An Advent Challenge

Christmas is on its way. Shops have had presents, cards, and wrapping paper in stock since late August (or so it seems), and I even saw one of my neighbours houses decorated in mid-November! But now, Advent is officially here. It’s time to get ready for Christmas.

There are many ways to celebrate advent. For many years, people have counted the days to Jesus’ birth using advent candles, advent wreaths, and (one of the most popular) advent calendars! But how about an advent challenge? Instead of opening a window and getting a chocolate, you get a challenge.

I’ve often struggled with advent and how it is meant to ‘prepare us’ for Christmas, especially with the disappearance of the word and focus solely on present, decorations and food. Most of my advents have been spent going carolling with The Salvation Army band, which is good, but could get repetitive and make the season a chore rather than a chance to reflect and prepare for Christmas in my own heart.

This year, I’ve signed up to the Bible Society’s Advent Challenge (you can sign up here). The challenges encourage you to spread generosity and do good deeds. As well as a daily challenge, there is a short thought and Bible passage to make you think about what you are doing. I’m looking forward to completing the daily challenge, and to see how taking the challenge, and reading the thought and scripture, will change my view of advent.

There are many advent challenges available to sign up to online. ALOVE UK are posting a daily advent thought on their website, and will be challenging individuals to take a picture to represent that day’s thought and share them online. Or how about an advent calendar of sound? (Found here)

However you choose to spend Advent this year, I challenge you to try something different. Sign up to a challenge and see how it impacts your advent. I’ll be sharing how my advent challenge impacts me here, so stay tuned!