Saturday, June 28, 1997

'W.W.J.D.' bracelets latest trend among Christians

By SHANNON KING / Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Emily Tomberlin was facing a tough situation and had no idea what to do, so she called her youth pastor for guidance.

While on the phone, her eyes suddenly latched onto the simple nylon bracelet on her wrist, with the letters "W.W.J.D." embroidered on the fabric.

"I looked at it and immediately I was reminded of a story in the Bible where someone was going through the same situation," Emily recalls.

It was then she decided her problem wasn't so great or impossible after all. She just asked herself "What Would Jesus Do?"

"It's just a simple little bracelet," she says, "but it means so much."

Emily, 16, is one of thousands, young and old, who have have made the accessory found at Christian bookstores a hot item.

"It's the coolest thing. I haven't taken mine off since I got it," she says.

The $1.50 bracelets are in such demand that their creators are scrambling to handle the supply.

Lesco, a company in Lansing, Mich., created the wristbands for a local youth group eight years ago.

"It's simply a reminder for Christians that, when they are in tough situations, they can look at the bracelet and think, 'What would Jesus do?,' " says Steve Freestone, a sales manager for Lesco. "It can also be a way to share Christ with people."

The bracelets are selling fast at more than 1,500 Christian bookstores across the country. Many stores sell an average of 2,000 a week, Freestone says.

They come in different colors, including rainbow shades. And bracelets for Spanish-speakers have been created.

"We just give God the thanks for this," Freestone says. "If we sold 5,000 a week, that would be pretty good. But 10,000 a day - that's awesome!"

Mardel Christian Bible Office and Education Supply in Oklahoma City is scrambling to keep its racks of bracelets full.

"They are selling like crazy. It's unbelievable," says Gary Smith, who works in the store's music department. "Youth ministers come in and purchase hundreds of them."

Smith acknowledges that he, too, has given in to the fad.

"I'll admit it ... I have one in every color. I keep a few and give others to my friends. I just think it's a cool witnessing tool," he says.

Steve Renkema, assistant manager of Baker Bookhouse in Holland, Mich., says the bracelets are selling so well that the store has a waiting list of people who want to buy them.

"People all over the country want them, but we just can't keep them in stock long enough to send them out," he says.

Renkema says he's also noticed that visiting missionaries like to buy several to take back to their countries.

Robert Gregg, camp director for Camp LU-JO KISMIF in Lawton, says that when he saw the bracelets, he just had to purchase them for his campers.

"Teen-agers are so impressionable and they face tough decisions every day," Gregg says. "With this bracelet, I think when they come across those difficult situations, they will be reminded of Jesus and seek direction from that."

When Gregg presented the bands to campers, it wasn't the first time many of them saw the bracelets. Some owned several.

"I noticed them early in the school year," says Emily, one of his campers. "When I saw them, I thought they were so neat."

Another camper, 18-year-old Buddy Johnson of Huntsville, Ala., says he purchased a bright red bracelet so it could really stand out.

"We all go to parties and sometimes there are things there that you know you shouldn't do. The color of the bracelet is bright enough for me to notice it and stop and think about Jesus," he says.

And Lesco isn't going to stop with bracelets.

"We're in the process of making caps and T-shirts bearing the WWJD logo," Freestone says. "They should be in stores by July."