What does Advent mean?

Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning 'coming.' It is the season of preparation before Christmas, when the church remembers the coming of Christ at Bethlehem and looks forward to his promised return.

In Western churches Advent lasts about four weeks, covering the four Sundays before Christmas. Many Eastern churches instead keep a forty-day Nativity Fast leading up to the celebration of Christ's birth.

What is the Advent wreath?

A wreath holding four candles, one lit each Sunday of Advent, often with a central white candle lit on Christmas for Christ. The growing light pictures the coming of the light of the world into the darkness.

The Church Year

What Is Advent?

Advent is the season that begins the Christian year, the four Sundays of preparation before Christmas. Its name means ‘coming.’ The church watches and waits, remembering the first coming of Christ as a child and looking for his promised return. Candles on the Advent wreath are lit one by one as the light grows. Western churches keep four Sundays of Advent; many Eastern churches observe a longer Nativity Fast.

What Advent means

Advent (from the Latin adventus, ‘coming’) is a season of hopeful waiting. Over the four Sundays before Christmas, the church prepares its heart for the celebration of Jesus’ birth, and at the same time looks forward to his return. Many churches light the Advent wreath, adding one flame each week so the light steadily grows toward Christmas. The mood is quieter and more reflective than the festivities around it, a deliberate space to slow down and long for what is coming. Western churches keep four Sundays of Advent; most Orthodox churches observe a forty-day Nativity Fast in the same season.

The One who was promised

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given... and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

Matthew 24:44

Advent holds two horizons together: the child who came at Bethlehem, and the King who has promised to come again. It is a season for anyone weary of the noise who longs for something worth waiting for.

Find a service near you

Advent is a gentle season to walk back through a church door. You do not need to know anyone, dress a certain way, or have it all figured out. Use the live church finder to search real, welcoming churches near you, then reach out to one and ask about their service times. Whether you have been every week for fifty years or have never been at all, you are wanted exactly as you are.

Find a church near you What to expect if you go

Frequently asked questions

What does Advent mean?: Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning 'coming.' It is the season of preparation before Christmas, when the church remembers the coming of Christ at Bethlehem and looks forward to his promised return.
How long is Advent?: In Western churches Advent lasts about four weeks, covering the four Sundays before Christmas. Many Eastern churches instead keep a forty-day Nativity Fast leading up to the celebration of Christ's birth.
What is the Advent wreath?: A wreath holding four candles, one lit each Sunday of Advent, often with a central white candle lit on Christmas for Christ. The growing light pictures the coming of the light of the world into the darkness.

✝

Come and see

Behind every one of these days is a Person, not a performance. The living Christ is not an argument to be won but someone to be met, and he still draws near to everyone who comes to him with an open heart. You do not have to believe everything first. You are welcome to come with your questions, your grief, and your doubts, and simply see. The Gospel of John is a gentle place to begin, and it costs you nothing but a little quiet and an honest look.

Read the Gospel of John Come and See Ask for prayer

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Explore furtherAdvent services Christmas Eve services The birth of Jesus The church year Find a church