Draw Near
Creative Resources for Advent (Year C)
“For in my bones, I believe that, in the beginning, God came to me. And just like the sun, which day after day, invites the flowers to stand and change, if you listen closely, you just might hear God say to you, ‘Draw near, draw near.’”
This Advent, let us draw near to the One who leans down to earth to beckon us closer.
This is a bundle of 8 multimedia resources for you to use in your worship and ministry to draw near to God throughout the season of Advent. The Draw Near theme emerged for us in our group study of the Revised Common Lectionary texts for Advent Year C, particularly the gospel texts for each week. It helps us name our individual and collective longing for God’s closeness and for a world made new.
The Draw Near theme encompasses:
an affirmation that God has drawn near to us by taking on flesh and experiencing what it is to be human
a plea for God to draw closer to us and to the spaces in the world that are broken
a charge for us to draw near to God by leaning into wonder, justice, truth, and one another.
If you’d like to learn more about our theme and get access to worship + programming ideas for fleshing out this theme, be sure to download our THEME INFOGRAPHIC HERE. We also include the theme infographic with every bundle purchase.
{We consider your purchase a form of patronage to support our work and ministry. To make our resources accessible to congregations of all sizes, we offer tiered pricing on our bundles. Please choose the bundle price you are able to give. Your support makes our ministry possible!}
$267 TOTAL BUNDLE VALUE (80 digital files)
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE BUNDLE:
{All of the following resources are included in the bundle, but each resource is also available separately for individual purchase}
[Individual Price: $18-$85]
May this devotional be your guide as you respond to God’s invitation to draw near.
Each day of the week in this daily devotional includes something different—visual meditation, written reflections, scripture, poetry prayers, journalling, active prompts, coloring pages. It's formatted for print on 8.5x11 pages to be folded in half into a 8.5x5.5 booklet for members of your community to use at home throughout the Advent season.
Beginning with December 2nd and continuing through the end of 2018, this devotional includes scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for Advent Year C.
[Individual Price: $25]
This short film imagines the ways God draws near to us, like the sun bending down to earth to lift the flowers to the sky. Pairing time lapse imagery with poetry by Sarah Are, this film could be offered as a visual meditation in worship or used in bible study/discussion groups around themes of drawing near to God.
If you listen closely,
you just might hear
the sun whispering,
“Draw near, draw near,”
to flowers below
that straighten their spines
and stretch their faces
toward the light. . .
[Individual Price: $55]
This is a collection of 8 hand-drawn coloring posters inspired by RCL texts for Advent Year C. Print the art as coloring posters (we provide 3 size options) to invite members of all ages to dig deep into these scriptures through color, line, and form. These coloring posters are great for creating easy and meaningful community art.
Bundle includes artist statements for each poster plus a visio divina bible study guide.
[Individual Price: $3.99]
These words offer fresh language for drawing near to hope, peace, joy and love throughout Advent. Download includes Advent wreath candle-lighting liturgy for each week in Advent. Liturgy is formatted for multiple readers.
[Individual Price: $30]
Whether you are a church with full-time communications staff or one whose pastor handles all communications (on top of everything else), this branding bundle provides everything you need to effectively share the theme, Draw Near, with your community. Download includes files for print and web so you can use them for projecting images and slides in worship, printing on bulletins, study materials, church publications, and advertising your worship on your website and online.
[Individual Price: $45]
This is a collection of 9 visuals inspired by RCL scripture texts for Advent (Year C). Bundle includes artist statements for each image plus a visio divina bible study guide for using the images in an educational setting or contemplative practice.
[Individual Price: $20]
This Advent, create beautiful sanctuary art to illuminate the Christmas promise of God drawing near to us. These designs by Hannah Garrity feature traditional Christmas imagery—the Madonna and child, a shepherd, the star of Bethlehem—in a swirl of light and foliage.
We hope these designs (and our instructional materials) can simply be a starting point for you to create art and beauty that is uniquely your own. Gather a group and create together, for the creative process is just as meaningful as the final result.
[Individual Price: $5]
These 5 short poetic prayers illuminate a spiritual longing to draw near to God. Honest and pure, they reflect on drawing near to wonder, truth, justice, love and one another as means to connect more deeply to God. We hope you might adapt them for worship liturgy, or print them as they are for members in your community to read and return to throughout the season of Advent.
