Check out these Advent resources
By Ann Leaman
Ohio Conference
Resource Advocate
As we move into the season of Advent, Mennonite Church USA and CommonWord have Advent resources for individuals, families and congregations.
“Restoration is Near!” is the theme of the Advent at Home 2022 worship guide, now available at the Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) website: https://mennoniteusa.org/adventathome. Using the theme developed for Leader magazine, the guide offers weekly and daily scriptures from the lectionary texts, worship rituals, prayers, activities, and background information to help individuals and households of all ages prepare for Advent through Epiphany.
Talashia Keim Yoder from Goshen, Indiana, wrote the Advent at Home curriculum. Keim Yoder is a graduate of Hesston (KS) College and Tabor College, Hillsboro, KS, and is currently attending Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana. She is the pastor for Christian formation at College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana. She has developed past editions of Advent at Home and Lent at Home. Artist Erin Ramer from Parnell, Iowa, designed the guide.
Advent at Home was originally created by Mennonite Church Canada in 2002. MC USA has developed the curriculum since 2016 as part of its Faith Formation emphasis. This year, Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) and MC USA communications staff partnered together to produce the resource. It is intended for all ages and life stages to deepen the experience of Christmas.
CommonWord
Another online source for Advent resources is CommonWord, which is a collaboration of Mennonite Church Canada and Canadian Mennonite University. CommonWord has compiled a curated list of worship, drama, family, and other resources for Advent. To view these resources, go to www.commonword.ca/go/2190.