It’s Time to Open Up Christmas (December)

December 2020 (29 November - 26 December). See the Resource Pack PDF for full details including weekly subthemes and daily prompts and Bible readings. See the Discussion Group Questions PDF to see the material adapted for small Connect groups.

Advent is the time when the Christian church really begins anew as we “Open up Christmas.”

I guess the fact is that many of us have literally placed Christmas in a box. We tidy it away from year to year and bring it out displaying it in lights and decorations. Christmas however, as we we know, is much more than something that can be contained in a box of decorations.

This year we have chosen the theme It’s Time To Open Up Christmas to help us all begin to marvel at the sheer magnificence of the plan of God’s salvation for the whole of his creation — to think about the open hearted people who have received and believed the plan as it has been unfolded. And to ask where will we find our open heart this Christmas? To journey further and encounter the mystery of Christmas that is beyond magic — leaving us with our mouths wide open in awe and wonder and surprise. And finally to consider that we have been created to live in an open world. The skies above us openly declare the vast extensive majesty of the creator. During the Christmas week we will be considering the part the skies have played in opening up a new understanding of God with us.

Each week of the 4 week theme runs Sunday-Saturday and has its own subtheme, which contains daily Bible readings and thought triggers see the Resource Pack PDF for more details.  See the Discussion Group Questions PDF to see the material adapted for small Connect groups.