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Advent Planner
Awesome deeds we do not expect
Friday, October 7, 2011
Advent season bursts upon us with the impassioned cry of the prophet Isaiah: “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence!” (Isa. 64:1). The prophet goes on to remember “awesome deeds that we did not expect” from the past and longs for God to show up again in such mighty ways.
Isaiah’s words reveal the heart of Advent: an in-between, paradoxical season, bordered on the one hand by memories of how God has appeared in the past and on the other hand by anticipation of God’s presence still in front of us. “Come, Lord Jesus” is a prayer that points both backward and forward: backward to the baby in the manger but also forward to the Lord of all still entering our world.
Yet God’s presence can’t be contained by our expectations. God may show up in disruptive and surprising ways but also in simple, familiar ways. During this Advent season we are invited to meditate on God’s sure coming – welcoming the unexpected but also treasuring and savoring the everyday revelations of God’s coming.
Advent Planner is a day for equipping pastors, worship leaders and musicians to guide their congregations into the anticipation and promise of the season. The day offers creative ideas for scripture presentations, visual elements, congregational prayer and rituals, and music. Participants will sample elements of worship for the Sundays of the season. Using the Mennonite Church Advent 2011 theme, this workshop introduces the lectionary-based worship resources published in Leader magazine. Participants should bring a copy of the magazine or order one when registering for the workshop.
The content is focused particularly for congregations who are part of Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada, but participants from other denominations and congregations that use the lectionary are welcome and have found similar events very helpful.
Leaders
Marlene Kropf, D.Min., AMBS Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation and Worship
Rosanna Eller McFadden, 2011 AMBS M.Div. graduate and pastor at Creekside Church of the Brethren
Rebecca Slough, Ph.D., AMBS Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Worship and the Arts
Allan Rudy Froese, Ph.D.(ABD), AMBS Assistant Professor of Christian Proclamation
Schedule
|
Time |
Description |
Location |
|
8:00 AM |
Registration (hot drinks provided) |
Dining Hall |
|
8:30 |
Welcome and introduction to the day |
Dining Hall |
|
8:50 |
Opening retreat: "Come to us in the common" |
Dining Hall |
|
9:20 |
Introducing Advent 2011 theme and resources |
Dining Hall |
|
9:40 |
Sample service: Advent 1 - "Surprise us with unexpected nearness" |
Dining Hall |
|
10:15 |
Morning break |
Dining Hall |
|
10:45 |
Surveying the Sundays of Advent, including children's time and visual elements |
Dining Hall |
|
11:45 |
Table group conversation |
Dining Hall |
|
12:00 PM |
Lunch |
Dining Hall |
|
1:15 |
Exploring music for Advent - Christmas season |
Dining Hall |
|
2:15 |
Break |
Dining Hall |
|
2:30 |
Praying during Advent: Joining God's passion for justice |
Dining Hall |
|
3:00 |
Worship on Christmas Sunday: Gifts and challenges |
Dining Hall |
|
3:15 |
Closing worship: New Year's Sunday - "Be near us forever" |
Dining Hall |
|
3:30 |
Evaluation |
Dining Hall |
Continuing Education Units
Participants earn 0.5 CEUs for attending Advent Planner.
Cost
$85 before September 23, 2011
$75 each for three or more from one congregation before September 23
$95 after September 23
Additional student discounts are available on the online registration form.
Lunch is available for an additional $6. Please pre-register for lunch or plan to eat off campus.
Registration
Questions?
Contact the Church Leadership Center
(574) 296-6269
ChurchLeadership@ambs.edu
