1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

Church Advent Pack
Welcome to Traidcraft’s church Advent pack. This pack is
designed to help you focus on the meaning of Advent
and think about the people Traidcraft works with around
the world. Each week of Advent has a different theme
and a particular global focus, along with Advent actions
for every day leading up to Christmas. You can use this
material as a basis for church services or for smaller
housegroups and prayer groups. There are also
ideas for activities and events for adults and
children.
Don’t forget to download the accompanying
PowerPoint from www.traidcraft.co.uk/advent
Contents
• About Traidcraft
• What is Advent?
Week 1 – Hope.
World focus: South Asia
• Biblical meditation on hope
• Coffee farming in India: Dhanurjay
Pujan’s story
Week 4 – Joy.
World focus: South East Asia
• Biblical meditation on joy
• Crafts in Cambodia - Thik and Se’s story
• Prayer for South East Asia
• Advent actions 21st – 24th Dec
Christmas Day
Traidcraft around the world
• Prayer for South Asia
• Biblical meditation
• Advent actions 1st – 6th Dec
• Handicrafts in Vietnam: Phuong’s story
Week 2 – Peace.
• Prayer
• Biblical meditation on peace
• Make your own crackers
• Wine production in Chile: Paulo
Alvarado’s story
• Christingles
• Prayer for South America
• Global Christmas quiz
• Advent actions 7th – 13th Dec
Children’s activities
World focus: South America
Christmas activities
• Carol Singing
Week 3 – Love.
• Sunday school nativity
World focus: Africa
• Christmas chocolate parcels
• Biblical meditation on love
• Christmas treasure hunt
• Prayer for Africa
Weblinks and contacts
• Beekeeping in Tanzania – Jabiri’s story
• Advent actions 14th – 20th Dec
Advent Calendar
Look out for these boxes giving you 24
ways to put your faith into action in the
run up to Christmas!
Page 1
www.traidcraft.co.uk
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
About Traidcraft
Traidcraft was established
in 1979 as a Christian
response to poverty.
Our mission is to fight
poverty through trade,
practising and promoting
approaches to trade
that help poor people
in developing countries
transform their lives.
Photo: Richard Else
Traidcraft is the UK’s leading fair trade organisation and is made
up of a trading company (Traidcraft plc) and an international
development charity (Traidcraft Exchange). This unique
structure gives us many opportunities to influence opinion and
behaviour in the charitable, private and public sectors.
Traidcraft plc offers the UK’s widest
range of fair trade food, craft and textile
products from more than 100 producer
groups in over 30 countries.
As well as selling to shops and online,
over 6000 people generously support
our work by making Traidcraft products
available in their churches, schools and
workplaces.
We are committed to long-term
relationships and support our suppliers
to develop strong businesses. By
purchasing fair trade items from
Traidcraft you are helping to fight
poverty through trade.
Traidcraft Exchange is the UK’s only
development charity specialising in
making trade work for the poor.
Traidcraft Exchange implements
development projects in Africa and Asia
to help poor producers improve their
livelihoods, offering the hope of a better
future for them, their families and their
communities.
We also campaign for trade justice,
lobby governments and work with
businesses to deliver policies that ensure
a better deal for the world’s poor.
This work is made possible through the
generous support of individuals, groups
and organisations. It is not funded by the
activities of Traidcraft plc.
Together Traidcraft plc and Traidcraft Exchange share a vision
of a world freed from the scandal of poverty.
Page 2
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
What is Advent?
The word Advent is Latin for ‘coming’ or
‘arrival’. Advent is about celebrating the
‘coming’ of God in Christ that allows all
creation to be reconciled to him. In Advent
we celebrate the first coming of Jesus Christ
at his birth, celebrate Christ’s presence
among us today through the Spirit and
prepare for his second coming when he will
establish his Kingdom here on earth.
Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ
In Advent we look back to the experience of
the Jews as they waited for the coming of
the Messiah who would forgive their sins and
restore their nation. We therefore prepare
ourselves to celebrate the good news of
Christmas - the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, who came into the world so that our
sins might be forgiven.
Celebrating God’s presence here with us
We also recognise God’s presence with
us today through his Spirit. God did not
choose a ‘quick fix’ answer to our salvation.
Rather, he chose to come into the world as
we all do, as a baby and live a life with all its
challenges and temptations. Because of this
he understands what it means to be human
- from birth to death and beyond. At Advent
we recognise that God is with us in our daily
lives, through the working of the Spirit and
through his Word; redeeming and restoring
the past, present and future, whatever they
hold.
continued on next page...
Page 3
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
What is Advent? continued
Preparing for Christ’s second
coming
Advent is also a time to look
forward to the second coming
of Christ. Christ defeated sin
and death through his death and
resurrection. However Christ has
still to finish his work of renewing
creation and restoring the kingdom
of God. Therefore we continue to
experience the brokenness of this
world in violence, injustice, disease,
natural disasters and other forms
of human suffering. In Advent we
yearn for God’s completion of the
salvation begun in Christ.
With its focus on past, present and
future, Advent also symbolises the
spiritual journey of individuals as
they affirm that Christ has come,
that he is present in the world
today, and that he will come again.
That acknowledgment encourages
a focus on holy living arising from
a sense that we live ‘between the
times’ and are called to be faithful
stewards and disciples. As we
celebrate God’s birth into history
and await the future culmination of
that history in his second coming,
we acknowledge our responsibility
as a people commissioned to ‘love
the Lord your God with all your
heart’ and to ‘love your neighbour
as yourself’.
Advent is marked by expectation,
anticipation, preparation, and
Page 4
longing. There is a yearning for
deliverance from the evils of
the world. It is the yearning of
those who have experienced the
brokenness and injustice of a world
under the curse of sin, and yet who
have hope of deliverance by God.
It is that hope which anticipates a
King who will bring peace, truth,
justice and righteousness to his
people and creation.
Part of the expectation also
anticipates a judgment on sin and a
calling of the world to accountability
before God. We long for God to
come and set the world right! Yet
Christ’s second coming will also
bring God’s judgment on sin. Those
will be scary days, but we can look
forward to the end of the world with
hope because through faith in Jesus,
the end of this world will mean the
beginning of a new life with Christ
for eternity.
Because of this important truth,
Advent has also been a time of
fasting and penitence similar
to Lent. However, Advent has
developed a slightly different
emphasis. The coming of the
Messiah throughout the Old
Testament and Judaism was
associated with the end of
oppression and injustice and the
longing for redemption - not from
personal sin but from the systemic
evil of the world.
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Week 1: Hope
Biblical meditation on hope
Readings: Isaiah 42: 1 – 7
and Titus 2: 11 - 14
The first Sunday of Advent is focused on
hope - the hope we have in the second
coming of Christ when there will be an
end to oppression and injustice and the
rule of a King who will bring peace, truth,
justice and righteousness to his people
and creation.
We remember those who suffer from
the brokenness and injustice of a world
under the curse of sin. We particularly
remember those who live in extreme
poverty with little hope for the future;
people who struggle day-by-day to
survive.
We also remember the birth of Jesus
Christ which fulfilled the Old Testament
promises. We celebrate that in humble
surroundings a saviour was born who will
bring an end to poverty, injustice, disease,
natural disasters, and all other forms of
human suffering. Because of Christ’s birth
we are a people of hope. God gives us
hope for our past, present and future –
the forgiveness of past sins, the strength
to deal with life’s daily challenges and the
hope of eternal life with Christ.
Page 5
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
A new house for our family
Pakistan
Nepal
India
World focus: South Asia
Coffee farming in India: Dhanurjay
Pujan’s story
Thanks to the sales of their coffee, MACS
members Echamma Pujari and her husband,
Dhanurjay Pujan, are building a six-roomed
house – a big improvement after bringing up
four children in just one room.
It’s just one of the many benefits from being
a member of the cooperative and receiving a
fair price, as Dhanurjay explained. “We used
to have a big problem with money. We used
to chop trees in the forest and grow millet,
cereals and pulses – half for ourselves and
half to sell.” Even when they started growing
coffee, life was hard.
The Small & Marginal Tribal Farmers Mutually
Aided Cooperative Society (MACS) is
made up of more than 5,700 tribal farmers
members. It aims to improve incomes
to coffee farmers through collective
organisation, practise of organic farming
techniques and marketing. FLO certification
was achieved in 2007 and Traidcraft is their
first Fairtrade buyer. Clean water, healthcare
and schools are among the long-term
benefits being planned for these remote,
tribal communities using the Fairtrade
premium.
Photo: Richard Else
“Now I am getting a good price because
there is no chance for a middleman to enter.
Santosham means happiness. We are happy
because we are getting a genuine price –a
good price – and in good time.”
Photo: Richard Else
Page 6
“My daughter’s marriage, my children’s
education, my new house – every activity has
the help of the coffee money.”
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Prayer
Lord,
Thank you for the hope we have in Jesus.
Help us to stand up for those who have no hope and
suffer from injustice and poverty.
We give thanks for the people of South Asia;
For the creativity, colours and culture of that beautiful land.
We pray that in a continent where there is such inequality between the rich and
the poor, the benefits of economic growth will be shared so that all may prosper.
We thank you for the work of MACS and pray that more coffee farmers will
benefit from clean water, healthcare and education.
Amen
Advent actions - see the directory at the back of this pack for more details
1st Dec
rrently
Fact – Traidcraft cu
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sources more than 45
than
products from more
in
100 producer groups
almost 30 developing
countries – there’s
ne!
something for everyo
tmas
Act – Buy your Chris
craft
presents from Traid
4th Dec
Fact– Small shops ar
e vital for
people to access he
althy food,
in particular disadvan
taged
groups, and people
without
cars or with limited
mobility.
The closure of many
small shops has left
some
neighbourhoods wi
th limited
access to healthy fo
od. (www.
tescopoly.org)
Act – Support indepe
ndent
shops in your comm
unity
Page 7
2nd Dec
Fact– Almost half the
world’s population live
on less than $2 a day.
(www.gatt.org). That’s
2.8 billion people
surviving on the price of
2 pints of milk a day.
Act – Help change that
by buying a Gift for Life
for a friend or relative
5th Dec
3rd Dec
orth of
Fact– £8.2m w
was sold
Fairtrade wine
in 2007.
org.uk)
(www.fairtrade.
on
Act – Stock up
and
Fairtrade wine
hristmas
food for your C
celebrations
t is a
Fact– Traidcraf
se to
Christian respon
w our
poverty. We dra
the life
inspiration from
of Jesus,
and teachings
th and
and from his dea
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resurrection. W
ntinue to
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be led by peop
faith.
active Christian
aidcraft’s
Act – Pray for Tr
work
6th Dec
Fact– There are about
500 people sleeping
rough on the streets
of Britain (www.
communities.gov.uk)
as well as thousands in
hostels and temporary
accommodation.
Act – Donate blankets
to your local homeless
shelter
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Week 2: Peace
Biblical meditation on peace
Readings: Isaiah 9: 6 – 7
and Acts 10: 34 - 36
The second Sunday of Advent is
focused on peace. We are reminded
that Jesus comes to bring peace to us
as individuals and to the world. Without
Christ there is no peace.
We remember those who live their daily
lives under the threat of violence. We
particularly remember those who live
in war-zones. We celebrate that Jesus
is the Prince of Peace and that through
him peace is found.
Because of Christ’s birth we are a people
of peace. We look forward to the time
when Jesus will come again to rule the
world wisely and bless all the nations.
We celebrate the peace we find in Jesus
Christ.
Page 8
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Venezuela
Colombia
Brasil
Peru
Brazil
Bolivia
Chile
Argentina
World Focus: South America
Wine production in Chile:
Paulo Alvarado’s story
Vinos Lautaro was created in 1997 by 17
small-scale farmers. The members and their
vineyards are based around the town of
Sagrada Familia in the Curico Valley area of
Chile at the foot of the Andes, 200km south
of the capital Santiago.
During harvest time, 50 additional workers
are hired to help the members harvest their
vineyards. Benefits funded by the Fairtrade
premium include healthcare and scholarships
for members’ children.
Photo: Richard Else
An inheritance for my children
Tending his vineyards is a bittersweet
experience for Paulo Alvarado. He began
farming with his father, who died in a car
crash in 2000.
“When I come here, of course, I am proud
of my vines...I think that my father is looking
down from heaven and seeing if I am doing
things with joy.”
Paulo believes that fair trade will help him to
provide a better future for his family.
“...This seemed like a gift from heaven and I
hope it will never disappear. It will be for my
children and my grandchildren. I need to care
for this vineyard, I see this as my task and
duty in a good way.
“The fact that I receive a better price for the
grapes and the wine means that I can spend
more money on education and health and
have more possibilities.
Photo: Richard Else
Page 9
“Fair trade gives us more security of income.
But not just income – we care more for the
studies of the children, for our health and
doing our best in fair trade gives a long-term
security.”
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Prayer
Help them to prosper in their cultivation
of the land and receive a fair return for
their work.
Father God,
Thank you for the peace we find in Jesus.
Help us to be peace-makers and to stand up
against all forms of violence and injustice in
our world.
Thank you for the beautiful continent of
South America and for the people who live
there.
Thank you for Vinos Lautaro in Chile and
the benefits it brings to its members.
We pray especially for Paulo that he will be
able to provide education for his children
and that you will keep his family healthy.
Amen
Advent actions - see the directory at the back of this pack for more details
7th Dec
e than 4000
Fact – There are mor
throughout
Fairtrade churches
undation
the UK (Fairtrade Fo
/ 2008)
Annual Review 2007
coffee and
Act – Buy your tea,
aft and
snacks from Traidcr
church
become a Fairtrade
8th Dec
Fact – Increasing trade
by just 1% in Africa would
lift 128m people out of
poverty (DFID, 2008)
Act – Sign a Traidcraft
campaign card
10th Dec
Fact – India has the largest number of poor people
of any country in the world. Traidcraft Exchange
gives business training and advice to producers
helping to increase their income, and is working to
establish a domestic fair trade market in India.
Act – Host a coffee morning, tea party, quiz, music
concert or other event and give the proceeds to
Traidcraft Exchange
11th Dec
Fact – There are now over 3000 products that
carry the Fairtrade Mark. (www.fairtrade.org.uk)
Act – Ask your local supermarket / café to
stock Fairtrade goods
ause death
9th Dec
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12th Dec
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13th Dec
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Fact – Traidcraft speakers respond to over 900
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requests for talks a year. They share the story of how
transport
Traidcraft’s work is transforming lives.
Act – Invite a Traidcraft Speaker to your church
Page 10
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Week 3: Love
Biblical meditation on love
Readings: Psalm 33
and Ephesians 3: 16 - 20
The third Sunday of Advent is
focused on love. We are reminded
that God is the Creator of all things
and by his very nature he is love.
God created us to have a loving
relationship with him. It is because
God loves us that he sent his son
to be born as a baby and to be
sacrificed in order to restore that
relationship.
We remember those who feel
unloved and those that the world
views as ‘different’ or as outcasts. We
particularly remember those who are
lonely and isolated in our community.
Because of Christ’s birth we are a
people of love. We celebrate that
we have a Saviour who loves us
unconditionally. Because of God’s
love for us, we can have a personal
relationship with him by putting our
faith in Jesus Christ, who was God’s
sacrifice of love for us.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you that you love us so much that you
sent your Son to die for us.
Help us to spread the good news of your love
to others.
Thank you for the magnificent continent of
Africa and the people who live there.
Thank you for the diversity of cultures,
languages and skills.
We pray for the people that Traidcraft works
with;
Help them to work their way out of poverty
with dignity.
Help them to find joy in providing for their
families.
We pray that governments in developed
countries will make fair rules
To enable African people to benefit from
trade.
We pray for peace in war-torn areas
And for your healing for the poor and
suffering.
May we do everything we can to be a
blessing to our sisters and brothers in Africa.
Amen
Page 11
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Tunisia
Ghana
Uganda Kenya
Tanzania
Zimbabwe
South Africa
World Focus: Africa
Beekeeping in Tanzania – Jabiri’s story
In the past, thousands of beekeepers
in Tabora, one of the most isolated and
deprived regions of Tanzania, were able to
rely on the support of the Tabora Beekeepers
Co-operative Society. However in recent
years, poor management of the society has
resulted in its virtual collapse. Beekeepers
have been cut off from the market and
unable to sell their honey at a fair price.
Traidcraft Exchange is supporting the Tabora
beekeepers by encouraging them to work
together, helping them to develop their
business skills, providing training, equipment
and, most importantly, ensuring they get
their honey to the market.
Photo: Richard Else
Life is getting better because of the bees
Jabiri (49) is married to Pili Juma (41) and
they have 12 children, aged between five and
30 years old. Although some of the older
children have left home, the couple now have
four grandchildren living with them, along
with eight of their own children.
A better future for his children and a better
home are just two of the benefits that Jabiri
Nassoro believes keeping bees can provide
for his family.
To achieve these hopes for the future, Jabiri
must earn more money from beekeeping,
which is why he values the training being
offered.
“They help us to get higher quality honey,
and also more honey. They help us to have
better technology in beekeeping. We know
how to keep bees in better ways so we don’t
destroy the colonies... It is important that we
have more training.”
“Education costs money and so does
clothing...My children would not be going to
school without money from honey.”
Photo: Richard Else
Page 12
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Advent actions - see the directory at the back of this pack for more details
14th Dec
Fact – In 2005, 29% of
men and 60% of women
aged 75 and over lived
alone.
(www.ageconcern.org.uk)
Act – Visit an elderly
person and take them
some Traidcraft cookies
15th Dec
Fact – Traidcraft’s
charity, Traidcraft
Exchange, is the UK
’s
only development
charity specialising
in making trade work
for the poor. We
passionately believe
that trade can provid
e
opportunities for pe
ople
to work their way ou
t of
poverty.
16th Dec
Fact – Old toilet cisterns
can use as much as 9
litres of clean water
every flush. (www.
environment-agency.gov.
uk/subjects/waterres).
884 million people in
the world do not have
access to safe water. This
is roughly one in eight of
the world’s population.
(www.wateraid.org)
Act – Make a donatio
n
to Traidcraft Exchan
ge
Act– Put a brick in your
toilet cistern and do your
bit to save water
17th Dec
Fact – An estimated
12,000 children have
been trafficked into
cocoa farms in Cote
D’Ivoire, where near
ly half the world’s
chocolate is sourced.
(www.stopthetraffik.o
rg/chocolatecampa
ign)
Act – Buy Fairtrade
chocolate which
guarantees it is child
-labour free.
19th Dec
bulbs
Fact – “Incandescent
gy that if
waste so much ener
today, it
they were invented
would
is highly unlikely they
market.”
be allowed onto the
tp://
(Dr Matt Prescott, ht
ci/
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/s
tech/4667354.stm)
ing light
Act– Buy energy-sav
lights
bulbs and switch off
room
when you leave the
Page 13
18th Dec
Fact – The rules of international
the
trade are stacked in favour of
rich meaning that poor people
often don’t feel the benefits of
trade.
for
Act– Write to your MP to ask
t
fairer trade rules. Our policy uni
can give you help and advice
([email protected])
20th Dec
Fact – Each year we generate about
100 million tonnes of waste from
households, commerce and industry
combined. Most of this currently ends
up in landfill. (www.defra.gov.uk)
Act– Recycle using Traidcraft’s jute
recycle range
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Week 4: Joy
Biblical meditation on joy
Readings: Psalm 126
and 1 Peter 1: 3 - 9
The fourth Sunday of Advent is focused on Joy.
We are reminded that our faith in God’s salvation
is a reason for great joy, no matter how hard the
temporary situation we are in. The knowledge of
our salvation sets us free from the past, gives us
faith for the present, and a glorious hope for the
future.
We remember those who are unhappy and who
are finding life difficult. We particularly remember
those who have lost loved ones.
Because of Christ’s birth we are a people of joy.
We have true joy through Christ, because God is
with us and in us. The only lasting joy to be found
in life is through Christ. All other joy is fleeting and
does not last.
Page 14
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
pay. The couple, who are disabled because
of polio, have an eight-month-old daughter,
Netra Chha.
Vietnam
Cambodia
World Focus: South East Asia
Crafts in Cambodia - Thik and Se’s story
Rehab Craft Cambodia is a fair trade
organisation that provides long-term and
sustainable employment opportunities for
Cambodians with physical disabilities. It pays
above average wages and provides other
staff benefits such as maternity pay.
Thik and Se used to do the same work for
another organisation. Thik says, “This is a
better job. The salary is better than the old
place. Now I can pay the rent for the house
and I can pay for electricity and also for
medicine. Also here we have freedom. At the
old place they forced me to work overtime.”
Se says, “At the previous place they ignored
the disabled person. Here if I get sick the
organisation will support part of the expense.
Also my baby was born when I was employed
here and I got leave for three months and I
still got the salary. With the previous place if
I got pregnant and had the baby they would
not have given anything.
I hope in the future I can have my own house
and can have a business sewing in my home.
I want my daughter to grow to get a good
education and get a good job.”
They have 32 people working for them,
mainly women. They also have self-employed
producers working in their homes in the
provinces. Many of the workers are landmine
victims or affected by polio.
Traidcraft Exchange’s project in Cambodia
is training social enterprises to help them
improve their business performance and
access new markets. As a result of the
training Rehab Crafts has found new buyers
and increased their sales - meaning increased
employment and more benefits for poor
disabled producers and their families.
Better pay and more respect
Thik Hang and Se Mao enjoy spending their
working day together at Rehab Crafts, but
the things they most value are the respect
for disabled people and the better rate of
Page 15
Photo: Richard Else
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Prayer
Thank you for the joy that we have in you.
Help us to reach out to those who are unhappy and share your joy with others.
Thank you that we can be joyful, even in suffering, as we know what a rich
inheritance we have in Christ.
We pray for the many different communities of South East Asia
Thank you for the skill and hard work of the many talented craftspeople there.
Help them to provide for their families with dignity and joy, and rescue them
from exploitation.
Help us to make sure they get a fair reward for their work.
Amen
Advent actions - see the directory at the back of this pack for more details
21st Dec
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22nd Dec
Fact – Traidcraft runs tours to visit fair
trade producers in 17 countries around
the world. These offer an amazing
insight into the impact that fair trade
is having.
Act – Make your next holiday a Meet
The People tour
23rd Dec
Fact – Traidcraft Exchange’s current
projects are directly benefiting 350,000
people with a further 1.4 million indirectly
benefitting.
Act – Sign up to do a run / walk for
Traidcraft Exchange next year and burn
off the Christmas dinner!
Page 16
24th Dec
for Traidcraft
Fact – Your prayers
e.
make a real differenc
wing the
Act – Commit to follo
lendar in the
Traidcraft prayer ca
n find it on
coming year. (You ca
traidcraft.
our website at www.
)
co.uk/prayercalendar
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Christmas Day
Biblical meditation
Readings: 1 John 4: 9 – 12
and Matt 11: 2 - 6
Christmas Day is focused on celebrating Christ.
We remember that Jesus was born as a baby,
died on the cross and was raised from the dead
in order to save people from their sins. Like the
shepherds and maji that first Christmas, we are
filled with wonder and amazement.
We remember all those who don’t know Jesus as
their Saviour and Lord. We also remember that
our discipleship has a cost and that it presents
us with profound social, economic and political
challenges. Issues of global poverty and hunger,
corporate corruption and national policies on war
should be our personal concerns.
Because of Christ’s birth we are a people of hope,
peace, love and joy. Because of him our sins are
forgiven, our lives our fulfilled and we have the
hope of eternal life.
Page 17
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Traidcraft around the world
Handicrafts in Vietnam: Phuong’s story
Mai Handicrafts was set up by two social
workers My (My Le Phuong) and Khanh
(Khanh Thai Thi Le) who wanted to improve
the lives of street children and single mothers
in Ho Chi Minh City. It now sells Vietnamese
handicraft products to local and export
markets and works with 26 groups in urban
and rural areas, helping poor families and
ethnic minority groups to have access to fair
wages and good working conditions.
Access to electricity and water
Electricity and water are two of the things
Phuong can buy with the money that she
earns from crochet work.
“In our area it is difficult to have water,” she
said. “We cannot dig a well so we have to buy
water. I use the money to pay for electricity
and water.
“I have been doing this work for two years.
I like to crochet as then I can be at home to
take care of my three-year-old son.”
The Nha Trang crochet group is based in
a village close to Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa
Province. Mai Handicrafts provides all the
threads for the crochet work, as they are
difficult to obtain locally. They are all sent
north from Ho Chi Minh City. Of the 80
people in the group, only one is a man – a
fisherman. His wife is a member of the group
and he wanted to try crocheting so asked for
some work and was very good at it.
Church members in Nha Trang crochet group
are among the craft workers who create the
crocheted nativity sets sold by Traidcraft.
Page 18
Photo: Richard Else
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Prayer
Father God,
Thank you for sending Jesus to be born as a
baby, to die on the cross for the forgiveness
of sins and to be raised from the dead so that
we may have eternal life with you.
Thank you for the hope, peace, joy and love
that we have in you.
Help us to follow you closely, to put our faith
into action and to share our faith with those
who do not know you.
Thank you that you are Immanuel – God with
us.
Thank you that you came into the world to
share our humanity
We pray for family and friends who don’t yet
know you;
Help them to see the true message of
Christmas this year.
Thank you that your gospel message is good
news for all people around the world.
Help us to faithfully speak your truth and
show your love to all we live and work with.
May the poor know your blessing,
May the lonely know your comfort,
May the lost know your way,
And may all know your peace.
Amen
And rescue us from our sin.
Page 19
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Christmas Activities
Make your own
crackers
You can buy kits to make your own
crackers (www.jesters.com), or can
make them from toilet rolls, crepe
paper, a ribbon for decoration
and a cracker snap. (You can
buy cracker snaps from places
like www.amazon.co.uk. They are
usually about £1.50 for 18).
A selection of Traidcraft wrapped
sweets, available from www.
traidcraftshop.co.uk, make ideal
gifts to put inside the crackers.
Choose from peppermint creams,
butter mints, chocolate mini eggs
and vanilla fudge.
Christingles
Christingles are used in Advent services in
churches of many Christian denominations all
over the world. They were created in 1747 by
a German pastor who was trying to think of a
way he could explain the love of Jesus and the
real meaning of Christmas to the children in his
church. He decided to prepare a simple symbol
to help make the message of Christmas fresh
and exciting.
By using Fairtrade oranges, sweets, fruits and
nuts in your Christingle you can use it to show
God’s love in more than just a symbolic way.
To make a Christingle you will need:
• A Fairtrade orange representing the world
• A red ribbon representing the blood of
Jesus
• A selection of Fairtrade sweets, dried fruits
and nuts representing the fruits of the earth
and the four seasons
• A candle representing Christ, the light of
the world
You will also need cocktail sticks, an apple
corer/potato peeler and some foil.
Carol Singing
1. Wrap the ribbon around the centre of each
orange and tie in a bow.
Why not use your carol singing
to show God’s love to people
overseas as well as your local
community? You could donate a
collection to Traidcraft Exchange
and serve fair trade refreshments.
Traidcraft doesn’t do mince pies
but we do sell a range of other
lovely treats such as Christmas
cake, chocolate Christmas tree
biscuits and stem ginger cookies!
If you’re really keen you could also
wrap up in our super-soft alpaca
gloves and scarf from Peru!
2. Make a hole in
the top of each
orange with the
apple corer/potato
peeler, line it with
a small piece of
foil and stick a
candle in the hole.
Page 20
3. Skewer the
sweets, fruits
and nuts with the
cocktail sticks.
4. Stick 4 cocktail
sticks into each
orange.
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Global Christmas Quiz
Why not host a quiz night with a Christmas and global
theme? You could charge people to attend, serve fair trade
refreshments, offer a fair trade hamper / wine selection to the
winning team and donate the proceeds to Traidcraft Exchange!
Here are some suggested question rounds (for organisers’ eyes
only!) but you could add more or mix them up:
Round 1: ‘Can you guess where it is yet?’
(2) -The tomato originates here
Give each team some paper and pens.
Teams get more points the sooner they
guess the correct answer:
1st clue - 10 points.
2nd clue - 8 points.
3rd clue - 6 points.
4th clue - 4 points.
5th clue - 2 points.
If you have access to a PowerPoint Projector, you can download the accompanying
PowerPoint and use this for the quiz. If not,
just call out each clue at a time. After each
clue, teams have a chance to guess the
country. If they know the answer they write
it on a piece of paper (in case more than
one team think they know the answer at the
same time). If they get it right, they get the
associated number of points and you can
move onto the next question. If they get it
wrong, they get no points and are frozen
out from the rest of that question.
(1) -I am landlocked
-I am a major producer of copper
-My flag features a soaring orange eagle
-My currency is the kwacha
-Lake Bangweulu is found here
Answer: Zambia
Page 21
-I am home to the highest train pass
in the world
-I had my first female Prime Minister in 2003
-When you visit me, you can find up to 1625
types of orchids
-The Pisco Sour is my most popular cocktail!
Answer: Peru
(3) -My main religion is Theravada Buddhist
-I was under French control until 1953
-Putting your hands on your hips is
considered disrespectful in my culture
-My currency is the Riel
-My people celebrate a Festival of the Dead
Answer: Cambodia
(4) -I gained independence from the UK in 1963
-The name of my capital literally means
‘Place of cool waters’
-My national anthem begins: “O God of all
creation / Bless this our land and nation”
-The film ‘The Lion King’ featured a famous
song from here
-One of the most popular foods here is ugali
Answer: Kenya
(5) -I have the most post offices in the world!
-Chess was invested here
-My official Sanskrit name is Bharat
-My name was derived from a river
-The film ‘Monsoon Wedding’ was set here
Answer: India
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Church Advent Pack
(6) -All my towns have libraries
-Natives call me ‘The Crocodile’
(11) -The yoyo was invented here by hunters in
the 16th century
-You can find a statue of John Lennon in my
capital city
-Of the 500 known coral species in the
world, 488 are found here
-Pope John Paul II visted in 1998
-I have over 200 volcanoes
-Truck-pulled buses called camello (meaning
‘camel’) run through my capital’s streets
-My flag features a yellow sun with eight rays
-My largest wild animal is a type of buffalo
called the tamaraw
Answer: Cuba
(7) -The 2003 film ‘Bongoland’ is about a native
of this country who settled in America
Answer: The Philippines
-Between WWI and 1964, I was known as
Tanganyika
(12)-My name means ‘house of stone’ in the
Shona language
-My first President translated ‘The Merchant
of Venice’ into Swahili
-I am home to one of the world’s largest
manmade lakes
-I share a border with Burundi
-My currency is the shilling
-David Livingstone named my famous
waterfalls after a British queen
Answer: Tanzania
(8) -I am home to the smallest mammal on earth
-The first human heart transplant was
perfomed here in 1967
-More than 50% of the Paragliding world
records have been set here
-I used to be called Southern Rhodesia
-Bulawayo is my second most important city
Answer: Zimbabwe
(13)-One of my speciality dishes is Elephant ear
fish
-My flag has a yellow star at the centre
-I am home to the only street in the world to
house 2 Nobel Peace Prize winners
-Elton John’s song ‘Daniel’ is about a veteran of the war here
-My capital is Pretoria
Answer: South Africa
-Pho is a beef noodle soup which is very
popular here
(9) -My name means ‘Land of the free’
-I am approximately the same size as France
-The musical ‘Miss Saigon’ is set here
Answer: Vietnam
-I am home to the world’s tallest Buddhist
monument
(14)-I became a republic in 1966
-The book ‘The Beach’ by Alex Garland is set
here
-Chichewa and English are my offical
languages
-The film ‘The King and I’ takes place here
Answer: Thailand
-My main exports are tobacco, tea, sugar,
cotton and coffee
(10)-Aymaran is one of my official languages
-The Witches Market in my capital offers
herbs, amulets and potions for sale
-Che Guevara was killed here in 1967
-The 2006 film ‘Who Killed the White
Llama?’ was made here
-My capital is La Paz
Answer: Bolivia
Page 22
-I used to be known as Nyasaland
-My capital is Lilongwe
Answer: Malawi
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Round 2: Christmas
1. According to the London Meteorological Office,
England has had how many white Christmases in
the 20th Century?
4
7
10
13
A
A
A
A
song to accompany dancing
religious song
song to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ
song with many verses
8. What month is Jesus actually thought to have
been born in?
2. December 25th wasn’t celebrated as the birth
of Christ until approximately what year?
AD
AD
AD
AD
7. The word carol comes from an old French world
‘carole’. What does it mean?
172
229
325
416
3. The Queen’s Speech was first televised in what
year?
1951
1953
1955
1957
4. In 1647 the English parliament passed a law
that made what illegal?
Celebrating Christmas
Carol singing
Celebrating New Year
Eating mince pies
5. What Christmas song includes the line “Glory to
the newborn king?”
Silent Night
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Away in a Manger
6. The first Christmas stamp was released by
which country?
UK
Hungary
Germany
Canada
October
January
March
June
9. Which prophet foretold that Jesus would be
born in Bethlehem?
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Daniel
Micah
10. What is myrrh?
A
A
A
A
perfume
precious stone
spice used for burial
breed of sheep
11. In which gospels do we find the story of Jesus’
birth?
Matthew and Mark
Matthew and Luke
Mark and Luke
Luke and John
12. Who told Mary she was going to have a baby?
God in a dream
Joseph
The Angel Gabriel
Her doctor
13. Jingle Bells was originally written in 1857
but not for Christmas. What was it written to
celebrate?
Thanksgiving
The first fall of snow
The start of Advent
New Year
Continued on next page
Page 23
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
14. The 26th December (St Stephens Day) is more
popularly known as Boxing Day. Why?
Boxing matches were traditionally arranged for
this day
Children would play hide-and-seek in boxes
Stocking gifts (including match boxes filled with
sweets) were opened on this day
Charity boxes in churches were opened and
money given to the poor
15. The Christmas Tree displayed each year in
Trafalgar Square is an annual gift from which
country?
Iceland
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Round 3: Fair trade, Poverty and
Development
1. What percentage of the world’s children live in
poverty?
10%
25%
50%
70%
2. The majority of the world’s poor people live in
what country?
China
Ethiopia
Sudan
India
3. What is the UN’s deadline for meeting the
Millennium Development Goals?
2005
2010
2015
2020
4. The UK’s budget for hosting the 2012 Olympics
in £9,300 million. Approximately how much does
the government spend annually on aid to help
developing countries benefit from trade?
£200 million
£400 million
£900 million
£1,300 million
5. Last year, the rich world spent $58 billion on
bottled water. How much did it spend on aid to
Africa in the same year?
$18 billion
$24 billion
$32 billion
$41 billion
6. Each team in the British Olympic Squad
has their own team doctor. In Mozambique,
approximately how many people are there to one
doctor?
700
9,000
21,000
33,000
7. Which of the following is not one of the U.N.
Millennium Development Goals?
Ensure environmental sustainability
Provide worldwide access to safe water
Develop a global partnership for development
Improve maternal health
8. How many countries are there in Africa?
39
42
54
57
9. About 38.6 million people in the world are
living with HIV. How many of these live in
developing countries?
Over 95%
Over 80%
Over 65%
About 50%
Continued on next page
Page 24
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
10. Excluding China, over the last 10 years, has
the number of people living on less than $1 a day
in the developing world increased, decreased or
stayed the same?
Tie break question:
Decreased
Stayed the same
Increased
Day 2: Two turtle doves
11. Of the £1.75 charged for a cappuccino in a
coffee shop, how much is the grower likely to
receive?
2p
5p
12p
19p
Name the gifts given on each of the 12 days of
Christmas – in the right order!
Day 1: A partridge in a pear tree
Day 3: Three French hens
Day 4: Four calling birds
Day 5: Five golden rings
Day 6: Six geese a-laying
Day 7: Seven swans a-swimming
Day 8: Eight maids a-milking
Day 9: Nine ladies dancing
Day 10: Ten lords a-leaping
Day 11: Eleven pipers piping
Day 12: Twelve drummers drumming
12. The latest estimate of total sales of Fairtrade
labelled products in the UK is:
£65 million
£90 million
£140 million
£230 million
13. The rich world tells the poor world to get rid
of subsidies but how much is spent per day on
subsidising its own farming enterprises?
$100 million per day
£500 million per day
$1,000 million per day
$5,000 million per day
14. World cotton prices are in a slump. How much
subsidy does every US cotton farmer receive in
government support every year?
$70,000
$100,000
$130,000
$160,000
15. Which country has the world’s largest market
for Fairtrade products?
Sweden
UK
Netherlands
US
Page 25
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Children’s activities
Sunday school nativity
You could use the crochet nativity set from Vietnam to teach
children the nativity story.
Wrap up each character and each week ask a child or several
children to unwrap the next character(s) in the story. If you
wrap them all at the same time, don’t forget to label them so
you know which one is which!
Week 1 – Angel Gabriel
(See Luke 1: 26 – 38).
Gabriel tells Mary that she will give birth
to Jesus.
Week 2 – Joseph
(See Matt 1: 18 – 25).
An angel told Joseph to take Mary as his wife
and to call the baby ‘Jesus’.
Week 3 – Mary and Jesus
(See Luke 2: 1 – 7).
Joseph took Mary to Nazareth for the census
and while they were there, Jesus was born
in a stable and placed in a manger because
there was no room at the inn.
Page 26
Week 4 – The three wise men
(See Matt 2: 1 – 8).
Three wise men came to visit Jesus. They
gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and
myrrh. Gold showed that he was a king;
incense that he was a priest; and myrrh was a
symbol of his death on the cross for our sins.
You can also talk about the people who
made the nativity set (see the producer story
on Christmas Day).
Please note: The characters should be
used for illustration / decorative purposes
and not for children to play with.
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Church Advent Pack
Christmas
chocolate parcels
1. Heat the chocolate until totally melted.
Equipment:
2. Using the teaspoon, drip melted
chocolate into moulds.
• Christmas chocolate
moulds
3. Set aside in a cool place until dry.
• 1 glass or plastic bowl
• 1 teaspoon
4. Line the gift boxes with a small piece of
the greaseproof baking paper.
• Grease-proof paper
5. When the chocolates in the moulds have
dried, place chocolates in boxes.
• A bar of Traidcraft dark
chocolate
6. Top off with a small piece of
greaseproof baking paper.
• Small gift boxes & ribbon
7. Close gift box and tie a ribbon around it.
Christmas treasure hunt
Why not organise a treasure hunt with
a fair trade prize for the winning team?
You could charge teams to enter and
donate the proceeds to Traidcraft
Exchange. Hide each clue on or near
the previous item.
Clue 1:
It could be fir or maybe pine,
It’s brought inside at Christmas time
Christmas tree
Clue 2:
These come in lots of different sizes Thoughfully gift-wrapped surprises
Presents
Clue 3:
A shiny yuletide decoration
Hung on trees throughout the nation
Tinsel or Bauble
Clue 4:
This prickly plant is rather jolly,
With bright red berries, its name is...
Holly
Page 27
Method:
Clue 5:
If you stand underneath
this, you’ll probably
receive a kiss
Mistletoe
Clue 6:
A very tasty
chocolate treat,
It’s like a tree that you can eat
Yule log
Clue 7:
It sounds as though it’s made of meat,
But actually it tastes quite sweet
Mince pie
Clue 8:
You pull them and they make a noise,
Inside you will find jokes and toys
Crackers
Clue 9:
You cover this in brandy sauce,
And hide a coin inside of course
Christmas pudding
Clue 10:
We send these at this time of year
To our loved ones far and near
Cards
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Church Advent Pack
Weblinks and Contacts
– Go the extra mile with Traidcraft
•
Catering account: Open a Traidcraft Caterer
account for your church. Easy ordering via the
web, telephone or post; up to £200 of credit;
free carriage on all orders over £50. Download
an application form at www.traidcraft.co.uk/
caterer, email [email protected] or call
0870 444 1543
•
Become a Fair Trader: Make a real difference
to the lives of the poor by selling Traidcraft
products in your church. With a turnover of
only £500 a year you will enjoy between 1015% discount and extended credit. Download
an application form at www.traidcraft.co.uk/
fairtrader email [email protected] or
call 0870 444 1543.
•
Mail order/online: Browse the UK’s largest
range of fair trade products on our top-rated
website and in our award-winning catalogue.
Go to www.traidcraftshop.co.uk or order your
copy of the catalogue on 0191 491 0591.
Campaign with us: Unjust trade rules and
practices keep millions trapped in poverty. Get
your church involved in Traidcraft campaigns and help change the way the world trades. Go
to www.traidcraft.co.uk/campaign
•
See The Flipside: Traidcraft’s lively youth group
scheme that encourages young people to make
a real difference through fair trade. For more
information visit www.seetheflipside.co.uk or
email [email protected] or phone
0870 4441543.
•
Book a speaker: Traidcraft has a nationwide
network of speakers who can enthuse your
group with a fascinating presentation on the
latest developments in fair trade. Call 0191 497
6418 or e-mail [email protected]
•
Online resources: Worship resources,
preaching notes, briefing papers – you’ll find
them and more at www.traidcraft.co.uk/church
•
Meet The People Tours: Want to see at
firsthand the positive impact fair trade is
making? Meet some Traidcraft producers
and experience a holiday that will be “totally
different from anything you have done before.”
To request a brochure or find out more, call
0870 444 1774 or go to www.traidcraft-tours.
com
•
•
•
•
Support Traidcraft Exchange: Traidcraft
Exchange is the only UK development charity
devoted exclusively to fighting poverty
through trade. Your support is vital to our
work. To make a donation and to find out more
about different ways you can give, visit www.
traidcraft.org.uk/giving or call 0191 497 6445.
Buy a ‘Gift for Life’: ‘Gifts for Life’ are
alternative gifts that will bring joy to a friend or
relative and transform the lives of people living
in poverty who are working to build better lives
through trade. Go to www.giftsforlife.org to
find out how.
Use your event to fundraise for Traidcraft
Exchange: Use the event ideas in this guide or
see the fundraising ideas below. You can also
visit www.traidcraft.org.uk/events to find out
more about our fundraising events.
- Hold a collection - Ask people for
a donation, leave out some collection boxes or
suggest a donation for a cup of coffee.
- Fundraise online - Set up a justgiving page
Page 28
and ask people to donate online. To set up
a justgiving page, visit www.justgiving.com/
traidcraft/raisemoney
- Hold a quiz - Hold a pub quiz and collect a
donation from everyone taking part. Download
our quiz from our website.
- Hold a wine and cheese evening - Download
our wine tasting notes to accompany
Traidcraft’s wine range from our website.
Don’t forget to take advantage of Gift Aid. If
you can, please do encourage your guests to
fill out their address details on the donation
form so we can claim Gift Aid, worth 28p/25p
for every £1 given.
www.traidcraft.co.uk