A number of new resources that can help adults explore Advent are available this year. If you are interested in formation resources to use or share with adults in your community this Advent, this article provides a starting point for your search. The resource list that we have assembled includes Advent devotionals, books, digital materials, and an intergenerational offering, and all of these resources have been or will be published in 2022.
This list is by no means exhaustive. Its focus is primarily on Advent-specific materials for adult formation released this year. There are many other excellent resources for adults as well as children and youth that were published prior to 2022. This list is designed to be one tool to support your discernment about adult formation in your community this Advent in light of your church’s particular gifts, needs, and theological perspectives.
Print Devotionals
If you are looking for hard copy devotionals with daily meditations that adults can engage at home, here are a couple available from publishers:
Holy Is His Name: Daily Devotions for Advent by Elis Hiu-Mei Lui
This book contains devotions for each day of Advent. It explores four songs that appear in the beginning of Luke’s gospel. You can also get an ebook version.
Publisher: Forward Movement
Denominational Affiliation: The Episcopal Church
Cost: $10 (reduced price if you buy in bulk)
Prophets & Promises: Devotions for Advent & Christmas 2022–2023 by Richard J. Bruesehoff, et al.
This book provides devotions with images, scripture, quotes, and prayers for both the Advent and Christmas seasons. It focuses on stories in Matthew’s gospel that illuminate God’s promises to God’s people. You can also get an ebook version.
Publisher: Augsburg Fortress
Denominational Affiliation: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Cost: $3
Digital Devotionals
For adults in your congregation who prefer daily or weekly meditations in digital formats, here are a few options that are coming this Advent:
Virtual Advent Calendar at Episcopal Migration Ministries
This daily devotional features meditations, images, and practices that attend to the lives of refugees and immigrants. The website has not yet been updated for 2022 at the time of this article’s publication, so be sure to visit the site as Advent gets closer.
Where to Find: Episcopal Migration Ministries website
Denominational Affiliation: The Episcopal Church
Cost: free
“Divine Nebula: Reimagining Advent” at Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Christian Social Justice
Unbound publishes weekly devotional reflections during the Advent and Christmas seasons that center on social justice. Its 2022 series, “Divine Nebula,” has not yet been released as of this article’s publication date, so check back as Advent approaches.
Where to Find: Unbound website
Denominational Affiliation: Presbyterian Church USA
Cost: free
AdventWord in English / AdventWord en español at Forward Movement
AdventWord is a daily devotional that highlights a word each day for the season of Advent. You can sign up to receive daily meditations by email or add your own reflections or images on each word to social media with the #adventword hashtag. Meditations are available in English and Spanish. Information for the 2022 edition has not yet been released at the time of this article’s publication, so stay tuned for more details.
Where to Find: AdventWord email sign-up: English | español; Forward Movement website
Denominational Affiliation: The Episcopal Church
Cost: free
Books
If you are looking for a book that adults can read and discuss in an Advent book study, you may want to check these out:
The First Advent in Palestine: Reversals, Resistance, and the Ongoing Complexity of Hope by Kelley Nikondeha
This book investigates the stories in Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels about Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in light of the political, social, and economic dimensions of first-century Palestine. It also puts the texts and their context in conversation with experiences of contemporary Palestinians. A free downloadable discussion guide is available on the publisher’s website to accompany the book.
Publisher: Broadleaf Books
Denominational Affiliation: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Cost: $24.99 (reduced price available if you buy in bulk)
Holy Disruption: Discovering Advent in the Gospel of Mark by Tracy S. Daub
This book examines the themes of Advent that surface in Mark’s gospel even though this gospel does not discuss Jesus’s birth. It highlights the dramatic activity of God in Mark and shows how this gospel speaks to the theological and social significance of Advent. Free downloadable congregational resources to accompany the book are available on the publisher’s website, including group discussion questions, sermon guides, and slidedecks.
Publisher: Westminster John Knox
Denominational Affiliation: Presbyterian Church USA
Cost: $15
Podcast
If an adult book group in your community prefers talking about podcasts, here is one that is focusing on Advent in the opening episodes of its new season:
“Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community”
This podcast puts social justice concerns in dialogue with the Sunday lectionary readings for Advent and Christmas, along with Holy Week and Easter. Its conversations offer insights and questions that can appeal to lay adult audiences as well as adults who teach or preach. Season 5 starts with Advent 1 for 2022.
Where to Find: TECcast website (and on other podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts)
Denominational Affiliation: The Episcopal Church
Cost: free
Intergenerational Materials
If you are interested in organizing an intergenerational formation opportunity for Advent, here is a digital printable offering that is adaptable to multiple contexts:
“Now in Flesh Appearing” by Illustrated Ministry
Illustrated Ministry’s Advent materials for 2022 focus on incarnation and embodiment. Three different digital printable resources are available:
- “An Illustrated Advent for Families: Now in Flesh Appearing,” which includes 5 weekly interactive devotions, coloring pages, and an Advent activity calendar
- “Now in Flesh Appearing Advent Devotional,” which consists of 5 reflections with discussion questions for each week of Advent
- “Now in Flesh Appearing Worship Liturgy Set,” which includes prayers and rituals for communal worship
All of the resources can be used in churches with all age groups. The devotional is designed to be particularly useful for youth and adult formation groups at church or at home.
Where to Find: Illustrated Ministry
Denominational Affiliation: independent
Cost: sliding scale by number of participants, starting at $9.99 for the family and devotional resources and $24.99 for the liturgy set
Do you know of other Advent resources new for 2022 that can enrich adult formation in Christian communities this year? Please share your suggestions in the comments below!
Featured image is by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash