On 1st December, the Church Mission Society Ireland (CMSI) will launch Hope Dawns, an online service of stories and carols for Advent and Christmas.
The service will include music, prayers and readings from across the Church of Ireland, as well as stories of hope from the global Church, provided by CMSI and the South American Mission Society Ireland (SAMS).
Speaking about the initiative, CMSI’s Mission Resource Manager Roger Cooke said:
“In CMSI, we have been struck by the creativity and flexibility that churches across Ireland have shown throughout 2020, as they have found new ways to stay connected and help their congregations to worship together. With such an increased reliance on virtual gatherings, we thought an online carol service would be a useful resource for churches.
“This is very much a collaborative enterprise. Over 20 individuals from across the Church of Ireland are contributing to the service, along with six choirs and a number of Global Partners. We are delighted that SAMS Ireland are joining us to host the service. CMSI and SAMS share a desire to keep the global Church on the agenda at this time and to learn from God’s people in other places, as they share hope in the midst of crises.”
‘Hope’ will be the central theme of this service, reflecting both the message of Advent and CMSI’s own annual focus: ‘Voices Of Hope’.
Hope Dawns will initially be launched as a virtual carol service, which can be viewed at 8pm on Tuesday 1st December. The videos of the full service and the individual segments will then be made available to view and download. Parishes and church groups are encouraged to make use of the material in their own settings throughout Advent.
To find out more about the Hope Dawns service, visit www.cmsireland.org/hope-dawns