Save the date for this beloved tradition: The 2026 Advent Study with Bishop Lanette Plambeck! This is a unique study written by Bishop Lanette Plambeck. United Methodists across the Dakotas and Minnesota are invited. All are welcome! Hundreds of people participate in this study every year, and it is a wonderful time of connection and conversation as we prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas. Mark your calendar and encourage others to join you.

When: Monday, 7-8:15 p.m. CT, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14, & Dec. 21

Discussions will be held via Zoom. Registration and more details will be available in coming weeks.

When Hope is Born: An Advent Study in the Theology of Midwifery

What if Advent is not only about waiting for hope, but about helping hope be born? 

This Advent, join Bishop Lanette Plambeck for When Hope Is Born, a four-session journey through Scripture exploring the sacred work of midwifery: noticing what God is bringing to life, tending what is vulnerable, making room for what is emerging, and courageously participating in the birth of hope. 

At each gathering, expect: 

4 fresh angles to familiar stories of our faith  
3 guiding questions for conversation and reflection that speak into historic and present-day realities  
2 Advent songs to help us pray and ponder 
1 fresh encounter with a biblical story of midwifery and the birth of hope. Perhaps hope is not confidence in knowing what comes next - maybe hope is faithful attendance to what God is bringing to birth even when we cannot yet see.  

Week One | Shiphrah & Puah 

Midwifing Hope in the Face of Empire 
Scripture: Exodus 1 with Isaiah 64 and Matthew 2 

Two women refuse Pharaoh’s command and choose instead to protect life. What does it mean to midwife hope when the powers around us traffic in fear, control, xenophobia, acquisition, and death? (Themes: midrash ~ every baby could be the Savior, cultural understanding, courage, and resistance) 

Week Two | Ruth & Naomi 

Midwifing Hope Through Faithful Presence
Scripture: Ruth 1 with Isaiah 40 and John 19 

In the aftermath of grief and displacement, Ruth and Naomi accompany one another toward an unexpected future. What can be born when we refuse to leave one another alone? (Themes: trauma, self-discovery, finding belonging, healing through community) 

Week Three | Elizabeth & Mary 

Midwifing Hope in One Another
Scripture: Luke 1: 39 with Isaiah 40  and John 1 

Two women. Two miraculous pregnancies. John and Jesus, still hidden in the womb, encounter one another as Elizabeth and Mary do. What happens when we recognize, bless, and make room for what God is bringing to life in someone else? (Themes: shame, regret, possibility, and accompaniment) 

Week Four | Mary & Creation: And Heaven and Nature Sing  

Midwifing Hope for the World 
Scripture: Luke 2 with Isaiah 9 and Colossians 1

Mary labors and creation receives its Creator. Earth, body, breath, blood, water, animals, strangers, stars: the whole created order becomes part of the birthing room. What might the Nativity teach us about our calling to participate with God in bringing forth life? (Themes: incarnation, welcoming, creation-relation) 

This Advent, we will listen for the heartbeat of hope. 
We will watch for what God is bringing to life. 
And we will ask: 

What is ours to midwife? 

Advent Worship Resources & Sermon Series

The student chaplains at Dakota Wesleyan University and Dakotas-Minnesota Area staff are preparing accompanying worship resources for the Advent Study, should you choose to make a worship series. Watch for the following items to be made available for download in late October: 

Call to Worship

Opening Prayer

Advent Candle lighting liturgies

Children Message Ideas

Offertory Prayers/Prayers of Dedication

Pastoral Prayers

Contemporary Song Suggestions

Hymn Suggestions

Benedictions

Accompanying media resources: 

Social media images churches can edit to fit their church’s messaging

Bulletin covers

Worship projection slide deck

Part of Get in The Way

The 2026 Advent Study, “When Hope is Born,” is part of Get in The Way, the discipleship journey Bishop Lanette introduced in her 2026 Episcopal Address. It began with the Building Beloved Community study in summer 2026, has continued through the Dog-Eared Disciples Study from October 2026-May 2027, and will contain other opportunities online and in-person for formation, encounter, and practice. 
 
Before followers of Jesus were called Christians, they were known as people of The Way. 
 
That ancient name matters. 
 
To follow Jesus is not simply to believe certain things about him. It is to walk in his Way: to order our lives around his teaching, follow where he leads, encounter the people he encounters, notice where the Spirit is moving, and allow the journey itself to form us. 
 
Get in The Way is an invitation to step onto the road with others who are seeking deeper faith, meaningful relationships, and a greater sense of purpose. Through reading and reflection, pilgrimages, retreats, learning journeys, service experiences, and sacred gatherings, we place ourselves where God's Spirit is already at work. Along the way, we discover new places, build new connections, encounter fresh perspectives, and deepen our commitment to Christ and one another. Together, we learn what it means to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously as followers of Jesus. Whether you are seeking renewal, community, adventure, or a deeper walk with God, there is a place for you on the journey.