Advent candles

[Chris]

How does your church choose the families that will light the advent candles? In the past 50 years, I have been a member of 4 different Baptist churches. I have never been asked to light a candle during Advent. Currently, my wife does not attend the church I attend, which may be why I am not considered. Even when we did attend the same church, we were never asked. I have a feeling that the families that put the most money in the plates are the ones that are so honored. Let me know if your church has another way of picking the candle lighters. If the Youth Minister is preaching on a particular December Sunday, does a "youth" light the candle? {I dont have a problem with that, I just thought I'd mention it}.

[Haruo]

I have no input on the subject, but I reposted the question on Evergreen's FB group and will copy any responses here. (A) BL.com is not a secure site and (B) the Evergreen group is a closed group, so for two reasons direct linking is impossible.

[Rvaughn]

I can't give any input, since I've never been in any church that had advent candles. It is dismal that this might be tied to repaying big givers!

[Tim Bonney]

[Jon Estes]

I have always chosen a variety of people/persons...

- A family to do it together
- A single parent
- A senior adult (single or married)
- A military person or family

I try to choose people who are active and faithful. I have never considered the money thing because I don't know who does and who doesn't.

We don't do it here because many cultures have no idea what it is and I don't see it as a necessary to start.

TIC alert - I'm concerned someone will get mad at me for not asking them.

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: I have been in several Churches that utilize Advent Candles and have observed no pattern in the choosing who does the lighting. I believe that the pastor or other staff person responsible for worship planing makes the choices. When my youngest son was about ten years old he and I where selected to light one of the candles. At the time I was a leader in the adult singles ministry, and my son who lived with his mother, generally attended church with me.
I assume we where selected to validate the churches acceptance of single adults and their children. All elements of each worship service in that church where well reasoned. BTW, at that point in time I am quite sure I was not among those with the most money.

[Haruo]

[Chris]

Thank you,Haruo, for sharing all of these answers.

[Sandy]

I've seen it done different ways. When we belonged to a CBF congregation, they had families do it each week, and they had each family who wanted to do it put their name in a box, and each wee they drew a different one. At another church, which called its small groups and classes "Biblical communities," there was a rotation and each community selected someone to light the candles. At the school, during chapel, a student from each grade, 9-12 is selected at random each week. They're already lit when the elementary kids come in.

[Chris]

I think random is appropriate.

[Tim Bonney]

[Dave Roberts]

Where I have been involved, we seek out folks who didn't do it last year, those with a variety of situations, and a variety of ages. This year, we are using two families and two coed adult Sunday School classes that have a number of people in them who are not attached to others in a family grouping.