The Advent Conspiracy

Happy New Year!I’ve been so moved and overwhelmed by the amazing stories that have been coming in over the past couple of weeks, getting choked up at every one as I read of God’s work in the hearts of so many who have so generously given relationally this Christmas.  So far, I’ve only heard from around 30 churches, but with just that small number already over $1.2 million have been redistributed to clean water, global concerns and local initiatives.  We are blown away with the reports so far and are praising God that this will help make a difference in so many lives around the world and that by just telling our story at Christmas we can make such a huge difference for so many.If you haven’t reported yet, please do so!  I’m getting ready to start calling ya if you signed up, which means I will be making about 700 phone calls!  Help me out and let me know how your project went, we can’t wait to hear about it!Report Here! 

If you have a chance, read every single one of these blog posts, representing churches from all over the country, all with incredible stories of how God used the Advent Conspiracy project in their lives this year.   

We received an update from our friends at Living Water with more beautiful stories of new wells built with money given at Christmas last year. I’d encourage you to read these stories and get a glimpse into the life changing gift of clean water.

Here is what Stan Patyrak from Living Water had to say about this year-

THIS ADVENT

Most of you have heard about the Mount Barklay area of Liberia. Each photo/film of “need” that has come from Liberia is from Mount Barklay. We desperately want to give this entire region a break. There are at least 28 villages and a clinic in desperate need of wells. In addition, we have the ability to build latrines in this area.

LWI has also recently received a $250,000 matching grant for 350 well rehabilitations in Liberia. We are looking for a match and we are excited for what this will mean for so many communities in Liberia. Liberia has just entered the dry season, the best time to implement this work. During the dry season streams, ponds, swamps, hand dug wells, etc dry up. This makes bad water even worse, travel distances for water longer…

I can not thank each of you enough. The excitement throughout our organization in what we see God doing with and thru Advent Conspiracy is very real. It is truly beautiful and I am thankful – as are our thirsty friends throughout the world.

by Jeanne McKinley

About a year ago I woke up to a strange hum. I was disoriented by it at first, didn’t even know what the sound was, so I got up, looked out the window and saw a steady line of cars driving down the hill.
What in the world?
Are they evacuating the neighborhood and nobody told us?
I looked at the clock, it was 4:45am, then it hit me – it was the day after Thanksgiving.
Black Friday.
I remember being blown away by the fact that my entire neighborhood was on their way to be the first ones out for the store buster prices, free socks or scarves or whatever other item the store would be dangling to bring us in, and then I had a moment of panic,
“Oh no, I’m going to miss it!”
I was missing the sales that would help me save money on Christmas presents!!
And then I remembered…
I had done that before, joined in the throng, jumped in the fray of craziness at 5am, I thought I had been missing something by not being a part of the American ritual of day after Thanksgiving sales. I realized, as I was standing in a line that wrapped around to the middle of the store that I had fallen for it, the idea that I needed to buy these socks at a great discount and that my family would be really excited about these fleece coats that were the “hottest thing” - though I wasn’t saving money because I had grabbed about 7 other things not on my list, but that I just Had to have.

I’ve been thinking about resistance today, the idea that this is my chance, as the holiday shopping season heats up, to resist. It’s not easy. Resistance is a word that you feel, as I choose to not buy fun looking, sparkly junk that will put a momentary gleam in my children’s eyes or make my house look pretty, I can feel that at times. As I choose to create things that will be meaningful and relational but will take effort and my time and frustration when it’s not looking like I wanted it to, I feel that.

Here’s something else- I admit it-maybe it’s a girl thing but I love to shop. I love to spend money and buy things and I love to buy other people things and there’s more- I love to find the Perfect gift for someone, the thing they will absolutely LOVE. I love that feeling of “AH HA!” this is IT, and I’m going to be awarded the giver of the year award because I found THE present that will bring the most joy and happiness to that person, the gift that shows I know them best and have found the thing that resonates with them perfectly. The gift that they’ll tell their friends about, “Jeanne got me that!”

Not pretty is it?

I can justify that feeling with the fact that I want to show my loved ones how much I love them by finding that perfect present but there’s something I’m getting out of it as well, strokes, appreciation, people pleased with me.
No, not real pretty.

These are some things that God is redeeming in my heart this year as I refocus and rethink Jesus’ birthday.  The way I’m going to buy gifts and the way I’m going to give gifts. To give of myself as Christ gave to me. To hold my friend’s and family’s faces in my hands, look deep into their eyes and tell them how much I love them.  And most of all to worship Christ in a beautiful, uncluttered way and to be free to love Him with all of me.

It’s different, it’s transformational and it feels really good.

Friday when I wake up to the hum of traffic, I’m going to roll over, pull the blankets tighter and cuddle with my hubby and I’m going to resist.

Resistance doesn’t sound so bad after all does it?

The 2007 [AC] Advent Conspiracy brochure is ready!

Thanks to the work of some very talented designers, we’ve put together three versions for you, your friends, and your communities: a full-color CD-sized booklet, an 8.5 x 11″ flyer, the same flyer printed on half sheets.

If you work for a church or other ministry and would like to customize the brochure, e-mail us and we’ll send you the source files (Adobe InDesign required).

Get yours.

Feel free to use this as a launching pad to create your own ideas, share it with your friends and family and comment on it to share your ideas with us!!

Spending Time Together:
Here’s some creative ways to give the gift of spending time together during the holidays.
Prepare a feast with a meal, candles and ambiance music
Buy your child a baseball bat for a trip to the batting cages together
Wrap a pound of local coffee or a tin of favorite tea with a date to get together with a close friend
Nutcracker Suite ballet tickets for a trip with another child
Wrap popcorn and a classic DVD for a movie night with a friend
Host Monday night football and make some homemade pizzas
Wrap 2 copies of a classic book (check out Powell’s) to read with a friend
Hot cocoa, bundling up, & walking through the Christmas lit streets in town Read the rest of this entry »