The Advent season is the four weeks leading up to Christmas, starting right after Thanksgiving. During this time, we prepare our hearts for Jesus to enter our lives. Just as Mary and Joseph prepared themselves for the birth of Jesus, we prepare ourselves to receive Jesus into our hearts again at Christmas. Advent is a time for waiting and getting ready for the coming of Jesus by giving back, helping others, and reflecting on our year.
When Jesus came to Earth, he brought light to the world. To honor the joy and love he brought through his birth, we will be partnering with the Crayon Initiative, which brings happiness to children in hospitals by giving them crayons. We hope our community will light up these kids’ worlds with crayons just like Jesus lit up our world when coming to Earth.
We will be sending the crayons to The Crayon Initiative who will melt them down by color. After the melting process, these crayons are formed into new, bigger crayons which makes it easier for children and the elderly to hold. In addition to a crayon collection drive, we are asking our community to write cards to children in hospitals and the elderly in nursing homes. We will have three lunch-time activities where we will use the crayons collected during the drive to color and write these cards. These colorful cards of hope will be delivered to children in the hospital and/or patients in memory care during an optional Advent Service Field Trip on Dec. 15.
