"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you."
-Isaiah 60:1
Celebrating Advent and Nurturing Households
In the spirit of the season, Candle Press is offering a free Advent discussion tool for families. Candle Press is offering four free printable "spirals," one for each week of Advent. Each spiral can be downloaded for free. Once you have saved the spirals to your computer or device, they are yours to print, or send out via email or Facebook. Special thanks to Helen Barron from Candle Press for this free gift!
Each spiral is based on a theme, shown at the center. The surrounding four quadrants offer Scripture, prayer questions and prompts to guide individuals or groups in spiritual discussion. The four quadrants are as follows:
Getting Started
As with all resources, households will need to decide for themselves how they want to approach each section. Age and understanding will affect how to ask discussion questions. The prayer quadrant on every wheel is a perfect starting point. This quadrant offers suggestions for transitioning from the ordinary life into reflection and prayer.
Scripture
Households will need a Bible, or printed-out readings, in order to read the scripture. The Scripture quadrant offers a few sentences, which lead into the reading. Next, there are several questions that help clarify the Bible story.
Discussion Starters
This next quadrant is aimed at older children and adults. It often includes additional scripture readings. Overall, these discussion starter questions deepen understanding of the story and how the readings work together.
Some Things to Notice This Week
The last quadrant of each wheel helps households think about connecting the prayers and readings to their daily lives. One of the overarching themes is: What steps might we take to live out our faith?
Advent Spirals from Candle Press - Click for Free PDF
Perfect for Sharing with Church Households
Church congregations are encouraged to print these Advent spirals and hand them out to households families. Again, the Scripture readings are listed, but they are not printed on the spiral – so churches may want to also provide a packet with the readings.
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Candle Press helps families nurture the gift of awe and wonder in their children. The resources of Candle Press can help families explore: what we believe about baptism, what we are doing at Holy Communion, observe Advent and Lent and much more.