Jesus is the link among all the holydays and the central reason for every celebration in the Church. Christ's Gospel of salvation is living water that gives Christians eternal life. A stream flowing down a mountain provides life to all the plants and animals its waters sustain. If that stream is dammed up, no life sustaining water will reach the plants and animals down stream and they will die. When secular forces relentlessly suppress the Gospel message in our Christian holydays, that suppression works on Christianity just like the dam on the stream. The business sector creates some of this suppression out of carelessness, and anti-religion groups do it purposefully. Christ and His Gospel of salvation cannot easily coexist with oppressive anti-God messages, the substitution of secular for Christian meanings, and the exhaustive marketing of inappropriate worldly things for Christian holydays. The question becomes: How can we easily point these issues out to the secular world and illuminate the Gospel at the same time? It's really quite easy; we begin a faith walk with Jesus. Participating in catechism classes, attending Bible studies, and taking part in church services all prepare us to be Christians. We gain "head knowledge" through these activities. The Biblical teachings cumulatively define and show us the path that leads to Heaven, and they illuminate for us the practices that an inspired Christian will follow. As David put it: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105). It is then up to us as individuals to do something with what we have learned and begin moving down that path with Jesus, which is variously called: Our mission as we walk the walk is to go into the world and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and bring His light to a world lost in darkness. In the CHRIST Program this mission is synonymous with the phrase "imparting salvation's testament."

As you walk with Jesus, some Christians and non-Christians may wonder why you act the way you do. It is typically easier to focus on material, secular things instead of on eternal matters. Faith walks are self directed, and only you can define your path by interacting with the Holy Spirit. Churches and this program can help add insight; but like all your important faith decisions, God works directly with and through you as you put your faith in action. An ancient Chinese proverb states: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step." So too does every Christian's faith walk begin with the first step.

Some people are hesitant to truly begin their faith walk, because they are afraid of the unknown, don't know how they will walk it, or are afraid that God expects too much. No one should ever be afraid to begin their faith walk. God doesn't expect everyone to immediately become a powerful preacher or a missionary in a foreign land. Everyone's faith walk begins like a baby's' physical development:  first a baby learns to sit up, then crawl, then awkwardly walk holding on, then walk without holding on, then walk faster, then run awkwardly, then run gracefully. As soon as a child completes another milestone, they always have fun and smile — just like a Christian on their faith walk.

Anyone can begin their faith walk and acknowledge Jesus as their savior in several ways. As we become more visible as Christians we should strive to fulfill the Great Commission. At the very end of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus says: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20). As you progress on your faith walk, it becomes easier to fulfill the Great Commission and spread the Gospel message. Every person you encounter will know you are a Christian by your visibility, peace of mind, countenance, self esteem, and kindness — such as defined by the hymn They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love. It becomes easier and easier to tell others about our Savior. Thus, Christians can individually and collectively impart salvation's testament. If you adopt the CHRIST Program, then a step now and then in your faith walk could focus on restoring Jesus Christ as the center of all Christian holydays.

Participating in the CHRIST Program is voluntary and is a small part of a Christian's larger faith walk. Any Christian who believes it is time to restore Jesus Christ to his rightful place at the center of our holydays should prayerfully consider participating in this program. Click on one of the links at the top left of this page for more details on how to participate during a particular season.