Within God's story of Christmas, there is an awe-inducing, soul-satisfying mystery of the incarnation. All too often, however, our manner of celebrating the season robs us of the very things that Christ's coming brought: hope, joy, peace and love. Advent Conspiracy is about the church reorienting itself be able to tell this history-changing story to the world through its celebration. We do it as we worship fully, spend less, give more and love all. We do it by demonstrating how the arrival of a small child 2000 years ago is truly good news to all.
Join the groundswell of Christ-followers who are choosing to make Christmas what it should be--a joyous celebration of Jesus' birth that enriches our hearts and the world around us.
Advent Season Resources
Worship Fully Through Advent
Below are some recommended resources we hope you'll check out during the advent season to learn the freedom of worshiping with abandon, giving without comparison, receiving with gratitude and loving without limits. There are resources that can be used by individuals, families or even small groups. May you find the gift of God's presence this Advent Season.
Inviting Peace (2021 Greater Portland Bible Church Advent Devotional)
How do we invite the God of Peace into every moment of the Advent season? Do we feel him near as we decorate our homes for Christmas? Do we sense his presence when we shop for gifts? Do we hear the Spirit guiding us as we bake, and craft, and celebrate this season? Sometimes in the hustle and bustle we lose sight of He Who Brings Peace. This book of prayers, written by members of the Greater Portland family, are designed to bring Christ into every moment of this holiday season, inviting him to be present, to lead, to provide, and to be glorified in all we do.
Also available in audio form to be listened to here.
The Longing (2020 Greater Portland Bible Church Advent Devotional)
This Advent devotional, written by members of the Greater Portland family, encourage us to sit with our longings for hope, joy, peace and love in our lives; to become familiar with how our hearts and souls yearn for and demand these things, to mourn the places we don't see them, and to discover how Emmanuel, God With Us, has come to bring those very things into our lives.
Family Advent Tree Devotions
Families with young children will love this advent resource! Countdown to Christmas with special ornaments you can collect from around the house or make as a craft. As you countdown, follow the kids-friendly devotions that include a scripture reading, a short lesson to go with each reading, a prayer idea, and a ornament symbol for each day.
A Pregnant Pause
An Advent Experience from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship that uses paintings, scripture, written reflections, questions, and guided prayer.
Prepare Your Heart to Worship Fully: Daily Advent Devotionals
Devotionals written by Advent Conspiracy pastors and church leaders from around the world. Our prayer is that these scriptures will help you find time to worship fully this Advent. Daily Bible readings accompany each devotional.
Advent Conspiracy: Making Christmas Meaningful (Again)
This book gives individuals, families, and churches practical help in planning the kind of Christmas that truly can change the world. Revised and updated with new stories of the impact this movement has made around the globe.
Good News of Great Joy: Daily Readings for Advent
This resource from John Piper contains 25 short devotional readings beginning December 1 and going through Christmas Day. This book of Advent meditations aims to put Jesus at the center of your holiday season.
Christmas Eve Giving
December 24 we come together under the glow of candlelight and the familiarity of the carols to remember and celebrate a Savior born to us, Emmanuel, God With Us.
We receive an offering that day that reflects our heart to devote less to the materialism of the season and instead invest in hope,
Give Online
Advent Conspiracy Giving Recipients 2022
LOCAL>Portland, Oregon
YOUTH WITH A MISSION (YWAM) PDX
Youth With A Mission is a global movement of Jesus followers from many cultures, age groups and Christian traditions, dedicated to serving Jesus and loving others where they are called. With bases around the world, the movement is united in purpose to know God and to make Him known and focuses on Evangelism, Training and Mercy Ministry.
Our global partners, Kimberly and Oliver Brune, along with other YWAM staffers have launched a YWAM base this fall in Portland believing that this city it not too lost, dark or dangerous but fiercely loved by God, filled with people longing for truth and desperate to know their identity. Their dream is to see in Portland as it is in Heaven.
Part of that vision is to launch a Discipleship Training School where youth spend six months in Portland in a missionary training program that includes first a 12 week lecture phase followed by 12 weeks of applied outreach. Greater Portland Bible Church will be acting as the home base for the lecture phase as they engage in daily and weekly rhythms that will include: worship & prayer, class time with guest speakers from all over the world, opportunities to serve the local community as well as one another, and fresh encounters with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Our Advent Conspiracy gift is going to equip this DTS with the necessary furniture and resources they need to house the DTS participants in our building.
Greater Portland is very excited to be partnering with YWAM PDX in bringing a DTS to our city this September. We long to see this Advent Conspiracy gift help shape young hearts by the Gospel and see Portland as it is in Heaven.
GLOBAL>Manila, Philippines
AWANA PHILIPPINES
https://www.awana.org/country/philippines/
Awana is a world-wide nonprofit ministry focused on providing Bible-based evangelism and discipleship opportunities for kids ages 2-18. In the Philippines alone, where over 36 million children under the age of 15 live, Awana programs provides kids the opportunity to know, love and serve Jesus, no matter their background. All kids, everywhere, matter to God and currently over 80,600 kids through over 1200 clubs know are learning that because of their involvement through an Awana program.
In Manila, the harvest is so ripe that the only thing keeping more kids from hearing this good news is a building space large enough to house them! They are currently running Awana programs in shifts since their building only holds 50 kids at once. God is the Provider, though, and they, on faith, will begin a building project in February that will expand their capacity to serve 250-300 kids at once. The new 3,200 square foot building is estimated to cost $120,000, or approximately $37/square foot. $17,000 has already been donated towards the project.
We don’t want any child to miss the opportunity to know how much they matter to God. Therefore, we are directing a third of our 2022 Advent Conspiracy offering to this building project. We are honored to partner in this global God-story and invite you to partner in it as well.
Through this gift we are also supporting and continuing our partnership with one of our global partners, Zoilo Anat. He is the Regional Ministry Director of Southeast Asia and National Director of the Philippines for Awana and brought this need to our attention.
GLOBAL>Kangundo, Kenya
Kizimani is a Kenya non-profit dedicated to building sustainably healthy communities in Kangundo, Kenya. The people they serve make $1 per day, struggle to put food on the table, walk an average of five miles to fetch unsanitary water, have a 50% dropout rate in high school (due to lack of tuition), and have poor access to healthcare where there is 1 doctor for every 10,000 people. Their programs aim to help lift these communities out of poverty and into self-sufficiency.
Kizimani’s development work in rural Kangundo, Kenya recognized that their efforts to make a community self-sustaining fall short if they do not address access to clean drinking water. Currently, there is no local water source. Options to tie into other water systems aren’t viable. Rain catchment systems have been implemented to help many households, but are very inconsistent. In addition, the Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years, affecting parts of Kenya, and exacerbating the water challenges.
The people of Kangundo, Kenya must walk miles to obtain water from questionable sources that we would never drink from. Water is used for many purposes, not just drinking, so traveling for water is very draining on personal energy and resources. Water from impure sources causes disease and creates health issues. Younger children are especially vulnerable.
Kizimani has established several businesses to create income sources for the villagers. Two of these are the Kizimani Medical Clinic and a mortuary that both rely on clean and consistent water to operate. Currently, Kizimani is paying hefty county costs to get water to these facilities, which impacts profitability and the viability of each local business. And Kizimani has other income generating solutions for the community of Kangundo they would like to pursue, but that depend on reliable and independent sources of clean water.
The solution is near! Kizimani is gathering partners to build the Kangundo Water Well, a permanent solution that will provide clean and dependable water for thousands.
The cost to implement the Kangundo Water Well is $20,000, and they have already raised $5,000.
• Preparation/ site assessment $2500
• Mobilization & equipment $4500
• Drilling & casings $7500
• Supplies & installations $3000
• County permits & government permits & reports $2500
Help build sustainable, healthy communities today with your Advent Conspiracy gift towards this well drilling project!
**Make donations out to GPBC and designate “Advent Conspiracy” in the memo line. (Gifts may not be directed to specific projects.) Gifts may be submitted prior to the Christmas Eve offering or through mid-January. Gifts may also be made online or via our church's app anytime. Just choose "Advent Conspiracy Donation" on the drop-down menu.