by Rebecca Barnes, editor 26 Nov 2007

Like about 147 million other Americans I hit the stores over Thanksgiving weekend to start my Christmas shopping. I wasn’t doing my part to boost the economy, just getting a head start on a long list of gifts to buy.

I was feeling pretty good about this until I heard about Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping. Apparently this saint of anti-sales is spreading a gospel of no spending for Christmas.

Now, obviously, Christmas has become too much about consumerism in recent decades. But, the the entire American culture is too consumer oriented. So this reverend’s message—by the way, he is an actor and an activist named Bill Talen—rings a lot of Christmas bells with people interested in exiting the Christmas spending spree.

The spirit of Christmas giving 

In my estimation, while they may be a symptom of over-spending in general, maxed out credit cards, bankruptcies and home loan foreclosures have little to do with Christmas giving.

People most likely to heed the message about spending less are people who don’t give as their love language anyway. These are the already chintzy present givers who will gladly turn their meager spending into even less (or nothing) in favor of some ideal that makes it seem better than lousy gift giving.

People who hate shopping at any time of year are also likely to jump on the Church of Stop Shopping bandwagon.

So the question for church leaders and consultants is how to evaluate Christmas shopping in your own congregations. Should you advise parishioners to quit the malls and discount stores this holiday season?

Shoppers already know they should be more careful this year. The National Retail Federation found that while more shoppers were out this Black Friday, the average consumer spent 3.5 percent less than they did a year ago. Maybe they just got great deals. Or, maybe, shoppers understand what Reverend Billy doesn’t—that presents aren’t about the price tag, but about the thought.

We need more givers

Let me clarify: this thought isn’t only about buying a present for someone, but is also about what to buy. Considering others is at the heart of Christianity. So Christians who plan to give presents this Christmas will be practicing their faith wholeheartedly if they consider others before themselves. And, give a visible sign of not only their love, but of the love Christ offered in giving himself that first Christmas.

This is the generosity of Christmas that presents represent. Churches should encourage members to give like Christ. Encouraging people to stop giving because it costs money sends the wrong message to congregations. Particularly when they are encouraged to give to more charitable causes during the holidays, to people in need, and to fill up shoeboxes for impoverished children around the world.

Churches need more givers, not fewer. Check out these great resources for encouraging generosity in churches.