Against The Flow

The following is from What’s Up In North Georgia a free takeaway local paper in the North Georgia area. The article is about a survey done on changing Christmas traditions. Certainly looks like Christmas has changed and will continue to unless….

Just a thought provoker.

New research conducted on behalf of the National Christmas Tree Association has shown a major erosion of key aspects of Christmas celebrations among U.S. adults since a similar survey conducted in 1996. “While participation in activities associated with commercial elements have remained about the same in the last 10 years, activities revolving around Christian values and Christian celebrations have dropped dramatically,” NCTA Chief Executive Steve Drake reported at the first annual Christmas Traditions Summit, held recently in St. Louis. The Summit is a conference of companies and organizations engaged in the Christmas holidays. “We have been concerned about changes in consumer attitudes surrounding Christmas and invited others who are involved in Christmas traditions to join us for discussions about trends and possible collaborative efforts.”

Among activities traditionally considered Christian:

1. Attending a religious service during the Christmas holidays declined 20 percentage points from 63 percent to 43 percent.

2. Taking time for religious reflection declined 22 percentage points from 57 percent to 35 percent.

3. Giving food, money or clothing to those less fortunate declined 15 percentage points from 68 percent to 53 percent.

4. Reading the Bible or other religious books declined 29 percentage points from 51 percent to 22 percent.

5. Volunteering for charitable activities declined 23 percentage points from 36 percent to 13 percent.

6. Play Christmas music that contains “Christian” lyrics declined 27 percentage points from 51 percent to 24 percent.

Meanwhile, among activities often considered commercial:

1. Exchanging gifts increased 8 percentage points from 77 percent to 85 percent.

2. Decorating a Christmas tree was about the same at 74 percent.

3. Decorating the home was about the same at 71 percent.

4. Sending greeting cards was about the same at 69 percent.

5. Attending Christmas parties was about the same at 56 percent.

Among other activities during the Christmas holidays:

1. Cooking a holiday meal declined 11 percentage points from 73 percent to 62 percent.

2. Making Christmas cookies, candy or deserts declined 9 percentage points from 61 percent to 52 percent.

3. Attending family gatherings remained about the same at 75 percent.

4. Play Christmas music remained the same at 68 percent.

I’ve not always been a big fan of Christian Radio. Many try to tout it as an outreach opportunity, yet the style is so out of touch with the culture. Others see it as an alternative for believers, and I guess that’s ok. But I’ve found one station that may fit both. It’s 91.7 “The Call� located in Miami, Fl. It ROCKS! Truly real different than most Christian radio in my area. Go to www.callfm.com and click on listen live and be ready for a different kind of Christian Music.

We all know somebody who lives for this time of the year. What time you might ask? Christmas lights on, in, & around your house time. My somebody is Robin Franks, he has the coolest lights on East Main, Laurens. But click the link to see the coolest lights ever!!!

Best Christmas lights ever!

The following are notes from this years Drive Conference by North Point Church. You can view the videos of this conference at http://www.driveconference.org/drive05.jsp. They are well worth the time to watch.

Reggie Joiner opened up the Drive conference with a session on Change.

He gave a thought provoking challenge to consider making radical change not just safe, incremental change. Research shows that 1/3 of adults in America are unchurched and 2/3 of those 18 and under are unchurched.

Our mission is to reach the unchurched but to do so requires that the church be willing to make some radical changes. His basic premise was this…To radically change your organization you have to radically change your organization. (Yes you read it right…just do it.) Then he gave 4 main points:

1. Sometimes it takes a radical change to remind every leader that the only thing that’s sacred is the mission. (strategy, programs, etc are not sacred)

2. Sometimes it takes radical change before those on the Inside believe you are serious about reaching those on the outside. (Make a radical change and it makes a statement to those on the inside)

3. Sometimes it takes a radical change before those on the outside believe they are important to those on the inside. (Do the unchurched see that they are valued by the way we do church?)

4. Sometimes it takes a radical change before you can truly know what it means to trust God with your life and ministry. (When I personally have to make a radical change I have to trust God)

The session closed with 2 questions: What radical change do you need to make? What is keeping you from making that radical change?
(Oh and the really cool thing was when we went out to our car there was a DRIVE sticker on our back window and a yellow sheet on our windshield that had a homework assignment)