Kingdom by Candlelight

There are many different ways you can run a “Kingdom by Candlelight” evening.  We are going to give you a few ideas of possible things to include in the evening and you can tailor the evening however you would like.

The overall purpose of the night is to:

  • Think about the Kingdom.
  • Build a stronger personal vision of the Kingdom.
  • Realise the nearness of Christ’s return and the need to redeem the time.
  • Talk to one another and encourage one another to be ready.

The Kingdom is what we are all waiting for so dearly, yet so often we don’t talk about it enough.  An evening like this will help us focus on what is important.

We have been part of “Kingdom by Candlelight” evenings in ecclesias in Australia and Canada, as well as in mission areas (Jamaica and the Philippines).  Each one has been slightly different to cater for the different audiences, but the focus has been the same for each evening … and that is to centre on the Kingdom and our own personal vision of that Age!  Typically we have included a candlelit meal / snack as part of the evening and decorated the hall in a special way.  Usually the activities are interspersed between the meal and dessert.  A few weeks before the evening, we send out a special invitation to everyone in the ecclesia, inviting them to the evening.

 

Below is a list of some of the activities that could be included in an evening like this.

  • Recorded visions of the Kingdom. You could ask a handful of people from your ecclesia (varying ages – including children if you like!) to record a few things about what they are looking forward to in the Kingdom and what they imagine it to be like.  Each recording should be just a couple of minutes.  These visions could be played to everyone, accompanied by pictures and music.
  • Own personal vision. Everyone is to write their own personal vision of the Kingdom.  This handout has a series of questions for people to think about when writing their vision.  There is also this separate handout designed for children – just a few simple questions and a space to draw a picture.

  • Resolve to change. This handout is a simple way to think about ways we can change right now and commit to these changes.

  • Letter from Christ.  This letter was specifically written for a young people’s gathering a number of years ago.  It’s a personal letter from Christ to encourage us to remain strong and to also look at a few changes that will happen in the world at Christ’s return.  Since we first wrote this letter, we have also put a short video together of the letter being narrated and music and photos to accompany it.  If you would like a copy of this, please email us.

  • Songs / hymns related to the Kingdom. These could be sung throughout the evening by a small group, or by everyone … or a combination of both.
  • Treasure Hunt.  This treasure hunt leads participants through a series of Kingdom-related bible verses, which ends in finding the “pearl of great price”!

  • PowerPoint presentation of photos with encouraging bible verses.

These are some ideas of things we have incorporated into a Kingdom by Candlelight evening.  If you have any other ideas you have done with your own ecclesia, please send us an email!

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 6v33

Magnify Him Together
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