Advent Craft Fair Idea Sheet
prepared by Rev. Lisa M. Hayes

Advent Devotional Booklet

This project requires a little fore thought and planning
in order to be ready by the first Sunday in Advent.

    A great way to get congregational families to reflect more on the themes and meaning of Advent is to create a congregational devotional booklet.
    First, you need to figure out how much time your office staff will need to run and assemble these booklets for the congregation.   A smaller congregation may only need 7 - 10 days to run and assemble these.   A larger congregation may need longer.  (On the other hand a larger congregation may have a high-speed copier / collator and may only need a couple of quiet office days.)   Keep in mind also that the First Sunday in Advent often falls on Thanksgiving Weekend, possible not a good week for running and assembling such a project.
     After you determine your office’s due date, then back up and set a date about 3 weeks earlier for handing out the templates and having congregation members come up with a devotion/reflection.   This will put you around Reformation Sunday or All Saint’s Sunday for handing out the templates.   I have found if you hand them out too early people forget to do them.   If you hand them out with too little time, people will feel rushed and not do them.
     Now that you have a start date you can start announcing it in bulletins and newsletters.   On the day that you begin, you will need to things.   A sign-up list with all the dates and scripture listed on them.   This way you will know who has agreed to be responsible for each day.  (This is for those stray pages that don’t quite make it back in on time.)  The second thing you will need is the actual date/scripture page the volunteers can take home.    I have found that a template made for each day, ready to take is the easiest way to go.  (See next page for an example.)
    With that planning out of the way, now you need to make your templates for your devotion booklet.   I like to have a family oriented devotion booklet.   But you can make one that is geared more for adults.  That choice will determine what scripture readings you will use.    Here are some suggestions:

A)	Follow the Daily Lectionary - Use all three scripture readings for an adult oriented devotion book or                                                                                  pick out one from the three for a simpler family oriented devotion book.
   B) Pair up the daily readings to support an Advent Series your congregation is doing.
C)	Use the daily scripture readings from the Jesse Tree Activity (WPOG, ‘97-‘98) Of course it makes             
      sense to do the daily Jesse Tree character as a family activity along with this!
D) Pair up the daily readings with the “Advent Countdown” (See separate resource sheet for this                                                                                
      Advent Calendar Sunday School activity.)  Children can make up Advent Calendar bags for the           
      congregation.  The daily object and question can be listed in the booklet along with a daily reflection.
   E) Pair up the daily readings with the titles of the Messiah Activity   Have a different title, with                        
        corresponding scripture, for reflection for each day.   The Angels that appear on the Sanctuary walls                
        heralding the Messiah will be much more meaningful with devotions.
F)	Do an Advent Psalm Series.   The Psalms speak to the depth of human emotions, both the highs and                 
      the lows.   Advent is a wonderful time to reflect on the Psalms.

     Be sure to be prepared with filler poetry, reflections, short stories & clipart etc.  There will always the inevitable 3-5 devotion pages that just never make it back in, even with gentle reminders.  There will also be the 1-2 pages that come in “on the weak side”.  A strategically placed “filler page” opposite the weak reflection can “save face” for the author and strengthen the daily devotion at the same time.  TIP: Add the names of the candles to the template to help readers reflect on Advent themes.
           (SAMPLE TEMPLATE)

          Welcome and Thank You!  for volunteering to lead us in an        
           Advent Devotion!   This is a special time of year for prayer and                                   
           reflection on what it means for us to Prepare the Way of the Lord.  
           And it is made all the more personal when the people we love  
           share their prayer life with us!
 
                      There is no right or wrong to this!  Prayer takes many shapes and   
                      forms. And it is this variety that will make our Advent Devotional 
                      booklet one that is rich and unique.   Read and reflect on the      
                      scripture passage on the left hand side of this page.  When you  
                      are ready place your print ready reflection within the box.                          
                      (Anything outside of the box will be lost!).   

                      Your reflection may be a traditional one that reflects how this                       
                      scripture relates to your life.   It may be poetry, it may be a hymn  
                      or a story.  It might even be a drawing we may reflect upon.     
                      Your reflection may even be a combination of these.  You may do            
                       this as an individual or you may do this as a family.  (And we       
                      would love to have any pictures your child(ren) might draw!)   

                      REMEMBER: There is no “right or wrong” to this.  Just share          
                      your thoughts and feelings,  in the way you feel most comfortable, 
                      of what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you and to us  through this                                                       
                      scripture.

                      PLEASE TURN THIS PAGE INTO THE CHURCH OFFICE BY
                            MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15th!!

                      If you would like the church office to type your page for you,              
                      please turn this page in blank, along with your reflection on a                               
                      second piece of paper.  We will be happy to type it for you!
Tuesday – November 30
Isaiah 11:1-10

Candle One brings us HOPE!