Hi “Nehemiah”,
This time of year we hear it all the time:
“Breaking News: Cashiers at Target to say Happy Holidays and not choose their own greeting.” Many times the leadership of a few churches will stand up and condemn the store and call for a boycott. We also hear the battle of how secular and anti-Christian Santa Clause is. Yet, we often forget that the first St. Nicholas was a church leader who went out to give gifts to the poor children during the cold season. Why? How did St. Nicholas get such a bad name in the church? Well, studies have shown that repeating the negative is not a great way to battle an opponent. Katya, in her blog (www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com) says this:
“When countering rumors (or myths), it’s a bad idea to repeat them. People may register a denial in the short term, but they only tend to remember the rumor or myth in the long term. Don’t deny or counter something – simply assert your competing notion.
A couple of years back, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tried to combat myths about the flu vaccine by listing commonly held views and labeling them either “true” or “false.” Examples of myths were, “The side effects are worse than the flu” and “Only older people need flu vaccine.” University of Michigan social psychologist Norbert Schwarz found that after reading the flier, the target audience incorrectly recalled 28 percent of the false statements as true. And three days later, they remembered 40 percent of the myths as factual.”
How do we best stop everyone from saying ‘Happy Holidays’? We tell the story of Merry Christmas. How do we remind people that St. Nicholas was a church leader who gave gifts to the poor? We tell that story rather than bashing Santa Clause! We start sharing the birth of Jesus.
Why do some not want to say Merry Christmas? Because they don’t have a relationship with Jesus. Do they know about him? Probably. Have they ever heard that that baby in the manger died and rose again for their sins? Probably not. Have they ever heard that He came that they may have life and have it abundantly (as opposed to religiously)?
Again, probably not. How can they hear unless someone shares? How can one share unless they are sent? I say, ‘How beautiful are you when you commission the believers in your church to go to school every day to share the good news of Jesus Christ.’
My sister spent five years in China as an English teacher. While they were not allowed to talk about religious things, they were encouraged to talk about American culture and traditions. What’s more American than Christmas and Easter? The same is true in your school this month. Help the believing students throw a Christmas party; watch Elf, play games, eat spaghetti and maple syrup, and talk about a baby who changed the world. Don’t have a plan to do that? Remember that there are more students at school that call themselves Christian than football players or band members. Pray for an opportunity to organize the church to rebuild the spiritual walls in your community!
Most leadership blogs will tell you to fight. Politics shows us that in order to win, we need some level of proving the other side wrong and incompetent. Yet, Jesus gives us a distinctly different perspective: RUN! Run the race with perseverance (Hebrews 12:1). Focus this year on the gift our Heavenly Father gave to us in the baby Jesus, pray for an opportunity to share him in your community, and expect God to be faithful and change lives from the inside out.
Merry Christmas,
Brad Schelling
Mark Roberts
Brandon Starnes
