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2009
Theme leading into Advent series:
On location: stories of the global church
Goal: $20,000
Raised: $34,000
Project: Secured land title, built parsonage, and acquired vehicle for pastor couple in Mexico through Koenes Ministries.
Visual aid: 10x10 styrofoam church building in Winkler MB foyer
Participation: 30 people funded their own trip to Mexico
to finish off the house and hand over keys.2010
Theme leading into Advent series: Not Alone (caring for widows and orphans)
Goal: $30,000
Project: Parsonage build in another Mexican community
Surplus: donate to local Child and Family Services for “foster care kit”
Visual aid: small cross ornament made of rebar
Participation: 2 groups of 20 will each make a 10-day trip to begin work on house
“We’ve never raised that amount of money before – we more than doubled any single fundraiser,” says associate pastor for mission Terry Dueck. “It made us think about how we celebrate Christmas.”
Some church traditions observe a fast in the Advent season. In the Roman church, the Advent fast was usually kept only two days a week, and has now been reduced to the vigil for Immaculate Conception and the three days of Ember Week, after the fast of St Lucia. Eastern churches, which do not observe a liturgical season in preparation for Christmas, instead observe a three-week or 40-day fast.
In Ethiopia, where the church dates back to the fourth century, Christmas (Genna) is primarily a religious observance, untouched by commercialism. Orthodox Ethiopian Christians observe a 40-day fast (abstinence from meat and dairy products) leading up to a night of prayer, singing, and dancing on Christmas Eve, January 6.
The twelve days of Christmas referred to in the popular Christmas carol actual begin after Christmas, leading to Epiphany (sometimes called Twelfth Night).
The tradition of making an Advent wreath is sometimes attributed to Martin Luther. A ring of evergreen branches, representing the promise of eternal life, is studded with four candles, representing each Sunday of Advent. Often all red (symbolic of Christ’s blood), or all white (symbolic of Christ’s purity) candles are used. Traditionally, three candles are purple (for penance), and one pink (for coming joy).
 Quadregesima of Saint Philip begins: 40-day Advent fast of Byzantine Rite Christians St. Andrew’s Day: One of the 12 apostles, martyred on Patmos. Beginning of the Advent season St. Barbara’s Day: Third-century martyr St. Nicholas’ Day: Fourth-century archbishop of Myra Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Maternity of Holy Anna): Opens Christmas season in many Latin American countries  St. Lucia’s Day: Fourth-century martyr from Sicily St. Thomas’ Day: Apostle who brought the gospel to India |
 End of Advent, according to Western Christianity Christmas Day, according to Western Christianity Feast of the Holy Innocents (Childermas): Remembers the children slain in Bethlehem  St. Sylvester’s Day: Fourth-century pope during whose reign persecution of Christians ceased Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day Christmas Day, according to Eastern Christianity (Coptic – Egyptian, Ethiopian, Russian, etc.) Timket: Epiphany in Ethiopia |
