What is Advent?
The word advent means “coming” or “arrival.” In the Christian tradition, Advent is the first season of the Christian calendar and is marked by hopeful waiting for the coming of the Messiah. During early Christian history, the celebration of the first coming of Jesus was a season joined with preparation, especially for new believers as they were coming into the faith for baptism. On Christmas day, these new converts would receive the sacrament of baptism in accordance with the arrival of Jesus into the world to make all things new.
Today, Advent represents the location of the Church within these “last days” as we await the second coming of Jesus into the world. The church, like Israel before her, is in exile, awaiting the coming of the Messiah, who will free us ultimately and finally. In Advent, we look back in celebration upon Christ’s coming while at the same time looking forward in eager expectation of the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns for his people. Therefore, during Advent, we practice active, hopeful, and prayerful waiting. Additionally, Christian waiting is not lazy. Because we know God to be faithful, we join him in his work of making all things new and celebrate the victory of our King Jesus.
And Another Thing With Jim (Episodes drop every Wednesday morning of Advent)
Week 1 - Hope is a Strange Thing
Week 2 - Dano of the Skysea
Five Golden Things Podcast (Episodes drop every Friday morning of Advent)
Week 1 - Christmas by Horseback
Week 2 - A Cockatiel For Christmas
Bread and Circus Blog (Entries drop every Thursday morning)
Week 1 - A Messiah for the Rest of Us
Week 2 - Beginnings and Endings
Sunday, November 30 – First Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 7 – Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 14 – Third Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 21 – Fourth Sunday of Advent (will include a kids choir performance)
Wednesday, December 24 – Church on Christmas Eve (6:30 pm - will include kids choir performance)
As our congregation "prepares him room" this December, we're encouraging our folks to work through weekly devotionals as a spiritual help. Since Advent is the beginning of the annual liturgical calendar for the church, this is a great time to set some new rhythms for spiritual practices in the home, both as individuals and families.
This year at Liberti Collingswood, we’ve purchased stacks of both a devotional for grown ups and also one for families. For the former, we’ve selected Advent: The Season of hope by Tish Warren, for the kiddos and families we’ve once again gone with Tracing Glory: The Christmas Story through the Bible by Sarah Rice. You can grab one of both of these resources on a Sunday morning at Liberti Collingswood.
- YoungLives Toy Drive (ends 12/7) & Foster the Family Toy Drive(ends 12/13)
As Advent approaches, we're excited once again to participate in toy drives for two of our local ministry partners. First, join our YoungLives community in supporting teen parents and their children this holiday season. Grab an ornament from the Christmas tree at Holy Trinity for gift requests and instructions. Please deliver all gifts to Holy Trinity by Sunday, 12/7. And second, we're supporting Foster the Family by buying $20-$25 gifts that for children in foster and adoptive homes during their Christmas party. Feel free to snag an ornament on the Christmas tree at Holy Trinity with the wishlist QR code or access it here! All gifts should be purchased by Saturday, 12/13, through their Amazon wishlist and shipped directly to Foster to Family HQ. Thank you for helping us bring joy and hope to young families and kids this holiday season!
- Refugee Grocery Store (12/20)
Welcoming the outsider, sojourner, and exile is one of the key components of biblical ethics, and we have an opportunity to let that rubric hit the road on Sunday, 12/20, at Fervent Church (904 Cooper Rd, Voorhees Township, NJ 08043). Come and serve at their Refugee "Grocery Store" for families and individuals primarily from Afghanistan, Burma, and Syria. To serve, you can arrive at Fervent for as much time and as many "shifts" as you'd want to spend: setup runs from 9am to 12pm, the "grocery store" itself stretches from 1pm to 2pm, and cleanup occurs afterwards. Lunch will be provided around noon. You can also drop off donations on 12/20 at Fervent between 9am and 11:30am. Text Lauren at 856-816-4517 by Monday 12/15, if you'd plan on volunteering or dropping off any items at Fervent Church.
- Hope Delivered (12/6 & 12/13)
This Advent, Liberti Collingswood is participating in Hope Delivered, a program that serves families who have come through AlphaCare services. You can hook into helping out by praying for these families, writing cards to them (remembering that some of these families will be Christian and others not), buying gifts (lists for which can be obtained through our Home Meetings or from Jamie Dempsey), donating grocery cards, making cookies, gifting diapers and wipes. Between now and Saturday, 12/6, you can drop these items into a labeled box in the foyer to the sanctuary or donate funds through the QR code. On 12/13, our Home Meetings will make deliveries directly to these families, plus people are welcome to meet in the Holy Trinity Conference Room that same day at 10am deliver additional items to AlphaCare. Email Jamie at
for more details!