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Ministry Ideas for the Season of Advent - November 2025

Thursday, November 20, 2025

Are you looking for ways to mark the season of Advent with young adults in your parish? Here are three things to keep in mind during the planning process as well as specific ideas from our partner parishes.

Focus on the spirit of the season. Advent is a busy season in the life of a parish. It's sort of ironic that the season of preparation for the Incarnation – that is, interior preparation – becomes consumed with planning more. More bible studies, more programs, more events, more service opportunities. These are all good things, but they can easily become distractions if we're not careful. As you think about planning for the season of Advent, try to incorporate moments of prayer, silence, and reflection. Try to balance the exterior preparations with the interior, making room for the arrival of Jesus in our hearts.

Look for existing opportunities. In that spirit, you don't need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to ministry with young adults! If your parish community is planning a parish-wide book study, bible study, or mission, make sure to include young adults in your preparations. If you consider their needs in the planning process – meeting times/locations, cost of participation, babysitting, topic/theme – there is no need to create an entirely separate program. Inviting and incorporating young adults into parish life (including leadership positions) enriches the experience for the entire Body of Christ. 

Sanctify the ordinary. Most of our time this Advent season will be spent in the ordinary events of life. This is an opportunity to connect the Eucharistic sacrifice and meal – the source and summit of our faith – with the daily life of young adults. There are countless ways to do this, such as: making sure young adults have an Advent wreath in their home, encouraging the Liturgy of the Hours and the daily Scripture readings, creating an Advent music playlist for their work commute or errand-running, expanding Adoration and Confession times so they can have access before and after work and school hours, and encouraging young adults to make time each day for prayer, silence, and time with the Lord. 

Young adults are in a season of transition and discovery. They are building habits and establishing a foundation for who they will become. They don't all have traditions passed down by their family – many young adults don't come from a Catholic or even a religious background. Our liturgical calendar – especially seasons like Advent – are filled with opportunities to connect young adults to the traditions and practices of the Church. So I encourage you to look out for those moments. Plan for those moments. Share stories and traditions from your own life. Ask about theirs.

This Advent season, open your heart to encountering Christ in the people around you. If you need any practical ideas for ministry, please check out the suggestions below from our partner parishes!

 

Ideas from our partner parishes:
 

Prayer

  • Advent Retreat
  • Las Posadas
  • Encourage parishioners to attend an extra Mass during the week
  • Pray Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer as a community
  • An evening of Adoration with contemplative music

one-time Events

  • Free babysitting so parents can go Christmas shopping
  • Christmas caroling at a local nursing home
  • Theology on Tap – various topics associated with Advent
  • Parish Advent Mission
  • Advent wreath-making demonstration

Small Group Gatherings

  • Weekly Young Adult Group – Advent with the Saints
  • Weekly Bible Study – reflecting on the upcoming weekend’s readings
  • Advent Teaching Series

Service and Almsgiving

  • Advent Giving Tree – shopping can be done as a group event for additional community building!
  • Check local service opportunities in your community

 
Socials

  • Ugly sweater party with gift exchange
  • Christmas potluck at the rectory
  • Epiphany party to kick off the new year

 
Other

  • Daily reflections written by members of the community
  • Reading one chapter of the Gospel of Luke each day – the story of salvation!

 
Links for Suggested Programs and Books