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Tags: Seasons   Liturgy

Seasons of the Church

The liturgical year of the church provides us with a framework for an editorial calendar for our websites and other online channels (Facebook Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media platforms). As you approach each season, look at your website with the lens of the season - what story are you telling? What do you want them to know? How do you want them to feel? What do you want them to do?

Advent

Advent marks the beginning of the church year, starting 4 Sundays before Christmas Day (December 25). The word 'advent' is literally 'to come'.  Advent calendars, Advent wreathes and Advent devotionals are common practices and traditions of this season. What do people outside the church know about Advent? If anything, they may have encountered some version of an Advent calendar. We experience it as something different - does your website and posts lead others through that experience?

Christmas

Christmas, like Easter, is both a day and a season of the church year. As families come together, many come to church that don't attend regularly. Others come because they miss gathering with family and the hope that Christmas brings. Be a light shining in the darkness of winter, both online and offline. Christmas is no longer just a celebration in the Church. Your website, social media posts, and services have a lot to compete with. If we're paying attention, we're just starting Christmas when everyone else is getting over it.

Epiphany

Epiphany follows Christmas and celebrates the revelation of Christ as God. The arrival of the Magi (the 3 Kings) is one of those revelations.

Lent

Lent is the 40-day period (excluding Sundays) prior to Easter Sunday. During this season of the church, Christians follow a variety of disciplines - fasting, prayer, reflection and penance. 

Easter

Easter Sunday is one of the most-attended worship weekends of the year, Christmas being the other. This has given rise to the "CEO Christian" label - Christmas and Easter, only. Easter is not just a Sunday, but also a season of the Church. In fact, every Sunday is an observance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Pentecost

The longest season of the church year - often referred to as 'Ordinary Time', covers the time between the end of the Easter season and the beginning of the next church year on the 1st Sunday of Advent.

Last modified on 2023/12/7 by Steve