This year, our Advent theme will be “O Little Town.”

As a church, in 2025 we plan to plant a church in the small town of North Manchester. North Manchester is not a town of great size, notoriety, or influence. It’s not the type of town that would typically make it onto a church planter’s short list of prospective locations in which to start a church. Yet God Himself has a knack for—and delight in—starting glorious works in small obscure places. Bethlehem was one one of them.

Jesus was not born in the city where most would have expected the Messiah to arrive. Jerusalem was the seat of power and the place where Jewish leaders (both religious and political) dwelled. Jesus’ life would end there, of course, when He was crucified. But God, in His mysterious providence, had the life of His Son begin far off the beaten path in the small town of Bethlehem. It was there, in relative obscurity, that Jesus entered into our world to become our Savior.

This says something about God’s heart—that the gospel is good news for all people (even in the Bethlehems and North Manchesters of the world), and that He can make grand things spring from small beginnings. So this Advent season, we are going to be taking a look at four passages related to the town of Bethlehem (three Old Testament texts, and one text from Luke’s narrative) to help us marvel at our Savior who hails from a small town.

We’ve provided a few simple resources which could help you engage with the Lord this Christmas season. Use the buttons below to check them out.