Gathering for our Spiral of Light is a powerfully reverent experience. In quietude, we gather in a darkened room. Symbols of the four kingdoms and shiny stars are nestled in boughs of evergreen laid in a great spiral upon the floor. A lone candle-bearer takes their seat at the center, accompanied by gentle music. Then, one at a time, a child walks the spiral with an apple-candle, lights it at the center and places their candle upon a star along their way out. The brightness grows one apple-candle at a time, and a glowing warmth swells in your chest and wraps itself around you. The crowd that is holding space, the musician with instrument in hand, the walker bearing her single candle, the one at the center bestowing the light, all become a silent living prayer. It is evident that something far greater has stepped into our space.

Event Reminders

• Arrival and Seating: Please arrive just before your scheduled start time. There will be a helper at the front door making sure the previous group is finished before your group enters the Fellowship Hall. Spiral Walk is an inward festival, so entering the building in a calm and quiet manner will help the children find the right mood. Families will enter and quietly find a seat together. Teachers will be there to greet and help children know what to do.

• Photography: Please refrain from taking photographs or video during the Spiral Walk.

• Dress: There will be multiple candles in and around the spiral, so for safety purposes no long or overly loose dresses. Hair is best pulled back. No light-up shoes.

We ask that you honor this festival as a time of quiet contemplation. The Advent Season means a lot of different things to different folks, but it is important that we all have a reverent experience together in a modern world where reverence can be difficult to find.

Please also remind your child that this is a contemplative evening. Quiet voices and respectful behavior are the expectation. If your child is having a difficult time staying quiet for a long period of time, we kindly request that you take a break with them in the hallway.