Engaging Your Community this Advent

In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it can be hard to rally our communities together to remind them… but first… Advent! Getting everyone to slow down and observe this most important start to the new year can be a challenge. It can be an even greater challenge to unite our communities that rich with members of various cultures and customs.

Here are some tips and ideas to help you engage your people, especially those who are a part of and serve diverse communities.

1. Every Tribe and Tongue

With diverse cultural backgrounds often represented within a parish, consider offering Advent information in multiple languages. This small gesture not only helps make Advent more accessible but also garners a deeper sense of trust and appreciation among members.

Tabella offers Advent content in English, Spanish, and Filipino, including free Advent guides in Spanish and English to accompany playlists. Inviting members to prepare together in their native language fosters a welcoming environment that emphasizes the universal nature of our Church.

2. Seek to Understand and Celebrate Cultural Traditions

Exploring and incorporating the traditions of your parish’s prominent cultures can enrich the Advent season for everyone.

For example, in many Hispanic communities, Belénes (Nativity scenes) are crafted with elaborate detail, often including not just the Holy Family but a whole village scene that brings Bethlehem to life. Inviting the Hispanic members of your community to help set up the nativity scene in your parish or community can be a great way to decorate for Christmas in a special way as well as encourage involvement among members.

In the Polish tradition, the Oplatki wafer, shared on Christmas Eve, symbolizes unity and reconciliation. Consider purchasing oplatkis and providing/selling them to your parishioners after Mass.

3. Unite Under Common Activities

As we prepare our hearts for Christ’s birth, consider offering parish-wide activities that create opportunities for meaningful connection.

At the heart of our faith is the liturgy, where we join Christ in offering our lives to the Father. In addition to Mass, plan communal Advent Penance Services to allow for reflection and reconciliation, making space in our hearts for Christ.

You might also host a Christmas Tree Blessing or gather after Mass to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena. These shared acts of prayer and blessing deepen parish bonds, uniting us as we journey towards Christmas together.

For a more festive and interactive gathering, a Christmas treats potluck is a delightful way to bring the community together! Everyone loves a Christmas cookie, and with so many treasured recipes from across regions and cultures, inviting parishioners to share a favorite Christmas sweet can foster warmth and connection.

As members swap recipes and stories behind these treats, they share in the richness of traditions passed down through generations, strengthening our sense of community and belonging.

To make the season more enriching, we’ve put together a selection of Advent playlists on Tabella that can be shared with family, friends, and parish groups. These playlists help us bring the season’s spirit into daily life:

• True Identity: Created by Damascus Missions, this series is a journey through healing and identity, with a free e-guide included. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to dive deeply into Advent and even carry it into the Christmas season.

  
  

• Advent 101: For an introduction or refresher, this playlist covers Advent’s traditions, themes, and worldwide celebrations. It’s perfect for newcomers to the faith or those looking to reconnect with the essence of the season.

  
  

• The Jesse Tree Playlist: This playlist provides a meditative experience by tracing the lineage of Christ through the Old Testament, helping us follow the story of salvation up to the Incarnation.

  
  

• St. Andrew’s Novena: The St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena is a powerful way to prepare your heart, asking St. Andrew’s intercession throughout Advent as we await Christ’s birth.

  
  

  
  

Reflecting Christ’s desire for unity, we journey as one Church family towards Christmas.

As you are planning and preparing for events and activities to serve your community this Advent Season, consider ways you can engage all your people.

This Advent season, may our shared traditions as Catholics pave the way for us to find new connections in each of our unique experiences and backgrounds.

Need Advent resources? Download free materials for bulletins, email blasts, websites, social media profiles, and your Tabella community to make your preparations easier and more engaging. Download Here