|PIC1| In amongst the modern buzz of the “holiday season”, it is easy to see Advent as a countdown to a lavish Christmas Day party and stop there. A new resource from ALTERnativity has been designed in response to this and is intended to help us maintain a more reflective celebration. Allowing us to carry on reflecting after Christmas Day, using it as a beginning rather than an end.

The themes running through this resource are the reactions of people to the birth of Jesus and the forgotten people in the gospels. What can we learn from their stories and the forgotten people in our society today?

These lovely boxes are made by women who are part of a co-operative, Hot Chilli Concepts, in an inner city slum community of Bangkok. The Cooperative aims to provide a fair wage and give job security to the women involved. Each box helps to restore dignity and freedom to the women who made them.

In the pages of the booklet included in the box you will find reflections for each of the 12 days of Christmas leading up to Epiphany. Each day has a symbol to aid reflection and also to act as a reminder. There are 12 hand-made tiles in the box which share these symbols.

These boxes make a wonderful gift, and the reflections can be adapted for use with Bible studies or small group meetings.

The boxes cost £10+ P&P and are available now directly from ALTERnativity.

About ALTERnativity...
Many find Christmas a stressful and busy time of year and wish for something different but don’t know where to look. ALTERnativity has ideas about getting you started. Offering materials and workshops to help you explore how to take control of your celebrations and make Advent a time of peace and joy.

There are a wide range of materials available covering worship, celebration, spiritual growth and group sessions, and they are ideal for small groups, school assemblies, church services or simply for quiet personal reflection.

For more information on how to become a member or to order resources, visit www.alternativity.org.uk or contact:
Alternativity
759A Argyle Street,
Glasgow G3 8DS
info@alternativity.org.uk
0141 221 4242