and contents.
Sand Lake/South Ensley UMCs are participating in a Reverse Advent Calendar to provide food for a food bank or to the community. “Our congregants are encouraged to participate to the best of their ability.” ~ Pastor Darryl Miller