Advent begins Sunday, November 29, 2026, the start of Lectionary Year B (the Gospel of Mark). Start here, by who is using it.
Advent Calendar and Readings (Year B)
Sunday readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, with a short summary of each.
Sunday, Nov 29: Advent 1, Keep watch Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37 God’s people cry out for God to come and set things right. Jesus tells his followers to stay awake, because no one knows when God will arrive.
Sunday, Dec 6: Advent 2, Prepare the way Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8 Isaiah promises comfort and a voice crying in the wilderness. John the Baptist, who opens Mark’s Gospel, calls people to turn back to God. Dec 6 is also St. Nicholas Day.
Sunday, Dec 13: Advent 3, Rejoice Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126 or Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28 Isaiah announces good news to the poor and brokenhearted. Paul says to rejoice and pray always. John the Baptist says he is not the light, but he points to it.
Sunday, Dec 20: Advent 4, Say yes 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38 God promises David a lasting royal family. The angel Gabriel tells Mary she will bear Jesus, and Mary agrees. Her song of praise (Luke 1:46b-55) is the Magnificat.
Thursday, Dec 24: Christmas Eve Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14, (15-20) People who walked in darkness see a great light. Angels tell shepherds that a Savior is born.
Readings from the Vanderbilt Revised Common Lectionary Library. “Or” marks alternate readings and parentheses mark optional verses. The summaries are brief, not commentary.
Advent Resources for Children & Youth
Christian Education Directors and Sunday School Teachers
Lesson ideas, curriculum picks, and hands-on projects.
Building Faith (Virginia Theological Seminary): Advent lesson ideas, calendars, and curriculum picks for children, youth, and intergenerational groups.
Advent Books and Resources from Forward Movement: a curated list of devotionals and calendars.
Episcopal Relief & Development Advent Toolkit: DIY Advent wreath and creche, weekly prayers, and Gifts for Life alternative gift ideas.
An Illustrated Advent for Families: new each year, with devotions, coloring pages, and a family activity (low-cost download).
Godly Play Foundation: Advent stories: the four-part Advent story (prophets, Holy Family, shepherds, Magi) plus at-home materials.
Advent & Christmas Resources from Church Publishing: children’s activity books and downloadable materials, curated by Building Faith.
New and Recent Formation Resources for Advent: Building Faith’s list of kits, books, and curricula for all ages.
What We Do in Advent (Anne Kitch): an Anglican activity book for ages 4 to 7 with mazes, puzzles, and a wreath project.
Parents and Guardians at Home
Simple practices for the kitchen table.
Episcopal Relief & Development Advent: light a candle, pray, and build a wreath or creche together.
AdventWord: one word each day from the Sunday readings, sent by email.
An Illustrated Advent for Families: weekly devotions, coloring, and an Advent wreath.
Illustrated Ministry family activities: Advent calendar, ornaments, and nativity crafts.
Godly Play at home: story materials families can use at the kitchen table.
What We Do in Advent: an activity book for ages 4 to 7.
Arts, Crafts, and Hands-on Activities
For classrooms, children’s chapel, and the kitchen table.
Jesse Tree: add one ornament to a branch each day. The Diocese of St. Petersburg offers 25 free printable ornaments with Scripture verses (a Catholic source).
Advent chain, activity jar, and Name of Jesus chain: see these family craft ideas from the Archdiocese of Saint Boniface (a Catholic source).
Tissue-paper “stained glass” candle jars, kindness slips, and prayer stations: 10 Advent activities for children’s ministry from ChurchLeaders.
DIY Advent wreath and creche: wreaths from playdough, tissue paper, and cardboard tubes, or glass and sand, and creches from rocks, blocks, or sticks, at Episcopal Relief & Development.
Paper Advent wreath, calendar, and ornaments: Illustrated Ministry family activities.
Praying in Color Advent calendar: doodle a prayer each day, with free printables at prayingincolor.com.
Make your own Circle of the Church Year on a paper plate: St. George Anglican, Godly Play at home.
St. Nicholas Day (December 6): figures, puppets, shoes, and coloring pages from the St. Nicholas Center, plus Building Faith’s top picks.
Youth
Something for older kids and teens to do with their families.
• Advent at Home (LeaderTreks): a four-Sunday family devotional journal. One purchase covers the whole ministry.
Illustrated Ministry, LeaderTreks, ChurchLeaders, and the Catholic sources marked above are not Episcopal, so please review their content before sharing. Links checked October 15, 2026; check each site for its 2026 edition.
Advent Resources for Adults
Daily Devotionals & Print Offerings
Gospel Voices: Advent with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John: Daily devotions structured around the four distinct Gospel perspectives to guide seasonal waiting, watching, and rejoicing.
Preparing the Way / A Light Upon My Path: Previously published annual small-format booklets featuring daily scripture reflections, prayers, and prompts.
Living Well Through Advent (Living Compass)
An annual, holistic health-and-faith devotional created by Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner (Episcopal priest and founder of Living Compass). Addresses wellness across heart, soul, mind, and strength, offering print booklets alongside downloadable PDFs.
Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas
A comprehensive collection (400+ pages) featuring 40+ daily readings running from late November through Epiphany, including selections from Dorothy Day, C.S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, Oscar Romero, Madeleine L'Engle, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Printable, thoughtfully designed Advent devotionals (e.g., How Does a Weary World Rejoice?, The Art of Advent). Merges liturgical scripture with fine art and poetry from Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, and Denise Levertov. There are many resources here to choose from.
Walking Backwards to Christmas by Stephen Cottrell
Written by the Archbishop of York. Features imaginative, first-person monologues telling the Nativity story in reverse sequence, starting from Anna and Simeon in the Temple back to Isaiah.
Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) Advent Toolkit
Free daily reflections and calendars pairing seasonal scriptures with global poverty alleviation, hunger relief, and emergency disaster response efforts.
Digital Apps & Daily Prayer Practices
Reading Scripture Together
Dwelling in the Word Passages for Advent (“How to Guide”)
Week 1: The long wait and God hearing prayers (Luke 1:5–25)
Week 2: Mary’s surrender and greeting (Luke 1:26–38)
Week 3: The visit to Elizabeth and the Magnificat (Luke 1:39–56)
Week 4: The birth in Bethlehem and the song of the angels (Luke 2:1-20)
Reading the Gospel of Luke: Bishop Poulson invites everyone to join him and others from around the Diocese as we read one chapter from the Gospel of Luke each day from December 1st through December 24th.
Daily Prayer:
Venite App: A customizable Episcopal prayer app that pre-populates Morning, Evening, and Compline prayer using the 1979 BCP, complete with daily lectionary readings and seasonal collects.
Forward Day by Day: Daily meditations tied to the liturgical calendar, accessible via native mobile app, daily email, or podcast.
Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE)
The Episcopal monastic brotherhood in Cambridge, MA. Releases annual digital Advent series featuring brief daily video reflections, downloadable journaling pages, and monastic audio prayers.
Group Curriculum & Adult Formation
An interdisciplinary creative team of progressive and mainline clergy and artists producing downloadable Advent bundles (Words for the Beginning, Fleshing Out Hope) with small-group study guides, visual art posters, poetry, and sermon planning resources.
Light of the World: A Beginner's Guide to Advent by Amy-Jill Levine
Explores the biblical texts surrounding the Nativity, Old Testament prophecies, and the Jewish context of the narratives. A four-session video study guide is available for adult formation classes.
