The greens are hung, the Advent wreath is on display, and the nativity scene is on the church lawn in the same spot it’s been placed for the past 35 years. 

Planning Advent in many churches has become a time for simply rolling out long-held traditions, whether or not they’re relevant or meaningful anymore. There’s nothing inherently wrong with Advent traditions, and certainly there are people in your faith community (maybe you!) who look forward to them every year. But the temptation to fall into predictable patterns has robbed many of these rituals of their meaning and power. 

If we’re honest, the whole Advent season can feel like weeks spent just going through the motions.

There are countless reasons faith communities fall into observing Advent through the lens of “this is how we’ve always done it.” And yet, this way of approaching the sacred season is as threadbare as worn-out Christmas pageant costumes. 

Your faith community can make a different choice this year by rooting your plans in your unique theological values.  

Planning Advent With Theological Rocks

Planning Advent through the lens of what the Ministry Leadership Center calls “Theological Rocks,” enlivens traditions and sparks entirely new ways of celebrating Jesus’ birth as a community. 

A Theological Rock is a foundational belief or value that guides how a particular faith community understands God and God’s activity in the world.

Theological Rocks form the bedrock of every ministry program, activity, and tradition. Ideally, a faith community’s Theological Rocks inform every decision the community makes. 

As one example, national data show that parents are disproportionately overwhelmed and stressed, regardless of context, compared to other adults. A faith community that serves many young families might discern that “sabbath” is one of their Theological Rocks.

So during Advent, the question for this faith community might become: “How can our church be a place of sabbath, rest, and calm for parents amidst the chaos of the holidays?” This question changes everything about how the faith community observes the sacred season of Advent and which activities they do (or choose not to) plan.

Create More Meaningful Experiences this Advent 

Perhaps nowhere else besides Easter is there a greater opportunity for your faith community’s Theological Rocks to have an impact than during Advent. That’s because you’re likely to welcome new visitors and people you haven’t seen in months or years. 

With every liturgy, prayer, community event, and worship service, your faith community has the opportunity to share the Christmas story in a transformative way by meeting people where they are this year.

But this level of intentional planning won’t just happen. As your faith community plans for Advent, consider these questions. Then think about how your responses tangibly guide how you move forward. 

  1. What three values and beliefs about God and people are most important to your faith community? In other words, what are three of your Theological Rocks? 
  2. What can you do differently this year so people in your community tangibly experience these Theological Rocks through the services, liturgies, and rhythms of Advent? 
  3. How will you ensure that every experience someone has in your faith community during Advent gives them the opportunity to experience at least one Theological Rock?

Our free, self-paced workshop, “Reinvigorating Advent: Exploring the ‘Why’ Behind Annual Traditions” guides you step-by-step to name the Theological Rocks you hope people will experience in your faith community during Advent. You’ll reflect on your current traditions and consider how they might need to change for this to happen. You might also realize that it’s time to let some traditions go. Register for free today!