Sunday 30 November 2025
Advent and Christmas Resources
Join ‘Gifted’ with resources to support your worship, welcome, and witness.
First Sunday of Advent
Featured hymn
Lighting of Advent candles
Useful hymns (using verses as appropriate).
- Advent candles tell their story (StF 165)
- ‘Christmas is coming!’ The Church is glad to sing (StF 166)
- God whose almighty word (StF 106)
- Light a candle in a darkened place (StF 174)
- Light of the world, you stepped down in darkness (StF 175)
- Light we now our candle’s flame
- Like a candle flame, flickering small in our darkness (StF 176)
- Longing for light, we wait in darkness (“Christ, be our light!”) (StF 706)
- Round orange, round orange (StF 184) a Christingle carol
Also see Advent hymns in the hymns section of the resource hub
Isaiah 2:1‑5
- Advent candles tell their story (StF 165)
- Come, thou long-expected Jesus (StF 169)
- Down the mountain the river flows (StF 377)
- Longing for light, we wait in darkness (StF 706)
- O God of hope, your prophets spoke (StF 708)
- Sing we the King who is coming to reign (StF 185)
- The days are surely coming (Website only)
- There’s a light upon the mountains (StF 188)
- We wait in hope for hope to come (Website only)
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11‑14
- And I will wait now (Website only)
- Darkness like a shroud (StF 170)
- Dear Lord and Father of mankind (StF 495)
- First of the week and finest day (StF 149)
Matthew 24:36‑44
- Advent candles tell their story (StF 165)
- And I will wait now (Website only)
- Blest are the pure in heart (StF 244)
- Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go (StF 550)
- Hark the glad sound! (StF 171)
- Light a candle in a darkened place (StF 174)
- Stay with me, remain here with me (StF 780)
- The days are surely coming (Website only)
- Up to your table Lord (StF 599)
- We pray until the hour (StF 741)
A prayer that Christ be the Light of the World in our time
Creative and radiant God,
your strong and sure light
is never overcome by darkness.
May it be so in this our time.
Jesus Christ, the Light of the World,
in your mercy and grace
you surprisingly said to us,
“You are the light of the world.”
May it be so in this our time.
Spirit of light and love,
kindle in us fresh urgency
to love and serve the human family,
to be amazed by creation and to care for it well,
to pursue justice and offer mercy,
to rejoice in receiving and sharing grace.
In confidence and hope, we pray. Amen.
Hope Morgan Ward, UMC Council of Bishops
A prayer that our faith may ever increase - Alternative Prayer
Let our faith in you, O Lord, be ever stronger, our life with you ever deeper, our praying ever more awake to your glory, our hold on you ever firmer and our love for you ever increasing. Amen
William Bramwell, Methodist itinerant preacher (1759-1818)
Sunday 30 November 2025
"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." (v. 44)