WWJD: In 1989, youth pastor Dan Seaborn of Holland, Michigan, was searching for a motivating and bonding logo or name for his Central Wesleyan Church youth group. He had read, "In His Steps", the 1896 Christian classic novel by Charles Sheldon. In it a dying beggar challenged the townsfolk to always ask themselves before any personal or group action, "What would Jesus do?" They had the idea of putting WWJD on a button, and Ken Freestone of Lesco Company first printed up WWJD legend buttons. Then, Freestone and his brother came up with the idea of WWJD wristbands. In 1996, after a big promotional push, they sold 250,000 bands. Then CNN produced a 1997 story followed by sales of 15,000,000 wristbands. Wrist-band protocol: if someone asks about your WWJD wrist band or button, the owner is...in accord with The Great Commission...to perform an act of evangelization and give the bracelet/button to the "asker", explaining the initials, answering any questions, and hoping to be used of the Holy Spirit [see The Elect] in the interchange. [WWJD web site]

[posted 20 Nov. 200; reposted 17 Jan. 2002]