Advent Guide
Hope • Peace • Joy • Love • Christ
Slow down, prepare Him room with our Agape Hood Advent Guide
The weeks leading up to Christmas are about more than creating the perfect “magical” experience. Our hearts were made for a deeper hope than the right gifts, the right photos, or the perfect holiday. In this Advent series we remember that God has already kept His promise by sending Jesus, and we look forward to the day He will come again to make all things new.
Each week we’ll gather as a community to worship, open Scripture, and light the Advent candles together to anchor our hope not in a perfect Christmas morning, but in a perfect Savior.
1
Hope
We start by naming our longings. The Christmas season stirs up a desire for something more, but no “perfect Christmas” can carry the weight of our hearts. In Jesus, we see the promised Messiah who came and who will come again. We find a hope that goes beyond experiences, circumstances, or expectations.
2
Peace
John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by calling people to repentance. In the same way, we prepare for Christ’s coming by turning from false hopes—money, status, control—and turning toward Him. Repentance is how restless hearts make room for true peace.
3
Joy
The angel announced “good news of great joy…for all the people.” This joy is deeper than seasonal cheer. We learn to behold the beauty of Christ, in celebrations and in suffering, and discover that all things can become moments where God is working for our good and shaping us into the likeness of His Son
4
Love
Jesus loved us by coming near. He is God with us. His incarnational love is both gift and pattern. As a people sent into our neighborhoods, units, and city, we respond by practicing presence: sharing meals, meeting needs, and embodying the love that first pursued us.
5
Christ
All of Advent leads here. From Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the One through whom and for whom all things were made, the One who makes peace by the blood of His cross. We celebrate the light of the world who has come to push back darkness and win the war on sin and death
Advent at Home
Our Advent Guide is designed for families, singles, and friends to walk through together during the week. Each chapter includes Scripture readings, a short reflection, and discussion questions you can use around the table, in the barracks, or with your missional community.
advent guide 2025
We also walk you through how to create and use an Advent wreath, three purple candles, one pink candle, and a white “Christ candle”with simple weekly readings and prayers for candle-lighting at home.