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'Tis the season to share. To love. To give ourselves to something bigger than any of us. 'Tis the season to turn our heads, tune our hearts and worship a savior whose birth turned this world upside-down.

New to [AC] and want to know what it's all about? Click Here



We've made teaching [AC] during the Christmas season easier than ever before. If you're a pastor, click here.

Don't have the book and DVD yet? Order it today... Click here!

Resources for Kids ministries! Click here!

Make each day leading up to Christmas a day to worship Jesus fully. Every day in December we will be posting a new thought, picture or video that tells the story of Christmas and how its still changing the world in radical ways. Just download and print the poster. Then, for each day in December, scan the QR codes to open up a new story.

To download the Advent Calendar, click here!




We all want our Christmas to be a lot of things. Full of joy. Memories. Happiness. Above all, we want it to be about Jesus. What we don't want is stress. Or debt. Or feeling like we "missed the moment". Advent Conspiracy is a movement designed to help us all slow down and experience a Christmas worth remembering. But doing this means doing things a little differently. A little creatively.

It means turning Christmas upside down.

[WORSHIP FULLY]
Christmas marks the moment where God's promise was fulfilled and love took form, tiny fingers and all. It is a moment that deserves our full attention and praise. We put Worship Fully as AC's first tenet because we believe the level of our involvement at Christmas is based entirely on how much we are celebrating Christ's birth. He deserves celebration; one that is creative, loud and directs every heart His way.
[Watch a message on Worshiping Fully]

[SPEND LESS]
Quick question for you: What was the one gift you remember getting for Christmas last year? Next question: What about the fourth gift? Do you remember that one? Truth is many of us don't because it wasn't something we necessarily wanted or needed. Spending Less isn't a call to stop giving gifts; it's a call to stop spending money on gifts we won't remember in less than a year. America spends around $450 billion dollars during the Christmas season, and much of that goes right onto a credit card. By spending wisely on gifts we free ourselves from the anxiety associated with debt so we can take in the season with a full heart.
[Watch a message on Spending Less]

[GIVE MORE]
We know what you're thinking. "Wait, didn't they just say I should spend less, and yet here they are telling me to give more? What gives?" The most powerful, memorable gift you can give to someone else is yourself. And nobody modeled this more than Jesus. So what does this look like for you? Tickets to a ball game or the theater? A movie night? The main point is simple: When it comes to spending time with those you love, it's all about quality, not quantity.
[Watch a message on Giving More]

[LOVE ALL]
It all boils down to love. Love from a savior. Love to a neighbor in need. By spending just a little less on gifts we free up our resources to love as Jesus loves by giving to those who really need help. This is the conspiracy three churches began a few years ago, and has since grown to an international movement where thousands of churches have raised millions of dollars to love others in life-changing ways.
[Watch a message on Loving All]




While concept of [AC] is simple, the impact it has had on communities around the world is profound. The following are some extended thoughts from the three founding pastors that unpack how [AC] can change your Christmas and how the very core of [AC] is rooted in the ancient teachings of scripture. Whether you're a pastor looking for ideas on teaching [AC] in your church or you just want to dive into this at a deeper level, we would encourage you to check these out.

Advent Conspiracy [Listen]
You know what's awesome? Christmas. You know what's not? Christmas stress. How can you make Christmas a stress-free celebration focused on Jesus and a season you'll never forget? Advent Conspiracy. Two words that are a big deal and today you'll know why.

The Yoke of Christ or the Yoke of Consumerism [Listen]
When it comes to celebrating Christmas, will we choose to celebrate a "what" or a "who"? Chris Seay of Ecclesia Houston celebrates the prophetic message of celebrating Christmas through Advent Conspiracy.

Jesus and the Empire [Listen]
The time of Jesus' birth was a dark time, riddled with greed and corruption. But with His birth came a new empire. Rick McKinley unpacks the effects the birth of Christ had on Herod's rule and its correlation between Christmas and the consumer empire of today.




Programming services for the Christmas season is a huge undertaking. That's what we've provided with a few resources to help your church launch a four-week series on Advent Conspiracy. From graphics, to bulletin layouts, videos, PowerPoint slides and more, we hope these help you lead your congregation to celebrate Christmas differently this year. We'll be adding more content throughout the next few weeks. If you'd like to see an example of a sermon for each tenet, please watch the videos located here.

Looking to order the [AC] book and DVD for your small group? Click here.

Due to the volume of requests we are not able to customize any graphics or videos.

Resources:
General [AC] Resources [99MB]
[Worship Fully] Weekend Message [55MB]
[Spend Less] Weekend Message [55MB]
[Give More] Weekend Message [56MB]
[Love All] Weekend Message [57MB]

Videos:
Here's just a few videos for your church to use during service or online. Some old, some new, but all tell the story of [AC]. We'll have more on the way so stay tuned!

[AC] Teaser: Watch | Download
[AC] Promo, Basic: Watch | Download
[AC] Promo for Living Water International: Watch | Download
[AC] Promo for International Justice Mission: Watch | Download
Worship Fully: Watch | Download
Love All: Watch | Download
Be Alive: Watch | Download

...more videos coming soon!




Back when [AC] began, it wasn't the adults that made it into an international movement. It was the kids. Much to our surprise -- as well as their parents -- children are the first to not only understand [AC] but accept the idea of receiving less so they can help give to someone in need. We've created an easy way to help you teach some of the core values when it comes to [AC]'s four tenets. Also, we have found a number of people use the same videos in their kids' classrooms that they use in their "grownup" services. Just click on the ones you wish to use below to start downloading.

Weekend Curriculum:
Full Four-Week Curriculum




Since its beginning, Advent Conspiracy has felt called to help Living Water International in its efforts to end the clean water crisis. With more than a billion people lacking access to clean water and sanitation, the need to support those who are bringing new hope to these communities is both apparent and critical. Because of people like you who have entered into the conspiracy, millions of dollars have been donated to drill wells all around the world. For more information on how you, your family and your church can get involved, visit LWI's website today at www.water.cc.




It seems like an absurd problem to deal with in the 21st Century. And yet, slavery is a reality for millions of people around the world. Here's some facts to consider:
  • Each year, nearly 2 million children are exploited in the global
    commercial sex trade. [UNICEF]

  • The total market value of illicit human trafficking is estimated to
    be in excess of $32 billion. [U.N.]

  • 27 million men, women and children are held as slaves.
    [Kevin Bales, Disposable People]

  • 1 in 5 women is a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.
    [U. N. Development Fund for Women]
Advent Conspiracy is proud to support International Justice Mission in its efforts to bring rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. Every day, IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals answer the Bible's call to justice by working with local governments to:
  • Rescue victims of violent abuse and ensure long-term aftercare;
  • Prosecute their perpetrators under local laws; and
  • Transform public justice systems to protect entire communities.
For more information about IJM, please visit www.ijm.org.




Have a story of your own you'd like to share? Send it and we may just use it on our Facebook page. Let the world know what you've conspired!
Name:
(example: Knoxville Life Church)
Email Address:
City:
State/Province:
Country:
Your Story:




Who is behind [AC]?
Advent Conspiracy was started in 2006 by five pastors who decided to make Christmas a revolutionary event by encouraging their faith communities to Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All . The response was overwhelming and the Conspiracy was born. The vision for our project is a collaboration between Rick McKinley of Imago Dei Community in Portland, OR; Greg Holder from The Crossing in St. Louis, MO; and Chris Seay of Ecclesia in Houston, TX.

[AC] is a resource for churches to engage in authentic Worship and Giving at Christmas more fully- a simple idea for you to take and run with. Be creative and bless those in need by giving relationally as God gave His Son to us at Christmas.

No money comes to or through [AC]. You decide where and how you would like to Give More to those in need.

Can we get a copy of the promo video and other materials?
Everything we create is intended for pastors to use to teach [AC] and is free for download at our resources section. You can also download directly from our Vimeo page. Just click here to go there now. If you plan to edit any of our resources we only ask that you leave the [AC] logo in your materials.

Where do I send my donation?
No money comes to or through Advent Conspiracy. You decide who you are giving to and when. One option is to donate to provide clean water in developing countries. You can donate to Living Water International. Another option is International Justice Mission, an organization dedicated to the eradication of human slavery.

How can I get the videos from other years?
Check out The Work Of The People for many great videos to help communicate the Advent Conspiracy and worship during advent. You can also find all of our older videos at our previous site by clicking here.

What is the best way to do [AC] with my church/small group?
A while back many of you asked us for a resource where people can make this change together. We put together a small book and DVD that breaks down each tenet into manageable bites for both individual and group study. To pick up a copy of the book, visit Zondervan Publishing.

What is your source for the stats for spending in America and for how much it would cost to solve the water crisis?
In general the estimates stated are rounded numbers based on our studies. Both the cost for clean water and national Christmas spending cannot be predicted from year to year due to the number of variables involved in each. The numbers we have given are safe estimates based on the following sources.

Spending Stats:
The National Retail Federation, "NRF Sees Subdued Holiday Gains in 2006" September 19, 2006. [LINK]

Do you have a bulletin insert available?
This year, we encourage you to develop a bulletin insert that is unique for your church or faith community. Use the logo provided on our Resources page and any other information on our site freely. And, we always love to see what creative teams develop, so make sure to share it with us here at [AC]. Just email us your designs to info@adventconspiracy.org.

Do you have Sunday school curriculum available?
Yes! Part of this year's new materials includes a children's curriculum. Each download is categorized by one of the four [AC] tenets (Worship Fully, Give More, Spend Less, Love All).

We are an organization that is interested in partnering with Advent Conspiracy:
Because [AC] is a catalyst to help the church engage Christmas more fully and would like to be as simplistic and decentralized as possible, we have a unique view of partnership. Instead of formally partnering with specific organizations, we view each church and each individual who jumps into the Advent Conspiracy as valuable partners. We love hearing what has been successful for our co-conspirators in communities across the globe, so make sure to share your story on the Enter The Story section and let us know what you're up to.
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