Blueprints for Advent and Christmas
Dynamic Sketches, Scenes, and Scripts for the Season
Arley K. Fadness

Using the timeless scene of the Bethlehem stable as a visualbackdrop, Blueprints for Advent and Christmas provides dynamic resources for creating a memorable andinspiring worship experience that will be remembered for years to come. Thereare detailed instructions for replicating the nativity setting, includingblueprints showing exact specifications for constructing scenery — enablingparish craftsmen and artists to use their gifts for a unique public witness.The scene is completed with a live tableau of actors.

In addition to the stable backdrop, Blueprints for Advent and Christmasoffers a smorgasbord of scenes, activities, and tools that promise to engagethe visual and dramatic imaginations of youth and adults. One set of resources,titled Advent Songs for the Season,is comprised of Advent sketches and homilies that promise toattract and inspire worshipers. The four themes are:

• When Israel Sang the Blues
• When Maiden Mary Sang the Magnificat
• When Teddy Roosevelt Sang Bass
• When The Angels and All Creation Sang Gloria in Excelsis

In addition, sets of Advent mini-dramas designed for use withlectionary cycles A and B are also included.

Arley K. Fadness is a retired ELCA pastor who has served numerous Lutheran parishes in SouthDakota and Minnesota. He is currently a member of Custer Lutheran Fellowship inthe beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. Pastor Fadness is a congregationalconsultant who coaches churches in visioning processes, and he also conductsleadership retreats and workshops on "Finding Your True Flair." A graduate of Augustana College, Luther Theological Seminary, and McCormick Theological Seminary, Fadness is theauthor of several CSS titles, including Blueprintsfor Lent, Six Spiritual Needs in America Today, Holy Moses, Hey Joseph!, and Where's Noah? He is also a contributing author to Sermons on the First Readings (Series I,Cycle A).