Experience Advent's Anticipation - Browncroft Community Church

Experience Advent’s Anticipation

December 1, 2022

John Iamaio

When my wife and I started dating she was still in college and I had just graduated. We spent a lot of time together during the summer, but we needed to be more intentional about carving out time when the school year began. I remember feeling excited about every opportunity we had to be together. The anticipation ahead of time made those moments together even more special.

The season of Advent is an opportunity for us to create an environment of anticipation as a church. The word “advent” literally means “arrival”. And during this month we join billions of other Christians globally in remembering the arrival of Jesus into our world.

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
Isaiah 64:4

There are consistent themes across the Body of Christ during this season. As we wait alongside each other during Advent, we will be focusing on hope, joy, peace, and love. Our prayer is that you will experience the depth of these qualities in your mind, heart, and soul during this unique time of the year.

Also, as we engage in this time of preparation we remind ourselves that Jesus will come back again. The celebration we experience now is a taste of the joy that will fill our hearts that day!

Hopefully, you will sense these elements woven throughout our services each week. And you can also receive weekday Advent devotionals by text from Browncroft by clicking the button below.

Sign Up For Advent Devotional Texts

For those of you who were able to join us in person or online this past Sunday, you might remember the theme of this week is hope. The world around us is grasping for hope in a myriad of ways. In our American society we are often tempted to search for hope through a product or a program. We are bombarded with thousands of advertisements a day selling us answers for our deepest longings. However, as Christians, we believe our hope is embodied in a person and his name is Jesus.

Here is a promise from God from Isaiah 64:4, “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.”

I am looking forward to seeing how God works as we wait on him during Advent!

About The Author

John Iamaio

John Iamaio serves as Discipleship Pastor at Browncroft. Previously as Missions Director for Cru, he oversaw chapters on 40+ college campuses reaching 1.5 million students across New York. Committed to meaningful relationships and authenticity, John is passionate about investing in the next generation of leaders and helping people grow deeper in what it means to experience Jesus in their own life.

Further reading

Christmas Is for Everyone

What I love most about Christmas music is its unerring ability to put me in the true Christmas spirit. When I listen to it, particularly the biblical songs, I’m able to just be in the moment and stop stressing about everything that needs to be done by December 24th. That’s why I’m so excited that this Sunday we are having a special Scripture and Carols service to commemorate the season.

The Season of Giving

Christmas is a season of giving. We remember God’s great gift to us in the birth of Jesus our Savior. We celebrate the coming of our Lord with our family and friends, and together as a church. Whether it be in your home or neighborhood, or by participating in the meaningful events and services on campus, our prayer is that you’d express and experience the hospitality and generosity of Christ throughout this season.

See You at Christmas Jam!

If you are like me and are looking for ways that you can invite people to celebrate Christmas with you and your family, I want to encourage you to invite your friends, your neighbors, and anyone you can think of, really, to Christmas Jam here at Browncroft!