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Archive of "social action" Category

• Consumerism, social justice and money

  22/08/2009 // 1 Comment »

  A few bloggers have been blogging on similar themes and as I’ve already done a round up I thought I’d slip in an extra one, There’s some interesting things here

  Jeremy wonders whether we can carry on consuming while Colin Beavan argues that Treating anxiety and depression could save the planet while Matt Hosier points out some of consumerism’s more silly statements when buying a shirt. Gareth reminds us that TV is not all it’s cracked up to be.

  Here are 10 theses on social action and the kingdom of God while Kevin DeYoung begins a new series on social justice and the poor. While on the other side of the coin Warren Buffett wonders about the US financial recovery.

  Categories:
  consumerism, justice, money, poverty, social action

• Square Mile

  04/03/2009 // No Comments »

  A new resource is being launched for UK churches tomorrow. Here’s the blurb from the EA.

  EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE LAUNCHES NEW MISSION INITIATIVE
  

  Thursday 5 March 10:00 AM – 4:15 PM. Westminster Chapel, Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6BS

  “Would anyone in your community notice if your church ceased to exist?” the Evangelical Alliance is asking at the launch of its new initiative Square Mile. Square Mile will be launched at the Alliance’s Council meeting on 5 March, with a keynote talk by Tearfund’s Integral Mission Director David Westlake, and worship led by Tim Hughes, worship director at Holy Trinity Brompton. It aims to help and inspire Christians to see the whole of their lives as mission and focuses on four areas: Mercy, Influence, Life discipleship and Evangelism.

  “Square Mile is a powerful resource to equip the whole church and take the whole gospel to the whole world,” said Mr Westlake. The initiative includes a website and a small group course. The website will act as a hub, profiling mission resources, stories and networks in each of the MILE categories, across the spectrum of evangelicalism.

  The DVD-based course, designed for small groups, aims to inspire grassroots church members and give them the means to make a difference at home, church or work. Each course session involves Scripture, deciphered in the home group and by theological experts, including Bishop of Durham Tom Wright, Elaine Storkey and Tim Keller, to provide the rationale for engaging in each of the four areas. There are also stories about Christians having an impact on their communities around the UK and input from well-known practitioners – Shane Claiborne, Jim Wallis, Mark Greene and J John – to motivate the users to action.

  “I’m always excited when I hear that people are getting together in local churches to talk about how they can make a difference in the wider community,” said Bishop Wright.

  “This particular project is straightforward enough to be easily comprehensible but has enough depth to take people from where they are and go somewhere quite a good deal further. It will be an excellent resource for the local church and the local community to be God’s people in tomorrow’s world. I’m very happy to commend this whole project and to take part in it.”

  The course is complemented by a personal journal that participants can use in their own time. Its chapters follow the MILE pattern and allow individuals to reflect on what God might be calling them to do in their communities. “We are called as followers of Christ to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly,” said Mr Hughes. “By getting involved with Square Mile, we can begin to live out that call effectively.”

  For more information please visit the Square Mile website at www.eauk.org/squaremile. (published 5 March)
  

  Categories:
  church, social action

• Keeping Social Action and Evangelism Together

  27/10/2008 // No Comments »

  This is the conclusion of the World Evangelical Alliance Theological Commission, which is good and slightly surprising that it’s still an issue. Here for a fuller statement

  Categories:
  evangelism, social action

• Do good works…

  15/05/2008 // No Comments »

  At the end of May I’m involved in our local and utterly brilliant Soul Purpose weekend. Here’s what I posted on that blog….

  I don’t believe you get to heaven by doing good works, but I also don’t believe we can know how to live on earth without them. God saves us by His grace and then calls us to work for His kingdom.

  Soul Purpose is a brilliant, God given opportunity to put our faith into action. This afternoon I was out assessing some of the core projects and so this year we get to:

  • Create a better garden for 2 year old Melissa who has Downs Syndrome, who feeds through a tube into a stomach and has to see a heart specialist regularly but who is a real bundle of mischief and joy
  • Help an elderly couple (Mr & Mrs Glover) return their garden to the ‘English country garden’ you can see it used to be. Mr Glover is recovering from a stroke and Mrs Glover just can’t manage the work
  • Give Julie (in a wheelchair) a new looking hallway, full of light and freshly painted
  • Help Tom, who has Parkinsons, and his wife Pam sort out their back yard and get rid of the stuff he can no longer use or lift
  • Help Margaret, who suffers with arthritis, recover the jungle of her garden from the invading waist high army of nettles
  • Help a small church redecorate their hall for the children and young people they serve
  • Create afternoons of laughter and fun for families that need a bright spot in their bank holiday weekend
  • Remove litter that degrades the community and insults the Creator
  • Turn wilderness into places of beauty

  That’s not simply a great weekend, that’s hope bringing, that’s action that is filled with the potential of being eternally significant. That’s a God glorifying mix of worship, prayer, mission and action that for a short while demonstrates the beauty and power and hope that is only found in the church. Can’t wait, can you?

  Categories:
  social action

• How to lead a mercy filled life in a difficult world

  03/05/2008 // No Comments »

  The title of this post was the title I was given at last weekend’s social action conference. I was the first half of the main afternoon seminar hosted by Mick Taylor of Kings Church Catford. The second half was by Andy Clasper of Micah Challenge. I think it went OK, no sign of the audio yet but I’ll chase it up if I can. For those interested here’s my presentation and talk notes, although I did improvise a little bit here and there.

  The whole conference was excellent. The day was opened by host Simon Allen who introduced a friend of his who had come to Christ after decades in crime and drugs, wonderful. Stuart Townend and Phatfish band led us in worship. Then Mick Taylor opened with a really vivid talk on the kingdom of God and how we are values driven not results driven. Seminars followed and I heard Dave Fellingham on lessons learned from the early days of the Salvation Army. Lunch and afternoon seminars with a Dr Phil Clarke who didn’t really hit his theme but told wonderfully inspiring stories on why we do what we do, why we live and love the broken. Great day.

  Categories:
  newfrontiers, social action

• Social Action Conference

  22/04/2008 // 1 Comment »

  I’ve been a bit busy preparing talks and hit a run of meetings (will they ever end?) but I’ve enjoyed preparing for part of a seminar called ‘how to live a mercy filled life in a difficult world’ at the upcoming Newfrontiers social action conference. If you’re going to be there, come and say ‘Hi’.

  It’s always a personal challenge to speak at these things, especially on the above topic. After all, when are you ever an expert on that? There are times when I think what I’m doing is compassionate and it turns out not to be, other times it’s the other way around. Sometimes I don’t feel love but I do the loving thing, sometimes I don’t want to do the loving thing because it’s hard. So thinking about mercy has been encouraging and as soon as I get an audio or link I’ll post it up here along with my brief powerpoints.

  But I’m not there yet, so how would you answer the question, ‘how do you lead a mercy filled life?’ I’d love to hear your thoughts

  To see the range of projects Newfrontiers is involved in, watch this short presentation

  Categories:
  compassion, newfrontiers, social action

• Good works are not just for Easter

  20/03/2008 // No Comments »

  Well done Bishops but isn’t this something the church should be doing all the time? See Hope 08 for a response

  Categories:
  Hope, social action