Advent (A Wandering Journey): A 4-Week Series

This is a guide for all Advent pilgrims as they make their way to Bethlehem. Advent tends to be an aimless wander through the consumer entanglement of the season. However, this series asks your group to wander in a different way. Over four weeks, they will wander by Watching, Waiting, Walking, and Wondering into the story of the incarnation.

Details:

4 lesson plans and student handouts (PDF format)
Leader’s guide for activities and discussions
Social media and keynote graphics

$40.00

Weekly Summaries

Week 1 – Watching

Participants will step back to observe what is happening in the world around them, then identify where God is present and at work, and begin to see themselves as part of God’s movement in the world. Students will have an opportunity to research and name what is going on in the world. This activity will be followed by a conversation about how they see God’s presence in those stories, and will close with an opportunity to identify where the work of God is already underway and how they can be a part of it.

Scripture – Psalm 146:1-10

Week 2 – Waiting

Students will experience the feeling of waiting and how expectations can change how waiting feels. Then, they will explore the cultural expectation of instant gratification and develop an understanding of how seasons of waiting can be used as an opportunity for alignment and preparation. Participants will have an opportunity to tangibly use waiting as preparation through a game. Ultimately, they will learn that waiting can be an important part of the process.

Scripture – Luke 1:8-20

Week 3 – Walking

Participants will shift their focus from what is happening now to what is coming next. The group will look ahead to the Gospel of Luke and the story of Jesus in the walk to Emmaus, discussing the fellowship of the table and the ministry of presence found during the Advent season, as well as their calling to walk alongside one another in all seasons. Students will begin by practicing presence and listening through a walk together, followed by a conversation about seeing the divine and sacred in the everyday and ordinary, and conclude with an opportunity to share a meal and stories together.

Scripture – Luke 24:13-24

Week 4 – Wondering

Look toward the future through a conversation around wonder and imagination as your group reflects on what it looks like to live out the hope God calls us into. Using an Old Testament scripture that is typically used at the beginning, not the end, of the Advent season, students will discuss the work an organization is doing to turn weapons into garden tools. They will then wonder and imagine what God might be calling us into. Lastly, they will have an opportunity to look forward and name the hope that they want to live out in their own life.

Scripture – Isaiah 2:2-4 & Micah 4:4

Testimonials

“Holy Disruptions is everything I've wanted in a youth group curriculum! It engages our teenagers' questions and ideas without offering overly simplified answers.”

- Laurel Capesius, Director and Campus Minister at Winthrop Wesley Foundation

“Holy Disruptions gave our leaders a teaching foundation while also creating and fostering space for our students to do their own theological exploration.”

- Nathan Wheeler, Youth Ministry and Young Adult Coordinator, Cumberland Presbyterian Church

“This material has allowed students to process through what God is teaching and speaking to them.”

- Kelsey Fisher, Program Coordinator, City Service Mission

What makes Holy
Disruptions different?

Holy Disruptions series are designed to delve into the unique experiences of today’s youth, spark deep theological reflection, and foster transformative discussions. Our three-part methodology empowers students to align with God’s vision and desires for the world.

Interruption

Facilitate a disorienting experience – where students are most receptive to growth.

Reflection

Invite students to investigate their reaction to the disorienting moment.

Holy Disruption

Ask students to explore what God says about it.