Innovative Ways to Encourage Learning

PEOPLE, LOOK EAST

A comprehensive church-wide Bible study and worship experience that draws it’s theme from a Christmas carol. Involves children, youth and adults.

Resources by John Hendrix, Susan Meadors and David Miller

Imagine the excitement of coordinating every aspect of a church’s life around one theme during the Advent season. Older children, youth and adults study coordinated Sunday School lessons. The Sunday morning worship experience continues the theme. Intergenerational activities further unpack the theme on Wednesday evenings.

“People, Look East” offers this sort of comprehensive church-wide experience for a church. The emphasis draws from a wonderful old Christmas carol, “People, Look East”. Here’s the first of verse from this carol:
People, look east.
The time is near of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able.
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east: Love the guest is on the way.

Other verses play out other aspects of the season, each ending with a new variation:
Love the rose is on the way.
Love the bird is on the way.
Love the star is on the way.

Each Sunday, the theme is drawn from a verse in this carol. Sunday school lessons offer a Bible study for older children, youth and adults. Fully developed worship outlines are provided, complete with prayers, litanies, children’s sermons, and even the sermon for each Sunday. Then, on Wednesday or Sunday nights, instructions for a intergenerational Bible studies and gatherings are offered.

“People, Look East” is a warm and wonderful way to draw your congregation together during this meaningful season.

Materials Included:
All materials for "People, Look East" are included in a single book: Celebrate Advent: Worship and Educational Resources, by John Hendrix, Susan Meadors and David Miller.
1. 4 fully developed worship outlines, including prayers and litanies
2. 4 children’s sermons
3. 4 sermons
4. 4 Sunday School lessons for older children
5. 4 Sunday School lessons for youth
6. 4 Sunday School lessons for adults
7. 4 Plans for intergenerational gatherings & studies

Order print copies of the book, Celebrate Advent
(bulk discounts are available. Call 800-747-3016 for details).

Download a digital copy (PDF) of the book, Celebrate Advent

Helpful Tips:
• Successfully implementing this emphasis will require coordination and cooperation from worship leadership and educational leadership in your church. Plan a meeting with these leaders to build commitment and excitement for the emphasis. Gather Sunday School teachers and gain their investment in the program.
• Begin promoting the emphasis in early November. Help build anticipation from your congregation about a special church-wide emphasis coming for the Advent season.
• If your church does not traditionally observe the Advent season, promote the emphasis as a 4 week Christmas event.
• We strongly encourage your church to try the intergenerational experiences. These casual gatherings (great for Wednesday nights) group children, youth and adults together in small groups (this can be done in a fellowship hall or similar space). The interaction and care between generations creates a unique learning environment, and can be one of the highlights of the emphasis. Have fun with it!
• While the book, "Celebrate Advent" provides a pre-written component for virtually every aspect of the emphasis, feel free to adjust or re-create any portion of the materials to help them better fit your needs, schedule and setting.
• Your church may not be familiar with the carol "People, Look East". Have your sanctuary choir learn the carol and then teach it to your congregation on the first Sunday of the emphasis.
• The carol is provided in the book "Celebrate Advent". It may be covered with your church’s CCLI license. If not, request permission to copy the hymn from Oxford University Press.
• The book, Celebrate Advent, which contains the teaching materials for the various age groups, is copyrighted. The most affordable way to obtain copies is to download digital copies of the book from NextSunday.com. Each download is only $5.99, and gives you the ability to print one teaching guide (4 sessions) for each of the age groups. Calculate the number of teachers you have from older children (grades 4-6) through adults, and then purchase the appropriate number of downloads from NextSunday.com. The direct link is: http://www.nextsunday.com/nextsunday/web-content/ bookstudy/bk_celadvdp.html