There's no such thing as "Advent" in the Bible, and there certainly isn't anything about lighting different colored candles. Yet the four weeks of waiting for Christ's coming are more than just made-up ways to get excited for Christmas. Because young people have such busy lives, it's often difficult to show them that there is a time to be busy and a time to be still.

This one-session study explores how Advent functions as a time of waiting not just for Christmas, but for the healing of our world. As a time of waiting, Advent can be a time for youth to reflect and reorder their lives. Yet waiting is more than just sitting around. Active waiting is a way of seeking God's shalom through actions as well as words. The Leader's Guide for this study offers multiple opportunities for dialogue, meditation, and Bible exploration.