Join us at Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville, North Carolina, for the first gathering in our four-part Advent series, The Work of Her Hands. We begin with spinning—the ancient work of transforming fiber into thread. We’ll explore the ordinary textile work that shaped women’s daily lives in the world of Mary, learn how fiber was prepared and spun by hand, and try the practice ourselves.

Along the way, we’ll reflect on Mary not only as a figure in sacred art, but as a young woman whose life would have been filled with the material work of making, tending, and providing. No previous experience is needed. Come ready to learn, wonder, and work with your hands as we prepare for Christmas together.

Join us at Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville, North Carolina, for the second gathering in our four-part Advent series, The Work of Her Hands. This week we turn to weaving—the patient work of transforming spun thread into cloth.

We’ll explore the role weaving played in the everyday lives of women in the world of Mary, learn about the simple looms and techniques used to create the cloth needed for clothing and household life, and experience the practice of weaving with our own hands. As warp and weft are joined together, we’ll reflect on the slow, attentive work of making and on Mary as a woman whose ordinary life would have included the textile traditions of her time.

No previous experience is needed. Come ready to learn, wonder, and work with your hands as we prepare for Christmas together.

Join us at Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville, North Carolina, for the third gathering in our four-part Advent series, The Work of Her Hands. This week we turn to bread—the daily work of grinding grain, mixing dough, tending fire, and feeding a household.

We’ll explore the place of bread-making in the everyday lives of women in the world of Mary and experience some of that work with our own hands. As we grind, mix, knead, and bake, we’ll reflect on Mary as a woman whose ordinary life would have included the daily labor of preparing food—and on the rich place bread holds in the Christian story, from daily sustenance to the Bread of Life.

No previous experience is needed. Come ready to learn, wonder, and work with your hands as we prepare for Christmas together.

Join us at Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville, North Carolina, for the final gathering in our four-part Advent series, The Work of Her Hands. As Advent draws toward Christmas, we turn to tending light—the everyday work of filling, trimming, lighting, and caring for the small oil lamps that illuminated the home.

We’ll explore the simple clay lamps used in the world of Mary and the work required to keep them burning. As we work with oil, wick, and flame, we’ll reflect on Mary as a woman who would have known this ordinary rhythm of tending light—and on the rich biblical imagery of lamps, watchfulness, and light shining in the darkness.

No previous experience is needed. Come ready to learn, wonder, and work with your hands as we prepare to welcome the Light of the World at Christmas.