Why Set Up Daily Advent Emails for Your Parish?
Advent is a season of preparation, reflection, and anticipation as we journey toward the celebration of Christ’s birth. While many wonderful resources are available for individual reflection, sending daily Advent emails directly from your parish offers a unique opportunity to keep your community spiritually connected and engaged.
Here are just three reasons we think this is an important but often overlooked practice.
Build a Sense of Community
By providing parishioners with thoughtful reflections from their own parish, you create a shared experience that extends beyond the church walls. This can serve as a daily spiritual touchpoint, encouraging deeper reflection while fostering a sense of community. You can use the free Advent reflection content we’re offering or get creative—invite a parish volunteer or staff member to write the reflections or even share your parish priest’s homilies from a previous liturgical year that correspond with the 2024 Gospel readings. There is so much Advent content available online now, but regular, daily contact with their own parish can really help parishioners feel connected and grounded.
Deepen Spiritual Engagement
Advent is a time of reflection and preparation, but busy schedules often keep people from engaging fully. Daily emails from the parish offer a manageable way for parishioners to stay spiritually connected, providing brief reflections, prayers, or action items that help them make space for God each day of Advent. This simple practice can also spark deeper engagement, leading to the formation of Advent discussion groups.
Reinforce the Meaning of the Season
Commercial pressures often distract from Advent’s spiritual significance. Daily emails from the parish provide a gentle, consistent reminder of the season’s purpose, helping parishioners stay focused on spiritual preparation for Christmas. You might also consider encouraging a feedback loop where parishioners share what they are learning during Advent, what they are struggling with, or how the parish is helping them grow in their faith during the season. In addition to giving the parish immediate feedback, it might also inspire parishioners to take action, reach out to a homebound parishioner, or invite someone back to Mass.
Setting up your daily emails in MinistryPlatform is easy. (Check your ChMS for the steps involved; they will likely be similar.)
- Step 1: Create a New “Digital Publication”
- Step 2: Create a Verification Email
- Step 3: Add a Sign-Up Page to Your Website
- Step 4: Invite Parishioners to Sign Up
- Step 5: Send Daily Advent Reflections
Download our free, complete how-to guide here.
By following these steps, your parish can effectively engage parishioners throughout Advent, helping them grow in faith through daily reflections.
Polly King
Polly King has over 30 years in the marketing and communications field, the last 12 in Catholic publishing. As a convert to the Catholic faith, she has a deep passion for helping parishes engage and evangelize their communities. This led her to join ACS Technologies as part of their mission to serve the Church with technology and solutions that support their ministries. Polly currently resides in Indiana with her husband Bob and their 14-year-old Australian Shepherd, Riley. Her commitment to her faith and dedication to her profession make her an inspiring figure for those looking to make a positive impact in their communities.
