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Advent
*What Is Advent?
Advent means “arrival” or “coming.” It is a season of expectation and hope. Believers across the world spend the weeks before Christmas preparing for that day of beauty and light.
The first recorded mention of Advent occurred at a meeting of church leaders in Spain in the 300s A.D. The Council of Saragossa encouraged people to attend church daily between December 17-29.
Advent eventually developed into a month-long season in December.
Traditions vary by country, but people celebrate Advent all over the world. Each country or faith contributes something unique.
In Eastern Orthodox churches, believers participate in a Nativity Fast that begins November 15 and ends December 24. During the fast, they abstain from meat, dairy, fish, wine, and oil.
In Germany, Christians set four candles in an evergreen Advent wreath. Each Sunday preceding Christmas, they light another candle while singing Christmas songs.
In China, families put up a “tree of light” and decorate it with lanterns, flowers, and red paper chains. Some give apples on Christmas Eve because the Chinese word for “apple” sounds similar to the word for “peace.”
In the Philippines, people attend nine different early morning masses with the final mass occurring on Christmas Day. They decorate a bamboo pole with a lighted “lantern” that represents the star followed by the wise men.
In Costa Rica, families decorate their houses with tropical flowers and set up a nativity scene. On Christmas Eve, everyone dresses up and goes to Midnight Mass.
Celebrating Advent means joining Christians across the world—and through the centuries—to celebrate the coming of Jesus.
*Taken from ministryspark.com
At King’s Grace, we celebrate Advent on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. On each of those dates we enjoy a selected reading and a candle lighting. You may notice that there are different colored candles. These various colored candles hold symbolic significance, such as the prophet candle, Bethlehem candle, angel candle, and Savior candle.
We welcome you to join us during this special time of the year as we celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior!
Advent Sunday Services: 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, & 12/22 at 8:30 a.m. & 10:45 a.m.
Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes
Operation Christmas Child Shoebox gifts built online go to the ends of the earth via Samaritan's Purse to children in some of the hardest-to-reach places—deep jungles, city slums, steep mountainsides, or one of more than 1,000 remote Pacific islands. Many of these areas are resistant to the Gospel for cultural or religious reasons and are home to numerous unreached people groups, some of whom have never heard the Name Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt 28:19). Goal ends November 25, 2024.
Click below for the link to purchase a shoebox online!
Thank you and God bless you!