Rachel Mann Do Not Be Afraid Advent Videos

Join Rachel Mann, bestselling author of Do Not Be Afraid: The Joy of Waiting in a Time of Fear, this Advent with her thought-provoking and inspirational Advent videos. There are four Advent videos, one for each week of Advent. Perfect for self or group study. We've also included thoughtful discussion questions for each video to help you with your journey this Advent. 

Don't forget to get your copy of Do Not Be Afraid to accompany the videos!

Discussion Questions Week 1:

- In what situations and on what occasions have you found God offering you reassurance in the midst of your fear?

- Can you think of a time when taking a risk has led you to encounter more of God’s grace? 

- In what kinds of situations have you been surprised by joy?

Download WEEK 1 Discussion Questions here.

Discussion Questions Week 2: 

[First reflection]

- If you could go back, what advice would you give to your teenage self?

- How helpful is the image of music and improvisation as a picture of waiting with and on God?

- But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.

How much have these words from Isaiah 40 resonated in your life or in the life of someone you know? What can you learn from this?

[Second reflection]

- Many people struggle with silence. Why is that? What is your relationship with silence?

- Have there been times when you've been unjustly silenced or lost your voice? How did your faith help you respond?

- Distraction might be a fact of modern life, but what kind of practises might you develop to address and challenge distraction in your life?

Download WEEK 2 Discussion Questions here.

Discussion Questions Week 3: 

[First reflection]

- Learning to live with disappointment and failure are part of life. What can we do to meet that reality with hope and faith?

- What can we learn from Elizabeth's story to help us address the realities of waiting in our own lives?

[Second reflection]

- Being a servant and waiting on others is not always much fun. Has the church made too much of these ideas as models for Christian life?

- Christ says that he came not to be served, but to serve. What does this tell us about how to conduct our daily lives?

Download WEEK 3 Discussion Questions here.

Discussion Questions Week 4: 

[First reflection]

- How do you feel and react when you sing ‘Jesus Christ is waiting, waiting in the streets’?

- Do you think there’s an epidemic of loneliness in our society? If so, what role can you or your church community play in addressing it?

[Second reflection]

- Dorothy Day says, ‘If Jesus can be born in a stable, maybe he can also be born in me.’ What do you make of that statement?

- What can Jesus reveal to us about living more graciously with vulnerability and dependence?

- In what ways could you, or your church, practise hospitality with more effectiveness?

Download WEEK 4 Discussion Questions here.