The Diocese of York is joining in the Church of England’s Advent and Christmas theme for 2025, revolving around a single word: Joy!
Our churches will – as always – be seeking to make the most of the opportunity December brings to share The Joy of Christmas with their communities. The great joy of Christmas, of course, is the good news the angel declared to the shepherds – the news of Jesus’ birth as Emmanuel (God With Us).
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 ‘Joy’. all designed to help all ages to be drawn into the joy of the first Christmas. The collection offers materials for churches, small groups, individuals, households and young people, as well as creatively catering for all reflective learning styles.
Joy
This year’s resources have at their heart the theme of Joy – joy as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ during Advent, and joy as we ponder in prayer the great mystery of God’s saving love during the Christmas season.
During Advent, reflections on the Everyday Faith app are centred around the Advent Antiphons on which the much-loved hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel is based.
- With daily reflections by Jane Williams, Chris Russell, Esther Prior, Philip North, Muthuraj Swamy, Tanya Marlow and David Hoyle, O Come Emmanuel will be available as a full-colour book from Church House Publishing
(published 1 September). You can view downloadable sample pages here. The reflections will also appear on the Everyday Faith app from 1 to 24 December, accompanied by a range of online music, artwork and creative suggestions for local use. You can download an outline of these reflections, including themes and Bible verses. - Daily reflections via Everyday Faith app: You can read and listen to daily Advent and Christmas reflections from 1 December through the Everyday Faith app, the daily devotional app from the Church of England, which is available to download here.
Advent Antiphons
Whilst well-known through the hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel, The Advent Antiphons were originally set to music in the 6th Century, and in many churches these are sung before the Magnificat at Evensong in the week leading up to Christmas Day.
To sit alongside the reflections on the Everyday Faith app, we have recorded the sung Antiphons, to help us reflect musically on the texts which speak of who Jesus is, and the hope in which we are invited to share.
If you would like to sing these in your churches, a PDF of the notation will be available to download soon.
Art and Poetry
- Icons of the Advent Antiphons, by Turvey Abbey
- Advent Antiphon poetry and reflections, by Malcolm Guite
- Women of the Nativity: A collection of nine imagined stories told from the perspective of women, written by Paula Gooder, recreating the events of the Nativity. Listen here.
Reflective Journal
The Diocese of York has created a reflective journal to use through Advent. Over the 24 days of Advent, each page offers the opportunity to reflect on who Jesus is for us, using names found in scripture to create our own antiphons, in the joyful anticipation that Advent brings.
You can download the Reflective Journal here:
Reflective Advent Journal
/
Using the Antiphons
The Advent Antiphons are part of the rich variety of liturgical resources for the Advent season found in Common Worship: Times and Seasons – which is available in print from Church House Publishing and in the Liturgy and Worship section of the Church of England website.
There are many creative ways to explore the antiphons during Advent both at church and at home. Traditionally, the Advent antiphons are used with the Magnificat from 17–23 December. If you pray Evening Prayer daily, this is the ideal setting. But they can also enrich other forms of prayer. Explore the Advent antiphons:
- In your church – prayer stations, music, and prayer groups
- At home – devotional booklet, and daily prayers
- Through artwork – newly commissioned illustrations from the artist SunYoung Kim, or create your own symbols
Podcasts
- A new podcast from the Diocesan Worship Working Group exploring the Advent Antiphons will be available from the middle of November.
- ‘And also with you’ – A podcast on reclaiming an ancient Christian faith for modern Christian life.
For Children and Young People
- Downloadable reflections for 11-15 year olds: Following the same themes and Bible verses as our Advent reflections for adults, these bitesize daily reflections for young people written by Lucy Rycroft can be downloaded in full colour or black and white. A four week session plan for youth groups using the reflections together will be available soon.
- To help schools and churches share the joy of Christmas with children and families, a heart-warming retelling of the Christmas story. Illustrated by Jago, the award-winning illustrator of The Jesus Storybook Bible. The Grumpy Owl and the Joy of Christmas tells the story of Jesus’ birth through the eyes of an owl who seems determined to miss all the excitement.
- 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 ‘The Joy of Christmas’ and include activities, prayers, practical actions and videos . Sign up now to get access to this resource when it becomes available in October.
- From the Diocese of York:
- Christmas episodes from the Cheeky Pandas