Advent draws our hearts toward something both far in the past and still to come, helping us live faithfully in the present. At the center of this season is an extraordinary truth: God comes near.

God draws near to our wonderings and wanderings, our hurts and hopes, our souls and spirits. In the incarnation, God came near to us in Christ—and as the people of God, we are invited to carry that same incarnational presence into a world in need.

This Advent season, Ascent and BGAV invite you to experience both sides of that journey: drawing nearer to Christ and joining God’s work of drawing near to others.

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How it Works:  The Daily Devotional Resource – For Individuals & Congregations

Individual subscribers will receive a daily reading from award-winning author J.R. Briggs in the God Comes Near devotional guide by email.  Along the way, you’ll also encounter stories from Ascent/BGAV’s global impact, serving people and communities around the world—glimpses of what it looks like when the Church becomes a tangible expression of God’s presence through gospel witness, practical care, hope, and healing.

Interested Congregations can sign up to participate in the Advent Journey and related offering. You will be given a printable copy of the Advent Journey Devotional Resource for BGAV congregations or the tools and resources to promote the electronic distribution through your congregation during the upcoming season.

Sign up personally to receive a daily reading from God Comes Near in your inbox throughout Advent.

Sign up to participate as a congregation in the Ascent Advent Journey.

Whether or not you are able to contribute financially, we hope you’ll join us for this daily devotional journey and allow the season to draw you closer to Christ and to the places where God is already at work. 

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How it Works:  Give to the Missions During Advent

Throughout the season, churches and individuals are also invited to participate in the combined Ascent and BGAV International Missions Offering, with a goal of raising $50,000 for global missions.

Gifts will support mission opportunities represented by BGAV Impact Missions initiatives and Ascent partnerships, and a particular collective focus this year on Lebanon. Through a joint effort, we are bringing our strengths and experience together in a coordinated three-year effort to serve in this war-ravaged country. Contributions will help provide a gospel witness in both word and deed—meeting essential needs, protecting children and supporting education, providing health and healing, and strengthening local churches and Christian leaders. In a region experiencing profound disruption and need, this shared work offers a tangible reminder that God has not remained distant.  

God comes near.

And through the faithful presence and generosity of God’s people, we can help others experience that truth.

Donate to BGAV's International Missions Offering to support Impact Missions and Ascent's global efforts.

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Learn more

Learn more about the International Missions Offering through BGAV's Impact Missions.

Learn more about Ascent.

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