In Luke’s telling of the Christmas story, startled shepherds are the first to hear that good news of great joy given to all people. Since then, through generations and generations, across the world, we keep sharing this Good News, receiving signs from God that, in the coming of Jesus Christ, we have received the greatest gift of all.
The Episcopal Church wants to help you and your congregation share that Good News with each other and your neighborhoods, especially this Advent and Christmas. Find our free resources based on invitation, the Way of Love, racial reconciliation, faith formation, and more below.
A Sign for You Reflections
A Sign for You: Customizable Advent and Christmas Videos
The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication is proud to present two downloadable video pieces for use by your congregation. The videos, available in English, Spanish, and French, can be customized through PowerPoint or Canva. Instructions and video files can be found in each language.
Journeying the Way of Love: Advent Curriculum
Journeying the Way of Love: Four-session Advent Curriculum
For the season of Advent, “Journeying the Way of Love” offers four sessions to be explored as we await the coming of Christ by moving through the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke. Luke’s gospel provides a pattern for understanding how we can live the Way of Love as individuals, as families and friends, as a community, and out in the world. The sessions are specially designed for use during the Christian formation hour before or after worship. Facilitation instructions accommodate small or large groups. Available in English, Spanish, and French.
2024 Journeying the Way of Love: Advent Calendar
To accompany the “Journeying the Way of Love” curriculum, use the Advent calendar, which offers daily suggestions for engaging in the seven practices that encompass the Way of Love: turn, learn, pray, worship, bless, go, and rest. The calendar can also be used as a standalone resource–keep it at your desk or on your fridge and refer to it every day! Available in English, Spanish, and French.
Journeying the Way of Love: Bulletin Inserts
Use bulletin inserts from Sermons That Work to help your congregation participate in the “Journeying the Way of Love” Advent calendar. We provide printable Word docs and PDFs in either full-page or half-page formats with suggested practices for each week of Advent. Available in English and Spanish.
BIG Way of Love for Kids Advent Calendar
This special BIG Way of Love for Kids Advent Calendar will help families, formation teams, and children (young and grown alike!) make time for Jesus during this busy season. It’s a month of simple practices each day to help us look, live, and love more like Jesus. Available in English, Spanish, and French.
Resources for Invitation and Gratitude
Advent and Christmas Digital Invitation Kit
Find digital and printable resources themed for Advent and Christmas here, to help promote special Advent and Christmas events or explain the season itself on social media, your website, or around town. Posters, fliers, postcards, and more are available in English, Spanish, and French.
Update Your Church’s Service Times
Add seasonal service times, descriptions, and languages to your church’s pin on the Episcopal Asset Map. You don’t need a log-in to suggest the change; just find your Episcopal place, click on it, and select “Suggest an Update.” Need help updating more? Check out our video playlist from Episcopal Relief & Development.
United Thank Offering Christmas Cards
Christmas is a time when many of us try to buy the perfect gift for someone to show them how much they mean to us, so what better way to say thank you then giving a gift in their honor to the United Thank Offering? 100% of your donation will go towards the 2024 Ingathering and be given away in 2025 to support projects addressing Matthew 25 and water projects.
Printable Letter to Santa
If you’re looking for a way to help a child you love think about their Christmas list differently, then we’ve got a free printable for you! This one-page letter offers fill-in-the-blank areas. One way to show Santa how nice you’ve been this year is to tell him what you’re grateful for! Next, there are categories for gifts the child might like. (We love that it asks them to think about something to share… this can be a gift they donate or something they can share with a relative or neighbor.)
Resources for Racial Reconciliation
Preparing to Become Beloved Community
Organized around the four sections of the Becoming Beloved Community labyrinth (telling the truth, repairing the breach, practicing the way, proclaiming the dream), this Advent curriculum can help your small group or congregation to engage in racial reconciliation and reflect on Jesus’ coming among us. Available in English, Spanish, and French. Note: Advent 2024 occurs in Year C.
‘Prophetic Voices’ Podcast Series: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community
Across our church and our society, we are having profound dialogues about race, truth, justice, and healing. “Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community” explores where that dialogue intersects with our faith. Join us and our invited guests as we share prophetic voices and explore the lectionary through the lens of social justice. Available in English.
Resources for Faith Formation
The Camino Project Journey through the Season of Advent
The Incarnation (God becoming one of us) is celebrated each year as we await God’s gift: Emmanuel, Jesus come to be with us. During this time of Advent, we encourage you and your family to make time and space to prepare and wait for the birth of Christ. This is one opportunity we have to pause and prepare ourselves and our families for the coming of Christ. We invite you and your family to take time each week to engage in the story that brings us hope, peace, joy, and love. Each week you are invited to take a walk or stroll—and if the weather is bad, you can do this in your home, inside the church, or at other places in your community. Available in a single English and Spanish document.
Lesson Plans That Work
Designed to follow the Revised Common Lectionary, these lesson plans are written by experienced church school teachers using practical approaches to respond to the needs of volunteer teachers. Available in English.
D365
These devotions are written by ministers, professors, students, teachers, missionaries, denominational leaders, and others who work with and care for students. Typically, an author writes on a single theme for one week. In these devotions, you will read honest struggles and questions, all in the context of real faith. As you read the thoughts of the writers, think about your own response to the Scripture for the day. Let the writer’s words serve as background for your own conversation with God. D365 will highlight the season of Advent with the theme, “Following the Star.” D365.org is a joint partnership of The Episcopal Church Office for Youth Ministries, Presbyterian Youth and Triennium Office and Ministries of the Presbyterian Church USA, and the Congregational Life Office of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Available in English and Spanish.
Camino Project
Visit the Camino Project’s website to stay up to date on new developments, including blessings and prayer boxes for families, a project app, and resources for Advent, Epiphany, Lent, and more.
Advent Wreath Video
The Advent wreath, a visual symbol marking the Advent season’s progress, originated as a domestic devotion opportunity for household prayer and is now often included in community worship spaces. While there are many different ways to make an Advent wreath, Jerusalem Greer from Good News Gardens created this video making a wreath using items found in creation. Gather with friends, family, a small group, or others to watch this video and build your own wreath. You can find more information here and an Advent wreath blessing appropriate for your congregation here. Available in English.
Episcopal Migration Ministries’ Advent Calendar
In the Christian liturgical year, Advent is a time of waiting and preparation for the birth of Jesus, a time of prayerful yearning for Emmanuel, “God with us.” To honor and mark this holy time, Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) offers an Advent calendar to mark the time.
Sermons for Advent and Christmas 2024
Sermons That Work is pleased to once again present a compilation of this year’s Advent and Christmas sermons from some of the best preachers in The Episcopal Church. Whether you use this book for private devotionals and inspiration, small group study, or reading from the pulpit, we pray that you will find this holy season brightened by the Everlasting Light.
From Our Partners
AdventWord
Forward Movement convenes another year of AdventWord, an inspirational online Advent calendar featuring a daily prompt word selected from the Sunday lectionary readings. Email subscribers and social media followers receive a daily meditation and visual image inspired by the day’s word, and are invited to share their own personal reflections, art, poetry, or other creative expression. Downloadable bulletin inserts are available for churches to encourage participation at home. Learn more at adventword.org.
Episcopal Relief & Development Advent Toolkit
Join Episcopal Relief & Development this Advent to create, learn and pray. Their Advent Toolkit includes DIY projects for families and communities that will take you from Advent to Christmas and through Epiphany.