Within God's story of Christmas, there is an awe-inducing, soul-satisfying mystery of the incarnation. All too often, however, our manner of celebrating the season robs us of the very things that Christ's coming brought: hope, joy, peace and love. Advent Conspiracy is about the church reorienting itself be able to tell this history-changing story to the world through its celebration. We do it as we worship fully, spend less, give more and love all. We do it by demonstrating how the arrival of a small child over 2000 years ago is truly good news to all.
Join the groundswell of Christ-followers who are choosing to make Christmas what it should be--a joyous celebration of Jesus' birth that enriches our hearts and the world around us.
Advent Season Resources
Worship Fully Through Advent
Below are some recommended resources we hope you'll check out during the advent season to learn the freedom of worshiping with abandon, giving without comparison, receiving with gratitude and loving without limits. There are resources that can be used by individuals, families or even small groups. May you find the gift of God's presence this Advent Season.
Inviting Peace (2021 Greater Portland Bible Church Advent Devotional)
How do we invite the God of Peace into every moment of the Advent season? Do we feel him near as we decorate our homes for Christmas? Do we sense his presence when we shop for gifts? Do we hear the Spirit guiding us as we bake, and craft, and celebrate this season? Sometimes in the hustle and bustle we lose sight of He Who Brings Peace. This book of prayers, written by members of the Greater Portland family, are designed to bring Christ into every moment of this holiday season, inviting him to be present, to lead, to provide, and to be glorified in all we do.
Also available in audio form to be listened to here.
The Longing (2020 Greater Portland Bible Church Advent Devotional)
This Advent devotional, written by members of the Greater Portland family, encourage us to sit with our longings for hope, joy, peace and love in our lives; to become familiar with how our hearts and souls yearn for and demand these things, to mourn the places we don't see them, and to discover how Emmanuel, God With Us, has come to bring those very things into our lives.
Family Advent Tree Devotions
Families with young children will love this advent resource! Countdown to Christmas with special ornaments you can collect from around the house or make as a craft. As you countdown, follow the kids-friendly devotions that include a scripture reading, a short lesson to go with each reading, a prayer idea, and a ornament symbol for each day.
A Pregnant Pause
An Advent Experience from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship that uses paintings, scripture, written reflections, questions, and guided prayer.
Prepare Your Heart to Worship Fully: Daily Advent Devotionals
Devotionals written by Advent Conspiracy pastors and church leaders from around the world. Our prayer is that these scriptures will help you find time to worship fully this Advent. Daily Bible readings accompany each devotional.
Advent Conspiracy: Making Christmas Meaningful (Again)
This book gives individuals, families, and churches practical help in planning the kind of Christmas that truly can change the world. Revised and updated with new stories of the impact this movement has made around the globe.
Good News of Great Joy: Daily Readings for Advent
This resource from John Piper contains 25 short devotional readings beginning December 1 and going through Christmas Day. This book of Advent meditations aims to put Jesus at the center of your holiday season.
Christmas Eve Giving
December 24 we come together under the glow of candlelight and the familiarity of the carols to remember and celebrate a Savior born to us, Emmanuel, God With Us.
We receive an offering that day that reflects our heart to devote less to the materialism of the season and instead invest in hope,
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Advent Conspiracy Giving Recipients 2023
LOCAL>Portland, Oregon
Vehicle for Spreading the Gospel
Benaissa Family, Global Partners
Portland is home to a diverse immigrant community! The Benaissa family serves North African and Middle Eastern families living in the Portland metro area. As they connect with these families, the Benaissas seek to develop deep relationships that will provide divine opportunities to share their faith! Often, these faith discussions happen in the car while driving families to English classes, running errands, or just hanging out.
Their ministry is growing! God is opening more doors to reach immigrant families. Right now, they are saving for a second car. Many cultures around the world have strict rules regarding male and female interactions. A second car will extend their ministry reach while also respecting the customs of the immigrant families they serve.
We invite you to join us in helping the Benaissa family connect with immigrant families around Portland!
REGIONAL>Pacific Northwest
Candlelighters: For Children With Cancer
Globally there are more than 300,000 children diagnosed with cancer each year. Every 3 minutes, somewhere in the world a family hears the devastating words that their child has been diagnosed with cancer. As kids undergo treatment and parents pray their kids are ok, the collective impact of the crisis on the entire family is substantial
For 45 years, Candlelighters has been dedicated to providing whole family, long term support to Pacific Northwest families with a child impacted by cancer. The support comes in many forms including emergency financial support, regular family activities such as trips to OMSI or the Zoo, in-hospital programs, bereavement support, in-hospital meals, an annual family camp, and more. These activities provide a welcome respite during the turbulent times. To date the organization has supported nearly 100,000 family members going through the crisis of childhood cancer.
A $10-$25 gift will provide snacks for a local hospital family snack pantry, purchase a stuffed animal for the bedside buddy program, or pay for a family activity at a local attraction. A $100-$599 gift would provide a scholarship to send a current cancer patient to family camp or help fund a college scholarship for a student who has suffered from cancer.
Will you come alongside these kids and their families whose world has been turned upside down due to cancer?
GLOBAL>Middle East
Medicine for Healing
Global Partners
Our Global Partners serving in the Middle East oversee a variety of development and humanitarian projects in both rural and urban settings. One of the projects they pioneered is a medical clinic. This clinic is located at a Christian church and serves the entire community around it, many of whom are Syrian refugees. The clinic meets not only the physical needs of the community, but also their spiritual needs. Patients hear the gospel and can receive prayer while meeting with doctors and nurses.
Many patients who go to the clinic need additional tests and procedures that the clinic is unable to provide—including a 23-year-old Syrian refugee mom with 8 kids who needs an Inguinal Hernia surgery, a 15-year-old boy who needs surgery to remove a cyst in his brain, a 12-year-old girl who needs a 2-year treatment for stunted growth, and a 40 year old Syrian refugee woman who needs carpal tunnel surgery so she can work.
We invite you to join us as we love these families by helping them get the medical treatment they need!
Names are withheld for the protection of our global partners serving in these areas.
GLOBAL>Catalonia, Spain
Young Life
David Heredia & Gabe Rendon, Global Partners
https://younglife.es/locations/yl-catalunya/
Did you know that in the Catalonia region of Spain, over 90% of teens have never opened a Bible? The local churches are not reaching out to youth, and many youth will become adults who have never heard about the redeeming love of Jesus. Gabe Rendon and David Heredia, GPBC Global Partners, seek to change that by organizing youth programs through high schools, in the local streets, sports activities, and a town youth center through Young Life
Young Life Spain hosts about 120 students at a summer camp and about 40 students at a winter camp. These camps provide Gabe and David opportunities to share the gospel, help students explore their faith, and pray with them. These interactions open doors to knowing Jesus, deepen the student’s relationship with God, and build connections to a faith community! Gabe and David would love for every student to attend, but many cannot afford the camps. Every year, nearly 25% of the students request financial aid or a scholarship because families are unable to pay. We have seen the fruit of these camps and want to join Gabe and David in helping the students around Spain connect to Jesus.
Will you join us as we seek to sponsor five students summer camp scholarships and five student winter camp scholarships for Catalonian youth?
**Make donations out to GPBC and designate “Advent Conspiracy” in the memo line. (Gifts may not be directed to specific projects.) Gifts may be submitted prior to the Christmas Eve offering or through mid-January. Gifts may also be made online or via our church's app anytime. Just choose "Advent Conspiracy Donation" on the drop-down menu.