Advent 2006

We took a special Advent offering on December 17 and 24 that will go towards several global and local initiatives. Together we raised over $100,000! Half of that offering will go towards global initiatives, and the other half will go towards local initiatives. Our hope was to be able to tangibly bless others by giving ourselves away and we are doing that!

Please read below for all the Advent 2006 details.

The Vision for this Advent:

Herod’s Kingdom (the culture in which Christ literally showed up) was once driven by the values of mass wealth, power of military force, greed, and personal gain. Christ enters this culture through poverty, weakness, dependency, and sacrifice. This is the biblical picture of Advent.

How does our current celebration of Christmas reflect this incarnation? That is, does our experience of the Advent season match the biblical values of the gospel? What would our Advent season look like this year if we intentionally chose to be a prophetic voice in our culture? How can we model the Advent story prophetically to our culture by the way we live and by what we choose to value? Can we actually celebrate Advent in a meaningful way that points to the story, that points to Jesus? These are the things we want to explore this Advent season as a community. Here are the themes we see in the advent of Christ that we would like to pursue as a congregation:

  • God became poor so that we could be rich.
    What are the social implications of this for us? How can we choose not to waste what we have but give it away in ways that meet significant needs of those around us? Can our gift giving feed hunger instead of greed?
  • God gave himself relationally.
    First and foremost we desire to give gifts to each other this season that are relationally driven. We desire to learn what it means to give of ourselves and not just give stuff. We will be resourcing you with many ideas on how to approach this.
  • When Jesus showed up, people worshipped him.
    What would it look like if Jesus was actually the focus of Advent? Can we respond like the shepherds and Magi, who celebrated the first Advent by praising God and worshipping the Son?
  • When we receive, we receive Jesus, not stuff.
    If Jesus became poor that we may be rich, are we truly receiving the riches that he has given us? Are we receiving Him? How do we as a community ultimately embrace Jesus this Advent season and not be distracted by all the hype around us?

Taizé Services

The Taizé evening services are a way of creating space to meet with Christ through silence, meditative singing and prayer. Services will be held at the Evangel Baptist Sanctuary (2830 NE Flanders) and will begin at 6 p.m. and end at 7 p.m. The Advent lecture will begin at 7:15 p.m. and run 25 - 30 minutes followed by a question and answer time.

Dates and lecture/lecturer are as follows:
November 26: Lecture presented by John MacMurray
December 3: Paper presented by Dr. Paul Metzger “Turning Tables at the Stone Table”
December 10 and 17: Click here for lecture(r) and details

Click here for lecture/lecturer’s biography, title, and thesis information available on the web.

Christmas Eve Services

On December 24 we will have a 9 & 11 a.m. service centering on the Christ story. We will be specifically looking at what it means to “receive” God’s ultimate gift to us, his Son. Kids 4 years old and up will be in the service with us! Imago Dei Kids will be available for 0 - 3 year olds. There will not be an evening service. FF

Advent Offering

As we learn to give relationally, personally, and not simply materialistically, we want to take the money we save and redistribute it to help those who are truly in need. On December 17 we are going to collect a special offering for both global and local initiatives that will go to help many people in significant ways. We sincerely hope to be able to tangibly bless others by giving ourselves away. If you would like to send in a check for this special offering, please put “Advent 2006” in the memo and send it to PO Box 14429, Portland, 97293.

Local Initiatives

Gift Shopping & Wrapping

This is a great way for individuals and families to get involved! We are looking for volunteers to go shopping to get gifts for the families from Binnsmead, as well as the people that Imago Dei serves through our Missional Communities. After the offering is taken on December 17, there will be a lot of shopping and wrapping to do, so please contact Summer Miller () if you would like to help with this. This will take place December 19 through 21 beginning each evening at 6:30 p.m. at the Evangel library (2830 NE Flanders). As in years past there will be tables in the main hall at Franklin for you to get gift tags to buy gifts for specific people. If you would like to help distribute gifts that week please contact Summer Miller. FF

Binnsmead Middle School
Cost: $10,000 +

Project Overview & Impact: Binnsmead Middle School in SE Portland is a hub for many families going without; without utilities, permanent housing, simple food staples, or adequate clothing for their school aged kids. This Christmas Imago Dei Community will address the demoralizing impact of poverty in our community by providing food staples, clothing and household items for 80 of Binnsmead’s neediest families. FF

FF: family friendly

Imago Dei Community Relations
Cost: $6000

Project Overview & Impact: From homeless adults and teens, to children with serious medical conditions, to refugees in SE apartments, to the forgotten elderly down the street, to young prostitutes along 82nd, Imago Dei Community serves many people in Portland. This Christmas we will once again show we care by providing gifts particularly to people we have ongoing authentic relationships with through these ministries.

Global Initiatives

Organization: ServLife
Region: Asia
Cost: No limit

Project Overview & Impact: Whether it’s five pigs, twenty chickens, a gas motor, fishing nets, or a sewing machine, billions on our planet cannot access loans for small business start up costs. This Christmas Imago Dei Community will engage the vicious cycles of hunger and poverty by providing micro-enterprise loans to a number of families and communities in Asia through the ServLife Hope Fund. For more information on how it works visit www.servlife.org/wp/index.php/what-we-do/community-development.

Organization: World Vision
Region: Various
Cost: $5390 per well

Project Overview & Impact: In many countries, a well just 60 feet deep can bring new health and life to a community of 150 people. This Christmas Imago Dei Community will partner with World Vision to dig wells in a number of communities around the world that will each be capable of providing more than 600 gallons of safe water a day for drinking, bathing, irrigating crops, and nourishing livestock. For more information visit www.worldvision.org.

Organization: World Vision
Region: South America
Cost: $360 per Alpaca

Project Overview & Impact: This Christmas Imago Dei Community will impact the lives of a number of South American families and communities by providing community sustainability through the gift of easy-care alpacas. With a lifespan of up to 25 years, alpacas are hardy animals. Their soft, highly prized wool — up to 12 pounds a year per animal — fetches high prices and can be woven into essential clothing and household items like blankets and rugs. Plus, they help combat deforestation and aggressive farming techniques that have caused erosion and threatened community water supplies. While grazing, these gentle animals "mow" grass rather than uprooting it, and their soft, padded feet protect pastures rather than trampling them. For more information visit www.worldvision.org.

Organization: Lahash
Region: Africa
Cost: $1800 to sustain the program through Christmas 2007, $1000 for a micro-enterprise loan that will provide sustained income for the women in the program

Overview & Impact: This Christmas Imago Dei Community will partner with Lahash and the Silas Christian Foundation to support Renew – a sex worker recovery program in Africa. Renew is currently helping a number of former sex workers recover from the trauma of the prostitution industry by providing physical, emotional and spiritual rehabilitation as well as financial stability through education and micro-enterprise loans. For more information visit www.lahash.net/renew/index.html.

Advent “DIY” Workshops

Come learn to make your own gifts! We'll be having a Christmas gift "Do-it-yourself" (DIY) training day with experts from local Portland organizations and our community leading mini-workshops on some killer gifts you can make yourself or as a family. It will be fun, family friendly, and hands-on. Join us on Saturday, December 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hinson Annex (1315 SE 20th). FF

Student Ministries

Please mark the evening of Wednesday December 20 on your family's calendar as all Junior High & Senior High students are invited to bring their entire family to the "Gift Shopping & Wrapping" night joining Imago Dei's Advent season through giving to local ministries. We are encouraging students to attend the Taizé Services & “DIY” Workshop with your family and experience the Advent season together.

Together as Family

Here are some activities that are available to you and your family. Imago Dei Kid’s is taking a look at three different areas that are sometimes overlooked during the busy season. They are anticipation, preparation, and rejoicing in the fact that God is with us. Take a look at what is being offered to assist you in raising your child in a way that emphasizes the importance of Christ’s birth in creative ways that you all will enjoy!

Sunday Learning Labs (K-5th):

  • Anticipation (December 3): Kids will be invited to join in the service with their family until after the 1st set of worship (you can check your kids in ahead of time, leaders will be waiting to gather kids when they are dismissed). Kids will be part of the candle lighting ceremony as we welcome in Advent as a body. Imago Dei Kids is having a couple of women who are expecting a child to come and share about anticipating their baby. The 4th – 5th classes will be creating fake newspaper articles talking about exciting news dealing with Christ’s birth which will be displayed Christmas Eve to the Imago Dei community.
  • Preparation (December 10): Artists from the Imago Dei community will come and lead workshops where your kids will make creative gifts (homemade cards, clay sculptures, Christmas cookies, printing and environmental projects) as well as learn how to adequately prepare for Christ.
  • Rejoicing/God With Us (December 17): Kids will draw or write to answer the question, “what gift would I give to Jesus?” This will be a time of food, games, and music for everyone!

Sunday Early Childhood:

The 2 and 3 year olds will cover themes relating to Christ’s birth and do some special art projects to bring home. The 4 and 5 year olds will spend 6 weeks on stories from the New Testament regarding advent and Christ’s birth. Look forward to what they bring home and check out the parent handout that is sent home for ideas about how to talk with your child about Christmas.

Advent Ideas:

The Advent prayer calendar is a great way to introduce the Christmas season to your family as well as something you all can do together. You can check it out at http://www.adventdevotions.net/downloads/English/english_color_allweeks.pdf. There are lots of ideas on this site.