Words for the Beginning: A Planning Webinar for Advent (Recording & Summary)
On October 29, 2024, we hosted an Advent Planning Webinar for anyone using (or interesting in using) our Advent series, Words for the Beginning: Advent reminders for new seasons. In this time, we dove into our theme and why we created this series. We shared some tips about how to use the materials, and talked through ideas for implementation. Below is the recording. We hope this can be helpful to you as you plan and prepare.
We’ve also summarized much of the conversation that occurred in the chat. We are amazed by and grateful for the wealth of knowledge and inspiration within the larger Sanctified Art community. Be sure to read through the Q/A’s and crowdsourcing ideas at the bottom of this page.
In the webinar, we shared a Quick Links PDF with links to all the resources and materials discussed. If that document might be helpful to you, you can download it here:
an outline of the webinar recording:
00:00:00—00:16:46 Welcome and introductions
Welcome and introductions from the Sanctified Art creative team alongside participants’ introductions shared in the chat. Introducing all the guest contributors who helped create the Words for the Beginning resources. In the chat, participants shared the words they live by (see those responses at the bottom of this post).
00:16:46—00:24:45 How we developed the “Words for the Beginning” theme & series
Telling the story behind the way this theme emerged for us and what reminders we need to hear again and again.
00:24:45—00:48:57 an overview of all the materials
An overview of all the resources in the bundle as well as bonuses and supplements, with comments and ideas for how to use each component. Consider this an “insider’s guide” to all the resources. If you would like to share just this segment with staff, colleagues, or volunteer leaders, below is a link to the overview video:
00:48:57—1:01:11 Experiencing the resources
A short segment in which we share a poem from the series, guest writer Kayla reads an excerpt from her commentary and leads us in a breath prayer, and guest artist Nic engages us in a visio divina practice using her artwork, “Binding Braids.” This practice of visio divina drew out an abundance of responses. Below is a word cloud of the dozens of responses we received to the questions: What do you see in the image? How does it make you feel? What were you thinking about as I guided you through the prompts?
1:01:11—1:25:32 crowdsourcing ideas, Q/A, & premiering our theme song
In this final segment, we engaged with the conversation in the chat and responded to the questions in the Q/A box. While you can’t see that discussion in the video recording, we verbalize many of the ideas in the chat, and much of our conversation is summarized in the section below. We concluded by playing our theme song for the series. We invite you to join our Facebook Group to continue to collaborate with other pastors and ministry leaders.
QUESTIONS & Answers:
(Summarized from the chat & discussion)
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A: Our Words for the Beginning bundle includes curriculum for children and families. We don’t have a specific curriculum for adults, but there are a couple of resources that work great in small groups:
1) The first is our devotional booklet—we strongly suggest you discuss this weekly in small groups! Your format/flow can be adapted to what you need, but you can read the weekly poem to open your time together, then read the focal scriptures for the week and discuss the art and commentary together. Lots of churches like to do visio divina with the art, which is a wonderful option. The devotional includes reflection prompts you could use for conversation prompts.
2) If you have a small group who wants to dig deep into the scriptures and weekly themes, we recommend you use the sermon planning guide. The “Guiding Q’s” section provides lots of questions for discussion on the focal scriptures. You could also pull articles/podcasts/book recommendations from the “Further Reading & Research” section of the guide if participants want to read and digest something beforehand to then discuss together.
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A: None of us are quilters, so we don't have patterns specifically, but there have been several of our patrons in the Facebook group who have generously shared their patterns, tips, and directions. You can download the designs here in case that’s helpful.
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A: We didn’t create a pageant this year, but there's been brainstorming around that in our Facebook group. Check out a list of our community's favorite Christmas books for children here.
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A: Check out our free Liturgy for Endings & Beginnings on the blog.
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A: The Words for the Beginning series does not follow any lectionary, though it includes scriptures that appear frequently, such as the annunciation to Mary, John the Baptist calling for repentance, and Joseph’s dream. We have many Revised Common Lectionary bundles for Advent here.
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A: Ultimately, we always try to provide as much liturgy as we can. However, as a full-time senior pastor, Sarah is rarely able to write every element due to time constraints. We always appreciate hearing what liturgy is most helpful to you, as it helps us discern what liturgy is most needed.
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A: If you order the full bundle, all of the free bonuses and supplements we’ve progressively released are at the bottom of the Patron Access Page. They are also linked at the bottom of the public webpage for the Words for the Beginning bundle. Here they are:
This is a collection of 5 original hymns (written by Rev. Anna Strickland) inspired by our weekly sub-themes and texts for the first five Sundays in Lent. Each hymn offers new words to sing with familiar, public domain tunes. Download the sheet music to include these hymns in your worship. Note: These hymns are also linked in our devotional booklet for individuals and families to sing at home.
CONTENT CALENDAR FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
To support you in sharing this Lenten series with your community online, we have curated a social media calendar for you to use throughout the season. The calendar includes carefully-selected images, graphics, and excerpts from the Words for the Beginning resources for you to post on your social media platforms so you can share the series with your larger community, near and far. The calendar is available only to bundle patrons.
LITURGY FOR ENDINGS & BEGINNINGS
We’ve crafted a simple worship outline as a way to make space difficult emotions during the holiday season, particularly grief around endings and anxiety around new beginnings. This could be offered as a slight alternative to a traditional Blue Christmas or Longest Night service.
We’ve curated a long list of music ideas—both traditional and contemporary—for worship, fellowship, and listening.
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A: Yes! You are welcome to use the original hymns, including creating your own recordings for ministry use, as long as you provide credit. Full licensing terms for the hymns are on the last page of the hymns PDF here.
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A: Yes, if you purchased the full Words for the Beginning bundle, then you will be directed to a Patron Access Page to download all the files/materials you need. You are welcome to share the link and password with the rest of your staff, worship team, or anyone else in your congregation who may need access to the resource files.
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A: We do! It’s titled, “Words for the Beginning: Advent reminders for new seasons.” Find it here.
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A: You can find the price for each tier of the bundle (depending on average worship size) along with a description of every resource included and their individual prices (if purchased a la carte) on this page.
Q: Where do we order the paraments & banners for altar display?
A: We have two printed-to-order banners that feature the Words for the Beginning branding. The small banner is printed on a weather-resistant material and includes grommets. It could be displayed outdoors or indoors. This size might work well as a parament for the pulpit. The table tapestry is printed on a blanket fabric and it is hemmed along the edge. It’s not best for outdoor display, but could be displayed as a cloth for your Communion Table.
Mock-up of an altar display utilizing our custom design print-to-order paraments & banners.
crowdsourced ideas
(Summarized from the chat & discussion)
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The devotional we will use with our congregation as a whole, both online and hand delivered to our elderly and housebound members.
I'm using the Words for the Beginning devotional, graphics and poetry to create a new video for each week, as we use a 5-minute video countdown for our service.
I am using some of the items for Advent in a Box for people who can't or don't come to worship. It will include the Advent devotional booklet, coloring book of quilt square designs, colored pencils, candles for an Advent wreath, the candle lighting liturgies, a worship center cloth, an Advent calendar, and an Advent Journal with quilting-based themes and the questions from the study guide.
As we have an older congregation, I print the devotional as a ledger size booklet (using the large format file). It makes it easier to read.
Will be using it in group study midweek.
We use this in small groups, including online, and in adult classes.
We have used it as our Sunday School time. The devotional is a great way to engage in conversation.
We also printed it in black and white to save money. Then I put the colored art online and shared my screen during the small group meetings.
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IDEAS SHARED:
I'm inspired to use it with our Contemplative Prayer group.
We have done visio divina with the artwork for adult ed and it has been great.
We used visio divina for our midweek Advent services in place of a sermon or homily.
We did visio divina in worship. We had instrumental music and gave time for people to take in the art. It worked very well in the worship flow.
I've been using the art as part of my sermons for the last few years.
Last Advent, we printed off all the art and framed them for a gallery spread—folks loved both looking at them, seeing what the artists had to say right next to them, and reading the poetry for that week.
I often use the art for children's sermon.
We have taken the art and artists statements with the corresponding scripture and have made prayer stations for them.
In the past, we’ve printed the art on large posters and displayed them in our entryway so they can be experienced as you enter worship.
We print the images with artist reflections as our bulletin.
We've used the art within projection in worship. We've also projected the images on the wall rather than the text of the scripture. It allows people to focus in on the image and ponder its connection.
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IDEAS SHARED:
During each season, we start each service with different voices reading the poems to ground everyone into the service. They are followed by the prelude music.
I love to use the poems to set the tone of the homily and reintegrate a key phrase as a wrap-up.
We often use the poems in our visio divina sessions.
I begin adult Bible study sessions with the poem for the week as an opening prayer.
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IDEAS SHARED:
We are having our members bring in their quilts with a short description of the quilt and its meaning. They will have a chance to share the story of their quilt during worship.
The first Sunday of Advent is World AIDS Day so we are also hosting panels of the AIDS Quilt!
Two quilters from our congregation have made the blocks. We will add a block each week during worship which will form a banner.
I gave the quilt square templates to a parishioner during the summer and she and a friend of hers created pulpit paraments for each week.
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For the quilt square designs, use the "Praying in Color" idea of writing someone's name in one of the blocks, and doodling/ coloring around that as you pray.
We are also using the quilt square designs for our Adult Coloring & Crafts group. Their work will be used on the walls. We will also have coloring stations for children during worship along with the Children's Bulletin.
We adapt the Children’s Curriculum for our weekly Intergenerational Moment (instead of a Children’s Message). We often send home the materials for further exploration. We also set them out at our Hospitality Hour for folks of all ages to work on together.
I like both Advent calendar ideas... but the children's one connects better with me and my colored pencils.
I am using some of the items for Advent in a Box for people who can't or don't come to worship. It will include the Advent devotional booklet, coloring book of quilt square designs, colored pencils, candles for an Advent wreath, the candle lighting liturgies, a worship center cloth, an Advent calendar, and an Advent Journal with quilting-based themes and the questions from the study guide.
What words do you live by?
During the webinar, participants responded to this question. We’ve compiled their responses below.
A word cloud generated from other responses, using wordart.com
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“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” –Galatians 5:25
“Seek first the kingdom of God.” –Matthew 6:33
“Be still and know.” –Psalm 46:10
“Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly.” –Micah 6:8
“Do not let people disregard you.” –1 Timothy 4:12
“For I am convinced that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus our Lord." –Romans 8:38a
“God goes before you, behind you, hemming you in.” –Psalm 139:5a
Matthew 25
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"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." –Julian of Norwich
“Hope is born through sweat and tears.”
“Now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” –John Steinbeck in East of Eden
"We believe in the goodness of humanity, planted more deeply than all that is wrong." –Iona Community
“Let the beauty you love be what you do.” –Rumi
“May all have enough and may enough satisfy.”
“If you don’t like where you are, move—you are not a tree.”
“Faith is walking to the edge of all the light you have and taking one more step.” –inspired by the poem “Faith” by Patrick Overton
“God of mercy, hold us in love.” –from Holden Evening Prayer
“New every morning is your love, O God, and all day long you are at work for good in the world..." –from The United Methodist Book of Worship
“Life is a gift. Love is the point.”
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I am God's Beloved.
Day by day.
Breathe in God’s love; breathe out God’s love to the world around you.
We are never alone!
Choose kindness.
Love unconditionally.
One thing at a time.
Do the best you can.
This moment is enough.
Live between the reality and the potential.
Be kind and trust.
Treat me nice.
Peace, be still.
It’s enough.
It begins with me.
Begin anyway.
