We’ll keep adding to this list of current and recommended resources for Advent and Christmas. The image is from the Illustrated Children’s Ministry 2016 Advent Coloring Posters.
Video
Cokesbury provides a chart of seasonal studies, featuring the new Down to Earth, The Redemption of Scrooge, and The Wonder of Christmas.
Darkwood Brew has two series of guided episodes for Advent: Into this World and Wait Training.
The Work of the People offers Interrupted by Hope: Turning Towards Advent, a series of 11 films with discussion guides, and more.
The Story of Christmas is a 45-minute animated video from Sparkhouse Family.
Contact the RCC for more information on these and other favorites for the season, like A Thrill of Hope, Advent Conspiracy (and its companion website), and Countering Pharaoh’s Production-Consumption Society Today with Walter Brueggemann.
Print
Gayle Boss, All Creation Waits (Paraclete, 2016). video trailer
Walter Brueggemann, Names for the Messiah (WJKP, 2016).
Paula Gooder, Journey to the Manger (Fortress, 2016).
Pamela C. Hawkins, Prepare the Way (Upper Room, 2016).
Thomas Moore, The Soul of Christmas (Franciscan Media, 2016).
Robert Sabuda, The Christmas Story (Candlewick, 2016).
Ann Booth, Refuge (Nosy Cow, 2015).
Heidi Haverkamp, Advent in Narnia (WJKP, 2015).
Goodness and Light (Orbis, 2015).
James C. Howell, Why This Jubilee? (Upper Room, 2015).
Paula Gooder and Peter Babington, Love Life, Live Advent (Church Publishing, 2015).
The Advent Coloring Calendar (Paraclete, 2015).
Sarah Arthur, Light Upon Light (Paraclete, 2014).
Jan Johnson, Taste and See (Upper Room, 2014).
Sybil MacBeth, The Season of the Nativity (Paraclete, 2014).
Feasting on the Word Advent Companion (WJKP, 2014).
Quinn G. Caldwell, All I Really Want (Abingdon, 2014).
Every Valley: Advent with the Scriptures of Handel’s Messiah (WJKP, 2014).
Essential Advent (Pilgrim, 2014).
Enuma Okoro, Silence and Other Surprising Invitations of Advent (Upper Room, 2012).
Richard Rohr, Preparing for Christmas (Franciscan Media, 2012).
Jan Richardson, Night Visions (Wanton Gospeller, 2010).
Check our LibraryThing display of books for the season: choose “Covers.”
Web
The Christmas Story is a video from the children of St. Paul’s Church, Auckland, New Zealand.
Building Faith posts on the Jesse Tree, Christmas Pageants, Advent in a Box, Reverse Advent worship stations, and more.
From Seamless Faith author Traci Smith: 5 simple spiritual practices for Advent, simple Advent prayer stations, Advent calendar ideas, 25 Writing Prompts for Advent, and more.
Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry offers 25 Advent Ideas and more, including a printable booklet for families, 24 Things to Do in Advent, and a printable Jesse Tree booklet.
Praying in Color provides Advent calendar templates and more.
Karen Ware Jackson posts Preparing for Christmas: A Guide for Busy Families.
Room in the Inn: Ideas for Celebrating Posadas is a free download from Forward Movement.
Theresa Cho outlines Advent interactive prayer station and intergenerational worship ideas, including a No Stress No Fuss Christmas Pageant and Worship: part one and two. Adam Walker Cleaveland offers commentary in The Best Intergenerational Christmas Pageant Ever!
Cleaveland’s Advent Coloring Posters, and An Illustrated Advent for Families and more are available from Illustrated Children’s Ministry.
Worshiping with Children contributes Planning for Advent and Christmas. See the topical index for more, including Why Children Need to Get to Church on Christmas Eve.
Learn the Christmas story by heart in twelve days, and see Advent videos, from Faith & Wonder.
Ahlan wa Sahlan! Welcome! Advent Stories for Children is a free curriculum from Global Ministries that connects the Christmas story with children of Nazareth and Bethlehem today.
Sharon Ely Pearson of Church Publishing provides Ideas, Activities and Resources for Advent & Christmas Year A.
Storypath tags children’s literature for Advent and Christmas.
Hanna Schock of Picture Book Theology suggests children’s literature for Advent and Christmas.
Sparkhouse Family offers Christmas resources and Instant Advent, a free daily video with discussion questions, an activity, and a prayer.
Practicing Families includes many posts on Advent and Christmas.
That Starry Night is a Christmas musical from Living the Questions.
Author Katherine Willis Pershey has written two pageant scripts.
Hope4CE posts A Christmas Participation Story.
Vicki Garlock discusses Interfaith Options for Christians at Advent in The Interfaith Observer.
Shine curriculum shares intergenerational events for Advent.
All God’s Children: The Church Family Gathers for Advent from GenOn Ministries supports intergenerational gatherings.
Good Ground Press features a free printable manger scene by Gertrud Mueller Nelson and a free online Advent Retreat.
In Home Faith Ideas is a list from Disciples Home Missions.
Reformed Church in America lists seasonal resources.
Spiritual Child Network offers ideas for Advent and Christmas.
Advent and Christmas Resources are from Kids Friendly.
Advent Children’s Chapel Liturgies are from Episcopal Relief and Development.
Reverse Advent Calendar is an idea from The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.
St. Nicholas Center provides resources for families and churches. Check the “For Kids” tab too. See more here.
Advent ideas from The Mad House include alternative calendars.
Christmas Lego Projects and more are gathered by Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls.
Candle Press has free weekly Advent discussion wheels and more for families.
Barnabas in Churches shares Advent ideas.
UMC Discipleship Ministries shares ideas for Advent Home Worship.
Made by Joel fashions a paper city nativity scene.
Drawn2BCreative offers Jesse Tree 3-D Printable Ornaments and more.
David R. Henson collects resources in Practicing Advent: A Guide for Parents and Families.
Rethinking Youth Ministry has two ebooks of seasonal Creative Youth Ministry Ideas.
The Thoughtful Christian offers downloadable studies for youth and adults.
Confirm Not Conform presents a Question a Day Advent Calendar.
Journey with Jesus gathers Advent poetry.
The Society of Saint John the Evangelist hosts a Global Advent Calendar. Trinity Institute offers four short videos with reflection questions on water justice issues for Advent. ChurchNext has a free class for Advent with Justin Welby, along with several other seasonal classes. Seasonal resources from Forward Movement include an Advent calendar poster. And ECF Vital Practices lists Advent resources.
Advent resources are gathered by The Text This Week.
Thirty Seconds or Less hosts Advent videos with discussion questions.
The Young Clergy Women Project posts a liturgy for Blue Christmas.
On Being invites reflections on the season of Advent.
Faith & Leadership posts on a Christmons ministry, and collects resources for Advent and Christmas.
The SALT Project offers an Advent Resource Round Up.
Art & Theology posts an Advent art slideshow and devotional.
Church Marketing Sucks posts ideas for Christmas, including their ebook, God Rest Ye Stressed Communicators.
Mental Health Ministries provides holiday resources.
LEAD supplies free print-ready Advent resources for worship and reflection.
A Sanctified Art offers an Advent Bundle.
Kristen E. Vincent explains Using Prayer Beads with the Upper Room Advent Litany.
The Advent Door is a blog from Jan Richardson.
The PCUSA 2016 Advent Calendar is A Journey of Memories.
The Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calendar, from The Atlantic.
The Boy is a web resource including a short video from the Reformed Church in Hungary.
The Patheos Advent Calendar blog shares poems, quotes, music and meditations.
Rachel Held Evans offers 26 Ideas for Advent and 28 Ideas for Advent.
Mustard Seed Associates has created an Advent Activity Guide for Families and Kids, an Advent Photo-Challenge, and a resource guide for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
Spirituality & Practice suggests E-Courses and spiritual practices for Advent.
Advent in 2 Minutes is a video from Busted Halo.
#pictureAdvent is a collection of seasonal resources from the UMC.
UMC CEF links free printable Advent calendars in English and Spanish.
A More Empowering Gift Give-Away and 10 Ways to Reach Unchurched People at Christmas are posts from Lewis Center for Leadership.
The UMC presents resources for Advent and Christmas.
Four Great Outreach Ideas for Advent are from United Methodist Communications.
#rendtheheavens is a digital advent calendar with daily prompts.
Advent Resources and Advent on the Brain are public Facebook groups.