America’s donors are less trusting of religious charities than they were a year ago, a survey from the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, also known as Give.org, found this week. Just 26.1% of donors said they “highly trust” faith-based charities in 2022, down from 29% the previous year. Veterans organizations and not-for-profit hospitals were “most trusted,” the survey reported.

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Ethan Forhetz, a vice president at Christian charity Convoy of Hope, said the group will “do our utmost to maintain the highest ethical standards that we can,” which he hopes will prompt donors to give the organization a second look.

Holy Land’s Christians tone down holiday observance

Orthodox Christians in the Palestinian territory town of Bethlehem will have a very “silent night” on Christmas Eve as church leaders canceled festivities that annually bring 150,000 pilgrims to the Holy Land.

The stand-down in Bethlehem — as well as in Haifa, Jerusalem and the neighboring nation of Jordan — is caused by the Israel-Hamas war, which is expected to continue through the holiday season.

Besieged food charities seek relief

Rising grocery prices, a spike in food insecurity and an uptick in families and illegal immigrants seeking free social services all are contributing to high anxiety among the nation’s charities, Washington Times reporter Sean Salai writes.

Officials at the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry in Prince William County, Virginia, said the number of families seeking aid surged this year to 54,397, up 47% from last year’s 37,000. The pantry had raised $30,000 of the $125,000 they need to buy food, but hope to meet the goal by New Year’s Day.

Video: Keep Jesus, not gifts, at center of Christmas

If you’re more wrapped up in wrapping paper than in the Christ of Christmas, pastor and bestselling author Max Lucado says it’s time to reflect on the day’s essential meaning, that of God becoming a human in the infant Jesus.

“I think we need a lot of Christmas this Christmas,” he told The Washington Times in a video interview. “I think we need the pure message of God loving the world, caring for people and doing everything necessary to redeem it for himself. … We need the message that says it’s going to be OK.”

New Scrooge podcast emphasizes faith

One of the most popular stories during the Christmas season is really a tale of redemption and personal transformation. A new podcast hopes to put those elements forward for a new generation of listeners.

“Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” emphasizes the faith-friendly aspects of the Charles Dickens classic. Ebenezer Scrooge is there, as are Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit and the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. But this dramatic retelling leans heavily on Scrooge’s transformation. Read all the details here.

Hometown values boost Great American Family cable network

The Great American Family network, the country’s fastest-growing cable channel for 12 months in a row, will serve up 23 original Christmas movies this year, each family-friendly and suffused with hometown values.

One film in particular, “A Christmas Blessing” starring Lori Laughlin, Jesse Hutch and James Tupper, “brings in giving in the spirit of the season in a way that very few movies are able to accomplish. We really want to lean into what Christmas is, the meaning of the season and the faith element,” said Bill Abbott, president and CEO of network parent Great American Media.

Prepare for grief in season four of ‘The Chosen’

As the story of Jesus and the disciples progresses into season four of “The Chosen” next year, actress Elizabeth Tabish says viewers should prepare for “a lot of grief” as the story progresses.

One issue confronted in the new season, she said, is why Jesus healed one person, but not another. “There’s just, I think, really difficult questions that are sort of answered,” she said.

Video: Franklin Graham discusses Israel, antisemitism 

Evangelist Franklin Graham tells Billy Hallowell it’s no surprise that antisemitism is on the rise around the world. He blames the amount of socialist and communist ideology that has crept into Western and American public education.

Mr. Graham also discussed his recent visit to Israel, his conversations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and how Samaritan’s Purse, which Mr. Graham leads, is helping during the war.

In our opinion

Hollywood stars break the mold. Actors Neal McDonough, Dean Cain, Rob Schneider, Kevin Sorbo and Alexa PenaVega have something in common besides appearing on red carpets and in industry magazines: They’re all committed Christians who put their faith first, Mr. Hallowell writes.

That sometimes has cost the stars jobs or friendships, but they’ve learned there’s more to life than money or accolades, Mr. Hallowell notes. “It’s refreshing to see these stars realize it,” he says.

Living a godly life. Evangelist Greg Laurie writes that the life of Daniel — a faithful believer in secular Babylon — can help us learn how to live a godly life in an age where faith is often belittled.

“Living boldly in a secular culture means living out the teachings of Jesus, even when they clash with societal norms,” he says. “It means showing love and compassion to those around us, regardless of their beliefs or backgrounds.”

Cancel culture’s threat. Authors John and Nisha Whitehead warn that Americans are losing the right to think for themselves thanks to cancel culture, which is bringing a dystopian future to life.

“Everything is now fair game for censorship if it can be construed as hateful, hurtful, bigoted or offensive provided that it runs counter to the established viewpoint,” they write.

Christianity’s essentials. Everett Piper — our “Ask Dr. E” columnist — distills the basics of the Christian faith for a reader who is “Searching for Mere Christianity.”

He says it’s not for him — or a denomination — to define what Christianity is. The Bible offers the real answer.

“Christianity is really quite simple and clear. Christians believe the Bible is the word of God, that Jesus is the Son of God, that Truth is revealed by God, and that wisdom, i.e., obedience, is demanded by God,” Mr. Piper writes.