Yes — You Can Celebrate Advent in A Baptist Church
By: Tom Smith
Tags: Tools And Resources, Baptists, Advent

I have had the privilege of serving four churches in my time in ministry. The first church introduced me to the celebration of Advent. I did not grow up in church and had never even heard of Advent before attending this church. I learned the beauty of this celebration and it became a favorite of mine to celebrate during a church service. Fast forward ten years and when I went to my first full-time worship minister position and suggested we celebrate Advent, I was met with some hesitation. This was a Baptist church that had never celebrated Advent and was hesitant to introduce a “Catholic” tradition in the church. We were able to introduce Advent into our services and it became a treasured time. The next two churches were very similar in their response. I have found in talking with friends that it seems about 50/50 in Baptist churches. There seems to be a general misunderstanding and almost a fear of some of these Christian calendar celebrations. I want to share some of the tools we used when introducing Advent to these churches. I had to realize a few things:

My church was unlike any other church. Meaning we did not have to celebrate Advent like other churches did. I researched several churches and how they did things and “borrowed” from many of them. We needed to be flexible and not get locked in to tradition that became “sacred.” A great example of this for us was we did not use the tradition Advent colors for the candles. We chose simple red candles with a white candle for the Christ candle. We also changed the themes per week every year. We tried not to lock ourselves into something we “had to do” every year. I personally feel this is what turns people off of some of these traditions. Unfortunately we live in a culture that needs things to be fresh. We don’t have to change the meaning but we can change the delivery. Involve multiple people and don’t make it feel so formal. We used different families every week to do an advent scripture reading and to light the Advent candle. The more people you have involved the bigger buy in you have. Get the pastor on board. Explain to him your reasoning and the ways you wanted to get the church involved. You have to be able to explain the WHY behind what you want to do. We also used the pastors family to light the Christ candle on Christmas Eve. This was a very special time.

We tried to think outside of the box some. We used families for reading, an advent video series to introduce each candle, songs to support the theme of the week, a thirty day Advent prayer time sponsored by our elders and staff that was sent out each day.

Below are a few examples of our advent reading:

The Advent Candle of Faith

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Reading: This morning we begin our journey toward Christmas by lighting the Advent Candle of Faith. Just like Mary and Joseph set out from Nazareth traveling to Bethlehem by faith, we too experience the wonder and mystery of Christmas by faith. Our faith and trust in Jesus our Savior and Lord has transformed our lives. By faith, we have literally been spiritually “born again.” This miracle of life began many years ago when Jesus descended into our world into the arms of Mary and Joseph. As we light the Candle of Faith, we hope and pray your faith in Jesus will grow deeper and deeper.

Scripture: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Prayer: Father, this morning as we light the Candle of Faith, we place our faith and trust in You. We thank you for sending Your Son into the world to bring light and life into our hearts and lives. We thank you that by faith we have experienced the wonder and mystery of Christmas. We pray as we move ever and ever closer to Christmas that our faith and trust in you will grow deeper and deeper. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen

The Advent Candle of Hope

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Reading: This morning we continue our journey toward Christmas by lighting the Advent Candle of Hope. Hope defines the very essence of Christmas. The coming of Christ into our world, into the arms of His mother Mary, offers hope to all who believe. The coming of Jesus offers hope even in the darkest hours of life. As we light this candle, we celebrate not only that Jesus came into our world, but the stunning reality that He dwells in our hearts and lives in all His glory.

Scripture: “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:27–28)

Prayer: Father, this morning as we light the Candle of Hope, we want to thank you for the hope we have in Jesus. We thank you for the most wonderful Christmas gift of all — the gift of Christ Jesus dwelling deep within our hearts and souls. We pray your power and presence in our hearts will always give us hope no matter how dark and difficult life may be. Just as the light of the candle shines in the darkness, we pray our hope in you will always shine brightly to your glory. In the name of Jesus, our hope, we pray. Amen.

The Advent Candle of Love

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Reading: This morning we move ever closer toward Christmas by lighting the Advent Candle of Love. If not for the love of God, there would be no Christmas at all. Love, unconditional and freely given, makes Christmas come alive in our hearts and imaginations. As we light the Candle of Love, we hope and pray that the love of God will continue to drive back the darkness and the hatred in our world. We light the candle as a reminder to all that love always drives back the darkness. Love has always been best expressed through human presence and touch. As Mary held Jesus in her arms, she held the love of God in a tiny package.

Scripture: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16–17)

Prayer: Father, as we light the Candle of Love, we want to thank you for your incredible gift of love. We want to thank you for Jesus. We want to thank you that you “so loved us” that you gave your one and only Son to save us from ourselves. We pray the light of the candle will remind us that your love drives back the darkness within us, and in the world in which we live. We pray we will love others, even as you have so sacrificially loved us. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

The Advent Candle of Peace

December 22, 2019

Reading: This morning we light the Candle of Peace. The glory of the angels lit up the dark skies on the night of Jesus’ birth. The angels woke sleeping shepherds bearing the good news of the birth of a Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. The last words ringing in the ears of the shepherds that fateful night were “peace on earth, goodwill to men.” As we light the Candle of Peace, we look to Jesus to bring peace to our hearts and lives, as well as our broken and violent world. May the light of the remind us that we never face a day alone.

Scripture: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” (Isaiah 9:6–7)

Prayer: Father, as we light the Candle of Peace, we look to you as our Prince of Peace. We pray your peace, the peace that passes all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds. In a world full of hatred and violence, we pray for your Kingdom to come and Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray to our Prince of Peace that you will rule and reign over your creation by your love and grace. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

The Christ Candle

Christmas Eve

December 24, 2019

Reading: Tonight, on this Eve of Christmas, we light the Christ Candle. As we light this candle, we pray its light will remind us that Jesus came into our world. He came to bring light and life into our hearts and life. As we celebrate Christmas, we confess that there would be no Christmas at all if not for the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Without his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave, we would still be lost in our sins. We would be separated from God. Tonight, we light the Christ Candle in celebration of the victory of love over hatred, and the light over darkness. May the light of Christ shine brighter than all the lights of this Christmas.

Scripture: “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:9–13)

Prayer: Father, tonight on the Eve of Christmas, we thank you for the gift of Christmas. We thank you for the indescribable gift of Jesus our Lord. As we light your candle tonight, we pray your light and love will light up the darkness in our hearts and in our world. May your light shine so brightly that all the world will know that you alone are worthy of our worship and praise. Lord Jesus, on this night, as we light your candle, we want you to know how much we love you. In Your Name we pray. Amen.

Lots of songs new and old available for Advent

A few songs we have used:

The point is this. Don’t be afraid to try to celebrate Advent in your church, but don’t feel like you have to do it the way everyone else does. All of our churches are different but the idea of Advent is the same no matter where you all. We long for Jesus and we anticipate the celebration of His birth. It’s never to early to start planning for this year.