The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the church year, both liturgically and practically. It’s a season of waiting, anticipation, and preparation as we count down to Christmas. Some churches embrace Advent with great intentionality, while others dive straight into Christmas celebrations. Regardless of your church’s traditions, here are three key ways to make the most of Advent as a meaningful season for your congregation.
3 Ways to Embrace Advent
1. Build Anticipation
Advent taps into a deep longing within every heart—a longing for rescue, for a Savior. While the surface desires may be for holiday festivities, family gatherings, or gifts, the true yearning points to something much greater: our need for Jesus.
The season of Advent, which means “arriving” or “coming,” offers a unique opportunity to lean into this sense of expectation. Resist the urge to rush into Christmas. Instead:
- Wait until Christmas Eve or the final Sunday before Christmas to sing traditional carols. Use Advent hymns that reflect longing and hope.
- Incorporate Advent practices like lighting candles, reading prophecies about Christ’s coming, and praying prayers of anticipation.
- Delay decorating your sanctuary fully for Christmas. Build suspense intentionally, making people wonder why the celebration seems delayed.
By fostering anticipation, you remind your congregation that our deepest longing is for a Savior. The joy of Christmas will feel even sweeter when it finally arrives.
2. Express Lament
The Advent season doesn’t just celebrate joy; it also acknowledges the brokenness of the world and our longing for restoration. Tragic stories in the news, personal losses, and global struggles all remind us that things are not as they should be. Advent gives us space to cry out, “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Incorporate lament into your worship services by:
- Singing songs and offering prayers that cry out for Christ’s return and the renewal of all things.
- Acknowledging the pain, injustice, and suffering in the world while pointing to the hope we have in Christ.
- Creating moments for your congregation to voice their own prayers of lament, rooted in hope.
Advent reminds us that while Jesus came once as a baby, He will return as King to make all things new. Encourage your church to lament with hope, trusting in His promises.
3. Give People Space to Be Still
The weeks leading up to Christmas are often the busiest of the year. Between parties, shopping, travel, decorating, baking, and endless to-do lists, the season can feel overwhelming. In the midst of the chaos, one of the greatest gifts you can offer your congregation is the gift of stillness.
Incorporate moments of quiet into your services:
- Pause between songs, readings, or prayers to allow people to rest in God’s presence.
- During communion or after the sermon, create space for reflection and stillness.
- Encourage the congregation to take a few moments to breathe, slow down, and remember their need for a Savior.
For example, you might say:
“This morning, we recognize the busyness and stress many of us are feeling. Let’s take a moment to pause, be still, and remember the presence of God with us. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to help us rest and focus on the Savior who has come and will come again.”
Even a brief moment of quiet can bless people and help them refocus amidst the holiday rush.
Whether your church is highly liturgical or more informal, these three practices can deepen the Advent experience for your congregation. Build anticipation for Christ’s coming, create space for lament rooted in hope, and offer moments of stillness for hearts to rest in God’s grace.
Advent is a powerful reminder of God’s love revealed in the cradle, the cross, the empty tomb, and the throne. May your church embrace this season with hearts full of expectation and hope, preparing to celebrate the Savior who has come and is coming again.
