Preaching a need for 'presence' and fewer presents

MINNEAPOLIS - William Doherty wasn't among the throngs in the shopping malls on Black Friday. He was in church.

Doherty, a professor in the Family Social Science Department at the University of Minnesota, is part of a growing backlash against the commercialization of Christmas. Last year, he helped his church, Unity Church Unitarian in St. Paul, Minn., hold a worship service on what has become known as Black Friday, the official start of the holiday gift-buying bonanza and the biggest retail shopping day of the year.

This year, he helped launch a similar "Black Friday at Church" event at New Hope Baptist Church in St. Paul.

The protest against Christmas consumption, organized by the Advent Conspiracy, has become an international phenomenon. The program, created by three pastors in 2006, was being presented this year in as many as 1,500 churches.

"We don't know exactly how many churches are using it, because we're not in this to make money," said one of the founders, the Rev. Greg Holder from the Crossing Community Church in suburban St. Louis. "The program is out there for anyone who wants to download it [off the Internet]."

When Unity tried it last year, the church had no idea how many people would come, Doherty said. "We ended up with 300, many of whom called it the best single church experience of the year."

At New Hope Baptist, the Rev. Runney Patterson Sr. was excited by Unity's experience. It meshed perfectly with his concept of giving.

"Most of what we consider holiday gift-giving isn't giving at all, it's swapping," he said. "We're just trading gifts. True giving is when you find an individual or a family that is not able to give back to you."

Before you start thinking this movement is one big "Bah, humbug," keep in mind that no one is trying to eliminate gift-giving or shut down the free-enterprise system.

"We still believe in capitalism," said the Rev. Mark Kelm, rector of the Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness. The adult forums at his White Bear Lake, Minn., congregation are following the Advent Conspiracy program. "We're talking about giving gifts that matter."

This year, the creators of Advent Conspiracy published Advent Conspiracy: Can Christmas Still Change the World? ($12.99, Zondervan). The book outlines four basic steps: Worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all.

How can you give more while spending less? It starts by giving time.

Instead of giving presents, "we talk about giving 'presence,' " Holder explained. "We talk about investing in relationships. On Friday, I plan to enjoy being with my family, spending time with my wife and kids, and not spending time in line at a store."

He suggested giving one fewer gift and redirecting the money that would have been spent on it to charity.

"We're not saying spend nothing on gifts, we're just saying spend a little less," he said. "Let's rebel against this idea that the best way to express the Christmas spirit is to spend more."

Kelm's church has designated Toys for Tots as its primary charity. "Look around; your kids probably already have plenty of toys," he said. "Take some of the money and give it to someone who really needs it."

For many churches, the objection to Black Friday goes beyond the money. It's about confronting the shopping malls that have, in Holder's words, "hijacked Christmas."

"We need to recapture Christmas and bring it back to the church," Kelm said.

The fact that the Advent Conspiracy has caught on in other countries shows that it's not just about American consumer culture.

"We've heard of churches [using the program] in the Philippines, India, and Africa, and we even heard of one in Moscow," Holder said. "This is resonating with people all over the world. It's time for churches to start actually acting like churches. Let's celebrate the gifts that God gives us."