A Florida Church Wants to Build the North Pole

Church Marketing Sucks recently posted about a church near Christmas, Florida that it looking to raise $12 million dollars to build a year-round Christmas theme park for terminally ill children.  Complete with reindeers and Santa, the Covenant Community Church hopes Christmas Dreams can be a good outreach tool for families.  Here’s an excerpt from an article in the Orlando Sentinel:

The group's vision is for families to spend several days at the park after taking a "time machine" limo from the airport to Christmas.

The park would be built inside a large warehouse, where reindeer would fly in the snow to Santa's house. The park would feature a giant Christmas tree, 25-plus feet high.

Group president LeeAnn Stayer said that if her dream comes true, families with a terminally ill child could celebrate the holiday any time of the year.

"This all comes out of the idea that we are called to make the world a better place and that the world should be better for us being here," said Stayer, an associate minister at the Covenant church.

What do you think about the idea?  Is it good outreach to sick children who may not make it to Christmas?  Or is it another church getting caught up in the commercial, Santa filled holiday?

I tend to agree with Joshua Cody’s conclusion over at Church Marketing Sucks.  I think the church has good intentions and is trying to show God’s love by trying to help families find some sort of joy in fairly rough times.  But in the end, I’m not sure spending millions of dollars on a secular Christmas project is good stewardship.

What do you say?

Login to comment

Comments (15)

you can't serve two masters, Santa and the Savior. Filed under 'Perverse Syncretism.'
And people wonder why some folks have trouble with tithing to American churches.
I agree with you and Joshua Cody. Seems to be buying into a consumer, fluffy view of a holiday that has little to do with the kind of faith that really sustains people in difficult situations. Why not just send kids to already-existing disneyland, if they are looking for secular escapism?
The fact that they're building this theme park for terminally ill children just masks the ridiculousness of it. It's great that they have a heart for reaching out to these children and their families, but this is a terrible way to go about doing it.

It also reeks of being an attention-grabbing stunt. I'm sure there are plenty of families in their own community that could be greatly served by that $12 million--it just wouldn't make the national news. If they really want to "make the world a better place," couldn't they do so in a quieter, more meaningful way?
are you sure you didn't read this on the onion?
I've had to hit the backspace key TWO times already because what I WANT to say could in no way be considered "salt and light". This is nothing more than another bad idea covered in "christ"; something too many Christian nonprofits and churches are guilty of.

However, what I would suggest is that this church focus on raising 12 million dollars to fund research and healthcare for terminally ill children or build a house for parents ala the Ronald McDonald house where the families can gather to celebrate TOGETHER the reason for the season.

Better yet, SURVEY the needs of these children and their families to find out what they most want/need. Develop a business plan. Forecast impact and reach. Create measurement methods. Be accountable.

If this church is dead set on Santa, rent a suit and go visit the kids in the hospital.

Good grief!
It's idiotic. Not to minimize the tragedy of terminally ill children in the US but millions of children worldwide die every year from simple lack of clean water and sanitation.
This is ridiculous. Wow. I don't even know what to say. I for a long time have been a student of chruch history. This makes me wonder what the many men and women of the who suffered and where martyred for the faith would think. We are in a sad state in our church in America. We as a church have been seduced.
I love the idea of trying to bring a little ray of joy into the lives of the terminally ill and their families, but this really does seem to be to be the wrong way to go about it. And for $12 million? I think we have have lost touch with reality when we want to spend $12 million on something like this when it could go so much further in helping around the world (food, clothing, shelter, water).
I despise this idea! And I can identify with Leanne--I must use measured and careful speech here (perhaps it's already too late for that ...). I wonder if the church has thought through the myriad implications. For example, terminally ill children have specific and significant medical needs. Is the church going to provide a well-equipped medical facility in case of a medical emergency? What if a child needs his or her port flushed? What if it's time for blood to be drawn or chemo to be administered? If they don't watch out, they'll only have enough of that 12 mil left to buy a plastic tree and a few twinkle lights! Boy, this drives me crazy! Is this effort to have any mission or evangelical purpose whatsoever? If so, how do they expect to fit the gospel in among Santa, his reindeers, and the North Pole? Move over Baby Jesus! Make room for Rudolph! For crying out loud ...

See the latest in:

Promotion

promo 1 promo 2
promo 3 promo 4

Donate Now