Advent Description
Advent begins Sunday. We wanted to share with you what you can expect in the coming weeks. Advent, (from Latin adventus, “coming”), in the Christian church calendar, is a period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. This time is more than just a countdown to a holiday, but a season for you, your family, and the church family to draw closer to Jesus. All with the hope of knowing His presence, hearing His voice, and walking in communion in a fresh way.

Advent Wreath
We celebrate Advent by putting up an Advent Wreath and lighting candles each week. The use of the
wreath and candles during Advent are a tradition that was originally adopted by Christians in the
Middle Ages as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas.
The wreath and candles are full of symbolism tied to the Christmas season. The wreath itself, which
is made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no
beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, and the everlasting life we find in Jesus Christ.
The candles also have their own special significance. The candles represent the four weeks of
Advent, and one candle is lit each Sunday. Three of the candles are purple because the color violet is
a liturgical color that signifies a time of prayer, repentance, and sacrifice. Each candle brings us
closer to the time when we recall His birth as well as His Second Coming.

The Four Themes of our Advent Celebration this year:
HOPE
PEACE
JOY
LOVE

The Bible Project
Each Sunday, we’ll be sharing a word study video from the Bible Project focused on each of the four
themes above. This is their advent study series. We encourage you to seek out these videos weekly,
but also the reflection questions that are provided for each. We desire for each person at ECC to use
this season to prepare our hearts for Christmas, and this resource is an excellent (and simple) way to
do that.