December can feel like chaos – lots of social events, services, Christmas presents to buy, never-ending to-do lists and the pressure to create the perfect Christmas. But in the midst of this chaos, our churches can offer an opportunity to find peace during this busy time.
The Diocese of York has curated a collection of resources that we are encouraging churches and communities to engage with during Advent and Christmas, following the Church of England’s theme ‘Calm and Bright’. The collection offers materials for churches, small groups, individuals, households and young people, as well as creatively catering for all reflective learning styles.
Calm and Bright
The Church of England’s theme for Advent and Christmas 2024, Follow the Star: Calm and Bright, draws on the world-famous carol, Silent Night:
“Silent Night! Holy Night!
All is calm, all is bright…”
The angelic messages we encounter in the biblical story of Jesus’ birth typically hold together the need for calm in the present (“Do not be afraid” … “Fear not”) with the hope of a bright future (“for you have found favour with God” … “for behold I bring you tidings of great joy”).
- Booklets, prayer cards and family resources: Ideal for giving away at Advent and Christmas services, new printed Calm and Bright Christmas reflections booklets, prayer cards for adults and families are available to order from Church House Publishing.
- Catch up on the webinar to learn about the range of resources that are being offering nationally to help you plan your local services and events to welcome your community to celebrate with you this Christmas. Watch the webinar on-demand now. The Digital Labs team have also added an accompanying blog with additional content and links to resources.
- Reflections via email: Sign up to our Advent and Christmas reflection emails and receive daily messages straight to your inbox. Our daily emails will offer Bible readings, short reflections and a practical challenge, as well as prayers linked to weekly themes.
- Reflections via Everyday Faith app: You can read and listen to the Advent and Christmas reflections through the Everyday Faith app, the new daily devotional app from the Church of England, which is available to download here.
Books
- Do Not Be Afraid: The Joy of Waiting in a Time of Fear (The Archbishop of York’s Advent Book 2024) by Rachel Mann
- Let It Slow: An Advent Calendar with a Difference, by Archbishop Stephen Cottrell
- Calm and Bright: Meditations on the Twelve Days of Christmas, by Sammi Tooze
- Waiting on the Word: A Poem a Day for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, by Malcolm Guite
Reflective Activities
- Calm and Bright: Weekly Image Reflections from Advent to Epiphany. Particularly useful for those who are visual reflectors, this PDF booklet offers weekly images to sit with and reflect on alongside a passage of scripture.
- Calm and Bright Advent practices – 24 ideas of things to do or reflect on each day of Advent, on the theme of calm and bright. Suitable for all ages, individuals, churches and households.
Podcasts
- ‘And also with you’ – A podcast on reclaiming an ancient Christian faith for modern Christian life.
For Children and Young People
- From the Diocese of York:
- Christmas episodes from the Cheeky Pandas
- A directory of resources for use at home, church and school, provided by members of the Parachurch Organisations Network of the national Growing Faith Foundation.
- Four weeks of collective worship resource materials is available from the National Society for Education for use by schools during Advent. The resources unpack the theme of ‘Calm and Bright’, through the perspectives of the Angel Gabriel, Joseph, a shepherd and Mary and encourage learners to consider how they can bring calmness and brightness to the world. Sign up now to get access to this resource.