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This is a guide to Advent and Christmas worship planning resources from our website and our ministry partners' websites.
Many Christians understand the liturgical calendar as a way to follow the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Pentecost season reminds us of the Holy Spirit’s work. But Leopoldo Sánchez suggests a theological twist for Advent and Christmas to remind us of the Holy Spirit’s role in the life of Jesus—and in our own lives.
Many Christians think that how they acquire and use money is peripheral to the gospel. Relatively few preachers address wealth and poverty in their sermons. Yet early Christianity proclaimed and practiced the countercultural value of caring for the poor. Their worship services reflected this value.
Advent is a season inspired and guided by the Bible’s many apocalyptic texts—texts that candidly describe tribulation and gloom, prophesy stunning reversals and vindication, and evoke unsentimental hope and sturdy joy. These texts tell of stars beginning to fall, plead for the heavens to open, and portray choirs of angel armies singing.
El segundo tiempo ordinario del Año Cristiano y el Calendario litúrgico (octubre).
Have you thought about what you are going to say to your congregation the day after? The Sunday after?
In Luke’s gospel we find several of Jesus’ best-known parables—stories that despite their renown are found nowhere else in scripture.
Advent and Christmas present unexpected opportunities to remind us how the Holy Spirit empowers us to participate with and be more like Jesus Christ. The lectionary, visuals, cultural traditions, “Come, Holy Spirit” prayers, and songs can invite us into the trinitarian drama. Spoiler alert: these Spirit Christology approaches apply to every liturgical season.
Accounts from ancient historians and early church fathers show that caring for and visiting the sick was an essential marker of what it means to be a Christian. Their example of addressing illness, pain, and health care for everyone, not just Christians, holds lessons for today’s worship planners.
Sun Valley City Church in California recently delved into the topic of worship from a systematic, spiritual, and mental point of departure as part of a project titled “A Ministerial Guide for Churches and Pastors.” In addition to worship, topics such as preaching and leadership were also touched upon through a series of conferences. These lessons were initially created for the benefit of the congregation but were shared also with pastors and leaders from other churches.
La adoración desde una perspectiva sistemática, spiritual, y mental fue compartida en una serie de conferencias por Sun Valley City Church en California como parte del proyecto denominado “Una Guía de Ministerio para las Iglesias y Pastores.” Además, la conferencia incluyó otros temas como la predicación y el liderazgo. Lo que hicieron fue crear las enseñanzas para el beneficio interno de la congregación, pero también para compartirlas con pastores y líderes de otras iglesias
“Recursos Bilingües para un Pueblo Bilingüe” es un proyecto grupal y colectivo que buscó identificar y desafiar a poetas, compositores, y a profetas emergentes, para que, bajo la inspiración del Espíritu de Dios, contribuyeran con el enriquecimiento del culto o servicio de adoración.
