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Tags: Advent

Advent

We seek for ways to be present each day as we anticipate the celebration of Christ coming into the world and coming again. As church communicators, our goal is not to add to the hustle and bustle, but to add things to help people pause and reflect, to be in Advent, not just getting through Advent. The Advent we observe and celebrate is not just historical remembrance of Christ's first coming to live among us, but us also anticipating his next coming.

We move from darkness to light (Isaiah 9:2), were are at the dawn. While we wait, we are not idle (Matthew 25).

Some ideas for practicing Advent

• Create a digital Advent calendar
• Publish a list of hashtags, with one for each day, for tagging images on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram. Here's one list from the Anglican Communion
• Post weekly or daily devotionals on your website, Facebook page, or send as emails (or all these)
• Look through this Twitter chat from #ChSocM (Church Social Media) on Advent, with lots of ideas and feedback.

There are themes for each week of Advent, though there are variations between traditions. Use the themes from your tradition for each week to guide you. Hope. Peace, Joy, Love. Faith. Prepare. Prophets. Angels. Shepherds. Magi. Bethlehem. Use them as separate tags, or in combination with Advent - for example, #AdventHope, #AdventPeace, #AdventJoy, #AdventLove.

Facebook

You can use your page to highlight Advent - create and update photo albums, post a morning Bible verse, or an evening prayer. Or, do them all. Whatever you have the resources to do - do.

• OccupyAdvent's Facebook page
• Advent Conspiracy's Facebook page
• AdventWord Facebook page

Twitter

A few years back, tweewisemen and natwivity had interactive Twitter story-telling of the nativity during Advent and Christmas. OccupyAdvent continues to be active each year.

• Use Twitter search - this will give you all the ChSocM tweets about Advent that contain links
• Common hashtags for Twitter and Advent - #advent, #adventus, #occupyadvent, #adventword

Pinterest

Looking for ideas? You'll find them on Pinterest! Start by collecting ideas to use, reuse, and share. The search functionality allows you to search for pins, boards, pinners, and search through your pins.

Instagram

Images are very powerful and Instagram has become a major player in photo-sharing. While you can view your photos from a desktop computer, sharing, tagging, and searching, are easier done from a mobile device.

• AdventWord
• Hashtag advent

YouTube

Videos are powerful tools for communicating. Curate and create playlists of videos for each week - an audio/visual Advent calendar of sorts. Use your hymnal, liturgy, and lists of works composed for the season. Did you know - Johann Sebastian Bach composed pieces for every Sunday of the year - cantatas, chorales, passions, magnificats, motets, masses, oratorios, and more?

Your Website

Be sure you are updating your website - especially as your online traffic is increasing (more people are coming to church as Christmas approaches).

• Are your service times correct?
• Are there any additional services or events to list?
• Are your Easter service times and summer service times removed or hidden?
• What special Christmas services will you have? When will you display them?

Last modified on 2023/12/9 by Steve