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It is always hard to get a healthy perspective on a system that you live in. We are all part of the capitalist system and we actively participate in it. It’s just that sometimes we don’t think about it very much.

Some Christians argue against capitalism and condemn the system as a whole. But then we have to ask: what is the alternative? There are not many around to compare it to. The whole world is evolving towards a universal capitalist system. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, developing nations are seeking to create a capitalist infrastructure as fast as possible because they see this is the most efficient way to bring economic growth to their countries. Secondly, the communist economic system has been found lacking and has been abandoned almost everywhere (the most glaring exception being North Korea).

Let’s reflect on the first of these two trends.

It is a remarkable fact that during the past half-century there has been a decisive move towards capitalism in most developing countries. Feudal and dictatorial economic systems have given way to more democratic forms of government, thus promoting economic development. There have been strong drives to create infrastructures that promote capitalism: an efficient banking system, better transport and utility systems, less bureaucracy and corruption, freer flow of capital, etc. The overall effect of this trend has been economically positive. Many developing countries have taken huge steps forward and enriched their people. There have even been some spectacular success stories, such as Brazil and India.

However, there is a paradox here. While many developing countries have done very well, others have not. And here’s another paradox. While nations such as India have seen the rise of a very large middle class and a very rich elite, vast numbers still live in abject poverty.

So, relatively unbridled capitalism almost inevitably leads to massive divisions between rich and poor. This is an issue we will return to.

In the next post I’ll look briefly at the economic legacy of the fall of communism before we take a harder look at capitalism from a biblical point of view.

Imagine Dragons' Den... but replace the scary 'Dragons' with a roomful of supportive collaborators, willing to offer time and resources to help get new ideas off the ground. That was the idea behind the 'Good Ideas: Pitch Night', hosted by member of ChristChurch London's 'Transform Business' group.

The inspiration for the event came from seeing many great ideas that have been brought to life by members of ChristChuch over the last few years. A common pattern emerged; someone with a good idea connected with others with the resources and skills to help turn the idea into a reality. Why not catalyze this process, by giving people a platform to pitch their ideas and what they need to take it to the next stage?
 
We decided on simple criteria; the ideas had to be ‘good’ - reflecting Kingdom values, with a clear aim to serve society. As soon as word got out about the event, an amazing deluge of good ideas began.
 
So, on a mild Friday evening in January, 12 pitchers were given five minutes each to pitch their idea. The pitches were as brilliant as they were diverse - from dad-oriented baby-wear, through decor-friendly fire blankets, to franchises for ex-offenders and food vouchers for the homeless. The venue - the crypt of St James’ Clerkenwell - could have been straight out of Dragon’s Den itself. Around 80 people came to hear the pitches and to offer their advice and support over a glass of wine afterwards.
 
Thanks to great pitchers and a great audience, the feedback has been really encouraging. The pitchers are now pursuing multiple offers of help, contacts and even funding. We hope to run a similar event in a few months time - and we’re also thinking about other ways to support those who are already pursuing their good ideas.
 
This initiative works really well in a big church that is already buzzing with ideas, but there’s no reason a few churches in an area couldn’t get together and organise a similar event, pooling resources across congregations, and helping people find like-minded others to connect with and see their ideas take shape. If you’re thinking of doing something similar, you might find these guidelines that we gave to pitchers useful.
 
If you’d like to see the idea in action, look out for it in one of the breaks at this year’s Everything conference - we’ll be hosting a mini-Pitch event to inspire you and hopefully make some more great connections. Don’t forget to book into the conference in advance to save 20% on the ticket price. Now that’s a Good Idea if ever I heard one.

Outline of visiontalk given in January 09
TibbertChristmas news. Personal: each Christmas and summer holiday I do apersonal/family review – cover marriage, spiritual disciplines, how the kidsare doing, physical health, emotional state, finances. For this last point – Ihave a 25 year plan. I have one life and I want to ‘max it’ for God.
OnVision Sunday I do a similar review for the church – possible to set the bartoo high so that such a review and analysis demotivates. Also possible to setthe bar too low and underachieve.
Lk.5:1-7 Jesus’ miracle leads to the call – ‘Partners – come and help!’ 
SinceJan 07 we have experienced a Big Catch! Jan 08 I put before you the five challengesthat could have sunk our boat-     Diversity – not remaining a monoculturechurch-     Growth – caring for people in small groupsand providing enough leaders-     Facilities – looking at relocation - quotefor £12 million was beyond us. Need for further office space.-     Finance – growth requires large financialdemands-     Apostolic – recovering from church plantinto Beacon (40 people sent), 10 people to Greenwich, a further 10 to Beacon.My role in Newfrontiers expanding, Mick Taylor’s involvement in Newfrontiers’training – a huge gift that benefits us and the wider movement.
Responseto the challenges: Gracism series, move to a third meeting. Review how we havemet our goals from 2007. Growth in our numbers could be described as ‘a massivecatch’ – be encouraged! Recognise parts of our set-up are overstretched, thoughwe have massive momentum. I don’t want us to sink –going to need partners tocome and help us! Elders to discuss launch of a 4th meeting –possibly on another site – please pray for us. 
:7= key. Signalled to partners to help – or they wouldsink. Went to those nearest – if you are here we don’t want you to just be herefor the (boat) ride – come and help on this battleship, not a pleasure cruiser.
5ways to help – step up in-leadership – come and carry some weight-membership – come and join - sign of commitment-serving – come and serve - don’t assume that everyone else will do the necessary tasks-praying – come and pray - especially collective prayer meetings-giving – come and give - aware of current economic situation but prime way to show where yourheart is – by tithes and offerings
Conclusion:‘Partners! Come and help!’

Justice and Care takes up her case in court to ensure perpetrators are punished

When Manju* came out of the brothel, she was exhausted. For weeks she had spent every last bit of energy planning her escape, putting those plans into motion and living in fear of discovery.

But even through the haze of relief and joy at being reunited with her husband, Manju could only think of one thing; punishing her captors.

Manju told the police how, while waiting for a train from Bangalore to her hometown, she had been drugged and pulled onto a bus. When she woke up midway through the journey, she found that the trafficker had taken her mobile phone and all her money. He threatened to kill her if she made a scene. Frightened, she kept quiet. But she never gave up hope.

The trafficker sold her to a brothel in Mumbai where two women beat her and burnt her with cigarettes until she agreed to work as a prostitute. She tried to escape but was brought back to the brothel. Manju says that two policemen witnessed this but were bribed to keep quiet.

Finally, a customer lent Manju his mobile phone so she could call her husband. He rushed to Mumbai and came to the brothel, pretending to be a customer. The next day, he returned with the police and rescued her. The two women who had enslaved her were arrested.

Justice and Care has taken up Manju’s case and will fight for her in court. We appealed to the Deputy Commissioner of police in Mumbai on Manju’s behalf and he took swift action against the officials who were bribed to turn a blind eye to Manju’s plight.

Because of Manju’s unwavering and compelling statement, a Mumbai court today refused to grant the two women bail and has ordered charges to be filed against them.

Soon Manju will testify against them in court. We believe with her that justice will prevail.

Visit our blog over the next few months for more updates on Manju’s case.

 * Name changed to protect victim’s identity

How a movement class is helping victims of trafficking resolve conflict and handle their traumatic pasts

“This helps me vent and express my feelings,” says Anika, an 18-year-old victim of trafficking. Anika and 17 other teenage girls are at a movement therapy class initiated by Justice and Care at a shelter home in Bangalore.

Victims of trafficking suffer from trauma and rage because of what they have been through. It is difficult for them to process these emotions. As a result there are often conflicts and fights when they move into a shelter home. “We’ve noticed that the girls have a hard time understanding themselves and other people,” says one of our Aftercare Associates. “So we thought dance therapy was a wonderful way in which they could learn that.”

The girls meet once a week with a therapist who teaches them exercises that involve speaking with dance movements, trust falls and using movement to convey and read emotion. The therapy helps the girls relieve stress and communicate in healthier ways.

Shaina, 16, looks forward to each class and says, “I especially enjoy the exercise of falling backwards as my friends catch me. It has helped me to trust people and help others who depend on me.”

The ‘Occupy’ protests and the sad tale of St Paul’s Cathedral – part 2

In my last post I discussed the sad story of how St Paul’s Cathedral struggled in vain to know how to respond to the ‘Occupy’ protestors. It all became very messy. Several senior clergymen resigned – all giving the impression that they simply could not agree together and did not know how to handle the protests on their doorstep. Eventually the Bishop of London had to step in to take over the management of the situation.

At the end of the last post I said I would tell you my thoughts on what I might have done. So here goes…

Let’s start at the beginning: there seems to be a basic muddle here. The St Paul’s clergy were mixing up some unrelated issues in their responses. What were the issues? Firstly, the right to protest. Fair enough. We agree on that. Secondly, the legitimacy of the general concern of the protestors in challenging aspects of the conduct of capitalism. Yes, we can agree on that point too. Thirdly, the fact that the protestors were illegally encamped on St Paul’s land and were seriously obstructing the general public and the life of the church. Here’s where the problem came. The clergy simply couldn’t decide how to respond to this. Yet why did they have such a
big problem with it?

My suggestion as I was watching this drama unfold was very simply this: separate the public order and legal issues entirely from the protest issues. The protestors should have been asked either to reduce their encampment significantly (in order to overcome the obstruction they were causing to St Paul’s) or, if they failed to agree on this, they should have been moved on. However, whichever option was taken on this issue the church had a wonderful opportunity to promote the debate on capitalism by using its facilities and profile to enable a big national conversation.

Sadly, both issues were fudged at the time and a wonderful opportunity missed. It was left to others to promote the debate and bring alternative Christian perspectives and wisdom to bear on the issues.

More on this subject in the next post.

The ‘Occupy’ protests and the sad tale of St Paul’s Cathedral – part 2

In my last post I discussed the sad story of how St Paul’s Cathedral struggled in vain to know how to respond to the ‘Occupy’ protestors. It all became very messy. Several senior clergymen resigned – all giving the impression that they simply could not agree together and did not know how to handle the protests on their doorstep. Eventually the Bishop of London had to step in to take over the management of the situation.

At the end of the last post I said I would tell you my thoughts on what I might have done. So here goes…

Let’s start at the beginning: there seems to be a basic muddle here. The St Paul’s clergy were mixing up some unrelated issues in their responses. What were the issues? Firstly, the right to protest. Fair enough. We agree on that. Secondly, the legitimacy of the general concern of the protestors in challenging aspects of the conduct of capitalism. Yes, we can agree on that point too. Thirdly, the fact that the protestors were illegally encamped on St Paul’s land and were seriously obstructing the general public and the life of the church. Here’s where the problem came. The clergy simply couldn’t decide how to respond to this. Yet why did they have such a
big problem with it?

My suggestion as I was watching this drama unfold was very simply this: separate the public order and legal issues entirely from the protest issues. The protestors should have been asked either to reduce their encampment significantly (in order to overcome the obstruction they were causing to St Paul’s) or, if they failed to agree on this, they should have been moved on. However, whichever option was taken on this issue the church had a wonderful opportunity to promote the debate on capitalism by using its facilities and profile to enable a big national conversation.

Sadly, both issues were fudged at the time and a wonderful opportunity missed. It was left to others to promote the debate and bring alternative Christian perspectives and wisdom to bear on the issues.

More on this subject in the next post.

I find it so easy to think that my friends don’t want anything to do with Jesus – and the statistics seem to back that up.

In the last 20 years churches in the UK have seen a 90% free-fall drop in attendance of under twenties. This has left 59% of churches with no attendees aged 15-19 at all. I don’t need to ask them what they think about God, Jesus and church – they’ve voted with their feet.
 
One of these friends of mine, Phil – more suited to getting into fights on Saturday night than church on Sunday morning – in the middle of watching a typically depressing England game, began to tell the room how he wished his life was different. “I wish that I’d never slept with anyone else so I could say to my girlfriend that she was the only one I had been with. I wish that I had a better relationship with my dad. I wish that I hadn’t done the things I’ve done so God would accept me.”
 
Friends like Phil are desperate to be rescued, the problem is that they simply wouldn’t recognise the rescue boat when it arrived. Having not grown up in church or in a religious society, they have no initial frame of reference for the gospel. This is the heart of Mobilise 2012 – The Rescue: that we would refocus our gaze onto Jesus, for only he can rescue us; and that our worship of him would launch a thousand rescue missions into our nation.
 
The Speakers
 
PJ Smyth, Tom Shaw, Andrew Wilson, Joel Virgo, Mike Betts, Adrian Holloway and Stef Liston.
 
The Venue
 
Pontins Holiday Camp, Prestatyn. We’re excited to be all on one site for our main celebrations, seminars and accommodation! There’s lots of extra activities on site including a swimming pool, football and tennis courts, high ropes and a fabulous beach just over the road.
 
Accommodation
 
We’ve made getting accommodation really easy for you this year as we’re all on one site! You can choose from 4 or 6 person self-catering chalets in Popular or Classic style.
 
All-in-one price from just £110
 
We’ve scoured the country to find the best venue and accommodation all at an amazing price. Popular chalets will cost students just £110 for your ticket and chalet from Tuesday to Friday. For regular delegates it will cost just £125.

It’s easy to book, just click here

I find it so easy to think that my friends don’t want anything to do with Jesus – and the statistics seem to back that up.

In the last 20 years churches in the UK have seen a 90% free-fall drop in attendance of under twenties. This has left 59% of churches with no attendees aged 15-19 at all. I don’t need to ask them what they think about God, Jesus and church – they’ve voted with their feet.
 
One of these friends of mine, Phil – more suited to getting into fights on Saturday night than church on Sunday morning – in the middle of watching a typically depressing England game, began to tell the room how he wished his life was different. “I wish that I’d never slept with anyone else so I could say to my girlfriend that she was the only one I had been with. I wish that I had a better relationship with my dad. I wish that I hadn’t done the things I’ve done so God would accept me.”
 
Friends like Phil are desperate to be rescued, the problem is that they simply wouldn’t recognise the rescue boat when it arrived. Having not grown up in church or in a religious society, they have no initial frame of reference for the gospel. This is the heart of Mobilise 2012 – The Rescue: that we would refocus our gaze onto Jesus, for only he can rescue us; and that our worship of him would launch a thousand rescue missions into our nation.
 
The Speakers
 
PJ Smyth, Tom Shaw, Andrew Wilson, Joel Virgo, Mike Betts, Adrian Holloway and Stef Liston.
 
The Venue
 
Pontins Holiday Camp, Prestatyn. We’re excited to be all on one site for our main celebrations, seminars and accommodation! There’s lots of extra activities on site including a swimming pool, football and tennis courts, high ropes and a fabulous beach just over the road.
 
Accommodation
 
We’ve made getting accommodation really easy for you this year as we’re all on one site! You can choose from 4 or 6 person self-catering chalets in Popular or Classic style.
 
All-in-one price from just £110
 
We’ve scoured the country to find the best venue and accommodation all at an amazing price. Popular chalets will cost students just £110 for your ticket and chalet from Tuesday to Friday. For regular delegates it will cost just £125.

Outline of visiontalk given in Sept 09
Highlightsof summer holiday and study leave in context of new building project. Nehemiah’s building project! Neh. 1 and 2. Video clip: tallest wave surfed! Todo that needed preparation and courage – events move at speed. There’s apotential cost – Nehemiah’s life was on the line in the royal court setting –he began his request with a great prayer – he was God-focused - reminded God ofHis promises. (For us 10 years ago – a prophecy that we would gather 2000.)
Reviewof last year: grown faster than ever. Attending- 780 in 2008, 1000+ in 2009 - on the same Sunday. Welcomedesk – 122 LTKM forms given in Jan – Aug 2008, 230 Jan – Aug 2009.
Crunchmoment – collision of needs between team/buildings/finance! Show artist’simpression of new refurbished facility at Lee. Visited USA to see examples ofmulti-site – an urban church phenomenon arising from a situation where thelimiting factor is facilities. Multi-site gives the chance for growth. Remainone church, one leadership, one identity. We need to strengthen the team –through year team members, internships, taking on Robert Kwami to join thePastoral team as well as Malcolm & Cathy Kyte (Malcolm will oversee thePastoral team) - all coming to help us build a church of 2000.
Letterscoming from me to each of you re our giving. We need to give £750K for the next3 years and £375K for the following six months – above our current givinglevels. Ask some to consider a double title – 20% before tax – something I amalready doing. Pledge Days coming up in October. Please give – and please pray!Currently amazing momentum – behind all the figures, the figure of God at work,reaching out to the lost – for His Glory!

Here's our quick guide on how to book for Mobilise 2012.

REGISTER FOR MOBILISE 2012 HERE

Our tickets prices include your conference ticket and accommodation - no searching for hotels, youth hostels or B&Bs anymore!

 Ticket Type

Bookings extended for those made

up to midnight 29 Jan 2012

Bookings made from

30 Jan 2012

Concession ticket in POPULAR apartment
                    £ 95 (save £15)
               £110 Concession ticket in CLASSIC apartment
                    £100 (save £15)                £115 Standard ticket in POPULAR apartment
                    £110 (save £15)                £125 Standard ticket in CLASSIC apartment
                    £115 (save £15)                £130

 

Accommodation

Please find details on our accommodation here.
 
You can book now here.

________________________________________________________________________________________

** Please note that we will do everything we can to place you in your accommodation preference, however we do not have unlimited accommodation and therefore can not guarantee that we can place you in your exact accommodation preference or grouping. **

________________________________________________________________________________________

Mountains have always been in my blood. It goes back to my childhood. My family lived on the foothills of the Himalayas in (Pakistani) Kashmir. My dad was a teacher at a school there. We lived at about 5,500 feet (about 1,800 metres), which is a lot higher than the summit of Ben Nevis in Scotland and nearly twice the height of Snowdon!

Since then I have always enjoyed hill- and mountain-walking. This has been mostly around the UK, but I have also been to the Alps, the Moroccan Atlas mountains and a few other places. I’ve also done a few gruelling mountain-walking challenges for charity.

But I’ve always dreamed of climbing up Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa at 19,340 feet – that’s 5,895 metres! It’s fantastically beautiful, it’s really high and it’s a big challenge. Well, the good news for me is that the dream is coming true in March. Between the 5th and the 11th I shall be up Kilimanjaro with my good friend James Beardall. We’re training hard and hoping to reach the summit in one piece. It’s five and a half days of climbing to get to the summit.

So why am I telling you about this? Well, Kilimanjaro isn’t the only mountain I’m facing: I am seeking sponsorship for this climb for a specific project very near to my heart. Let me explain…

For a very long time our church in Shrewsbury has run many social action projects: working in our local prison, working with the elderly, offering money advice, running a food bank, etc. So far we have used our church building for this purpose, but this has become more difficult as we have grown. So the church has recently taken a huge step of faith in seeking to buy another building in our community to use as a dedicated social action centre and office base. We want to greatly expand our foodbank and provide better facilities for all our community outreach projects.

We have two very suitable buildings in mind and our trustees are negotiating as I write. The mountain we are facing is that we will have to raise around £400,000 by this summer to be able to make the purchase. Church members are being asked to give sacrificially. It’s the biggest financial challenge we have ever faced.

Could you help us? If you’d like more information so you can pray for us, or if you’d like to donate online, click here: http://www.everyclick.com/barnabascommunityprojects.

Any support you can give would be much appreciated. Thank you!

The ancient Athenians were committed to building a great society. They put huge amounts of thought into what that would look like, and had a word for people who didn't see its importance: that word was idiot.

We are convinced that God wants us to love the society in which He has put us, and commit ourselves to helping it reach its full potential. The Everything Conference is a key part of this, and on the evening before it, we are offering the opportunity for people who want to explore in more detail what it means to be Salt and Light in society, through the Everything Dinner on Friday, 16 March 2012.

The Everything Dinner draws together people from all walks of life who are passionate about seeking the flourishing of our society, for a three-course meal in a central London location. Renowned author, social analyst and public speaker Os Guinness will be joining us for the evening and speaking on “Christian influence in the public sphere”. This will be an inspirational evening with opportunities to ask questions, connect with others, share stories and see the potential we have to make a difference together in our nation.
 
This year’s venue will be the Lime Street Exchange, situated in the heart of the City of London, within easy reach of several mainline and underground stations. It takes place on Friday, 16 March at 7:00pm.
 
Follow this link to book your place and choose from a selection of delicious menu options. Please note that this ticket does not give you entry to the Everything Conference on the following day. Tickets for the conference are booked separately through this link.
 
Places at the dinner are very limited, so book your place as soon as possible.

The more neurologists find out about the brain, the more awestruck we can become at the complexity of what goes on inside our heads. How does neuroscience fit in with spiritual experience? Is a neurologist likely to struggle with the idea of God?

Alasdair Coles has had a unique career path. An academic neurologist, conducting research into multiple sclerosis in one of Europe’s finest teaching hospitals, he has recently been ordained in the Anglican church. Alasdair’s experience as a Christian in neurology has been a very positive one, and as he begins to minister in both the church and the workplace he is discovering some valuable connections between faith and science.
 
Being Human: More than a Brain
Revd Dr Alasdair Coles, Neurologist, University of Cambridge & Addenbrookes Hospital
 
Spirituality and the Soul
Ever since I stopped wanting to fly fighter planes, at around the age of fifteen, I’ve wanted to be a neurologist. I specifically wanted to work with people who have diseases of the brain. The thing that has always interested me is finding out how much the physical structure of the brain can explain our behaviour.
 
In a church environment my interest in the brain and its behaviour is obviously out of the ordinary compared to a lot of ministers. I often talk about my amazement at the way the brain is put together, and in a pastoral context I’m much more open to the body influencing our state of mind. One of the attractions of the Christian faith for me is that it’s ‘embodied’. The Bible recognises that we are bodies as well as rational moral beings.
 
We are dependent on our brains to be conscious and aware, to reflect on ourselves, to have moral reasoning and to have desires and hopes. We have a brain that has the capacity for religious experience. We may or may not find ourselves in an environment (social or biological) which allows this religious expression to thrive. Each person then has the ability to decide for themselves whether or not to allow this spiritual awareness to flourish and at that point God can intervene. When you deal with someone who’s struggling, then looking at their physical state is absolutely as important as their spiritual and mental state. I think that is a very important first start for tackling problems: staying fit, getting rest, not drinking too much, not abusing drugs. You’ve got to make the best of that person’s brain and body and then they’re giving themselves the best chance to be spiritually aware.
 
I believe it is a mistake to say the ‘soul’ is an independent entity that tells the brain what to think. It is also a mistake to say that the soul is nothing but the brain and that everything a person does is explained by the neurons (brain cells) themselves. It’s obvious to me that that isn’t true or at least not true in any helpful ordinary way. Consider: how do we best explain personality? How do we explain human behaviour? You could explain a painting on the basis of the chemicals that make up the oil paints. That would be a perfectly true explanation but most people would find that thoroughly unsatisfactory as an explanation of a painting. They would want to say, ‘There’s more to it than that, someone made this, it has a significance that is dependent on the oils but ultimately it has nothing to do with them.’ Human thoughts and behaviour are dependent upon, but in some way separate from, the material of the brain. You can either believe that God made us or that evolution made us or both, but we are made for a purpose.
 
Faith and Work
My hospital community lacks prominent Christian voices. It’s interesting that the hospital chaplains will tell you that the group of people they have most difficulty approaching are the ‘alpha male’ senior doctors. We are a very distinct tribe and closed off. Academic neurologists are a very unspiritual group of people. It is very unusual for a neurologist to be a credited minister, and religion and spirituality are not welcomed as topics of conversation. Although I’ve never encountered any hostility, I’ve certainly met with curiosity but rarely positive support. The most common reaction is lack of interest or a feeling that this is slightly eccentric. However, one person has made a great deal of difference to my faith in the workplace. I am very fortunate to have a friend and colleague who is a strong Christian. We agreed a few years ago to meet together to read the Bible and pray once a week. Then we decided to open up to all Christians in our workplace. Now up to fifteen people meet once a week to study a Bible passage and pray. We pray for the hospital, for the people working here and for the patients. Leaving aside what that means for the institution and whether there should be more of it, for me it’s powerful that I bring my faith to work and that people around me know that I’m a Christian so I can be held accountable for that.
 
The ‘added value’ of having a faith comes in lots of different ways. One of the things it has done is to make me ask if there is a neurological basis for religious experience. How do we fit faith into the working brain and at what level? These issues have never been a problem for my own beliefs. I think if anything my faith has encouraged me to keep asking questions, because at heart I think I’m just a child who’s enthralled with things. I have come to understand that feeling of pleasure and joy as a gift from God and an encouragement for me to carry on.
 
My interest in the structure of the brain and how it affects behaviour is stronger now than it ever has been. I would say that my faith encourages me to look into ‘the book of life’ and read the work of God. Neurology is what I like and what I’m good at, and I think God shares that pleasure with me. It’s never been a problem for me and I’m always surprised when I meet people who talk about conflict between the two.
 
 
———
 
This is an extract from Test of FAITH: Spiritual Journeys with Scientists, Ruth Bancewicz (ed.), (Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2009/Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2010). Used with permission of the publishers and the Test of FAITH project.  www.testoffaith.com

The ‘Occupy’ protests and the sad tale of St Paul’s Cathedral

Something rather bizarre, but very significant happened on 15th October last year (2011). Many of you will remember it.

A group of anti-capitalist protestors encamped themselves near the London Stock Exchange. It was part of a spontaneous worldwide movement with similar protests taking place at that time in the USA, across Europe and elsewhere.

The movement was a strong reaction against the abuses of the banking system (in particular) that had led to the initial ‘credit crunch’ and contributed to subsequent banking and sovereign debt problems. It was linked to the recent crisis in the Eurozone and it represented a deep sense of anger that ordinary people were being made to suffer for the mistakes of greedy bankers and other influential government and business leaders.

Where did the church fit into this? Well, it had been quite easy for church leaders to take a pot-shot at greedy bankers – many had done so, and very publicly. Many senior Anglican clerics, in particular, were very strong in their criticisms.

So far, so good.

But then came an awkward geographical fact. St Paul’s Cathedral is situated very close to the London Stock Exchange – and upon this simple fact hinges our whole sorry tale.

The ‘Occupy’ protestors could not gain access to the Stock Exchange itself, so they set up camp in the nearest open space – on land belonging partly to the City of London and partly to St Paul’s. The clergy were sympathetic – how could they not be after the sentiments expressed by their leaders on this issue? It looked like the church was going to get very friendly with the protestors.

Then it all started getting rather complicated. The protestors were getting in the way of access to the cathedral, forcing closure for a week. How long were they going to stay? Should they be allowed into the Cathedral? Should the church take out an injunction against them? Should they be evicted by force?

The senior clergy at St Paul’s discussed what to do and they simply could not agree. One-by-one they resigned. First the Canon Chancellor, then the Dean and then one of the Chaplains… It was a shambles. The press were scathing. The protestors were confused. The church missed a golden opportunity.

And it all hinged on a simple piece of geography…

What should the church have done?

What would you have done? I’ll tell you my thoughts in the next post.

Outline of visiontalk given in January 2010
Toursof new Lee building – one response, ‘You have seriously undersold the building,Steve!’ Primary purpose today – giving thanks to God for what he has done.Lookback – look forward. 20/20 vision – definition: perfect understanding orappreciation of what has already been seen.
1Thess. 1:7 – ‘...you became a model toall the believers and the message went out.’ Chance to impact a city andmodel something to other churches in the UK – we are watched by them. If we cango from 200 to 1000 it will give them added faith for their own situation. Theimportant thing is that the message goes out!
Résuméof church journey over last 15 years given. In last 10 years 500 have joinedus. Mark event by getting congregation to light 500 tea-lights on tables aroundthe auditorium – each one representing a transformed life.
Interview:Shirley J – joined in Jan 95 – gives her highlights of the decade (newauditorium in 2000, ‘gracism’ series and the changes brought by that, expansionof youth ministry) and her hopes for the future (becoming a huge church;multiple meetings at Lee; growth in maturity and unity as well as size;healings, signs and wonders).
Experienceof asking the banks for loans – wanted to know our history. ‘When looking atthe future, the best indicator of future trend is past performance.’ For us thepast is counted in tens, the future in hundreds and thousands. Want an increasein diversity (culture, class and age), growth in our mercy ministry, sendingout more leaders to plant/resource other churches, creativity – books, albumsand teaching material.
Weneed your prayers, your pledges for finances and we need you - to step up andvolunteer to be an active participant in the great task before us, for theglory of God.

Jo Wells speaks to Dave and Jude May from Emmanuel Church Oxford about leading a Mobilise Worldwide team in Turkey:

Breakfast bagels and coffee bouncing, we all ran towards our departure gate while the words “last call for departure gate 3 flight xxx to Turkey” rang in our ears.

How did we manage to fall so far behind when we left the hotel 30mins earlier then we had previously planned?! The dream of visiting a church in Turkey almost didn’t take off at all.

Touch down in Turkey, and we soon realised to our horror that we had somehow managed to drag the British summer along with us, and the usual 30-35+ degrees had mellowed to a very average 22. The unusual dip in temperature was much appreciated however when we started our manual work. Cleaning and gardening at the church building and retreat centre were first on the agenda. The boys dug up some big rocks, cut down trees, built a big bonfire, and felt, well very manly. That evening we sang around the huge bonfire in Turkish (very upbeat songs) and then some classic English ballads (“My Jesus… My saviour…” – no joke) were enjoyed by all.  As the Turkish believers shared how they had met Jesus, and what they had to sacrifice to follow him, the reality of their stories hit home hard. This wasn’t a distant article in a magazine or a 30 second burst on a promotional DVD, this was real. Their love for Jesus was so tangible, and it broke our hearts, we will never forget that evening round the bonfire.

We can’t go any further without introducing Michael. He leads the church in Yalovah, and has so many stories about God’s faithfulness and goodness. Our times with Michael affectionately became known as ‘Story time with Uncle Michael’ and as we listened to Michael tell stories of God’s miraculous provision we could see faith rising in our students. What an amazing opportunity to hear first-hand how God is building his church – and how he can use you in his extraordinary plans.

We met so many people on our adventure to Yalovah, and we can truly say it felt like home the minute we arrived because we were among family. Even the language barrier wasn’t a problem thanks mainly to Google translate, however a bit of miming seemed to go down a treat as well (how DO you mime ‘do I flush the toilet paper down the toilet or not?’).

Over the trip we had the joy of seeing our students step out in ways they never had before; praying for people on the street, moving in new spiritual gifts, meeting God in powerful ways. They really came out of their shells, and we started to see future leaders, and church planters. We know they all took something really special away with them from the trip. God spoke to all of us while we were in Turkey and we all saw more clearly the importance of establishing God’s church and seeing his Kingdom advance around the world. Our students have learnt so much, and it’s great to see them now applying that new found knowledge and passion into our church context back home.

Leading a team abroad has been challenging at times, but also hugely rewarding. We really believe the trip to Turkey has enabled us to be more effective in equipping our students to follow God’s call for their lives. We can’t think of a more exciting adventure to be on.

I am sure many of you will remember two posts I wrote a few months ago about social enterprise. Well, this post is an update and an invitation!

First, the update:

Business is in the news all the time recently due to the difficult economic situation of the UK and the Eurozone, and also due to the scrutiny of business ethics that is constantly going on. We never seem to hear the last of the bankers and their bonuses!

Alongside all this there has been a big discussion about ‘socially responsible business’ and the need to regenerate society through the ‘Big Society’. This should all be very interesting to Christians who would naturally incline to support this re-evaluation of business ethics, so it is not surprising to find that Christian entrepreneurs have had a lot to say on the current economic situation and the possible remedies. And their voice seems to be getting heard in the corridors of
power in Westminster.

So this brings us back to the discussion about social enterprise. In previous posts I gave a rather approximate definition of such businesses, which included two elements: the creation of employment for those who are relatively unemployable; or a business whose profits are directed towards a social benefit rather than being accumulated by the owner(s).

The interesting thing is that social enterprise is becoming a bit of a trendy concept at the moment. Many such businesses are being developed and much thinking is going on about their role in the economy or in social regeneration. Again, Christians are heavily involved in this discussion.

This brings me to my invitation.

In my role as enabler of social action within my church movement (Newfrontiers) I have convened a half-day conference in London on Friday 16th March to discuss social enterprise. I am indebted to my colleague Geoff Knott for working with me on this. I am also thrilled that Lord Wei will be our keynote speaker. Nat Wei is a Christian entrepreneur who has facilitated
some great business ideas and also advised the current government.

Interested? For more details, follow this link: http://jubilee-plus.org/events/article/doing-business-doing-good-social-enterprise-leadership.

Places are limited, so book in soon if you are interested and would like to come and join us.

Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan are not what I'd expected. They are friends of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and now list the likes of supermodel Kate Moss and film star Demi Moore among the clients of their ethical fashion label Beulah, which in less than two years has captured the media's attention.

But these are no ordinary fashionistas. In many ways they contradict the stereotype of the fashion industry being vapid and shallow. The pair attend Alliance member church Holy Trinity Brompton and have a deep sense of God’s calling them into this industry.
 
Their luxury clothing brand has featured in the media spotlight in recent months. Their popularity was also boosted when the Duchess of Cambridge wore one of their stunning gowns at a charity event. “We’ve been quite fortunate with the press,” says Natasha. “People love a brand with a story.”
 
The name Beulah is a biblical term that means ‘to come from a place of darkness into one of light’; and that is what the girls are trying to do with their fashion brand. Natasha and Lavinia set up Beulah London after returning from a trip to India, where they became aware of the horrors of human trafficking while working with rape victims in the slums of Delhi and Kolkata.
 
Beulah London employs some of these women in India to create needlework for the products. “We’re trying to make sure that the production is ethical,” says Lavinia. “For us, it’s really key that we are transparent in what we’re doing. Our end goal is to have the girls involved in production.”
 
Lavinia and Natasha certainly look the part. But the fashion industry is not where they thought they would end up. Lavinia is a theology graduate, while Natasha previously worked at auctioneers Sotheby’s and for Al Gordon, worship leader at HTB.
 
Giving up full-time employment to start a fashion label was a daunting prospect, but, as Natasha explains: “We both had to be obedient and listen to what God called us into doing. It was incredibly risky and quite a scary thing to plunge ourselves into, but I think He’s really blessed our obedience in that.”
 
I’m surprised at how candid they are about their faith. They give glory to God for the business’s popularity and dotted around their office in Parsons Green are Bible verses and words of inspiration.
 
They are just as open with the secular press, who often focus on their Christianity in newspaper articles. It’s strange to hear about faith within fashion, but they are up for the challenge of being salt and light.
 
“We’re called to be in the world and not of it,” says Lavinia. “You can’t shed light in dark areas if you don’t go into those areas… People are really drawn to our difference and our faith is quite a conversation starter as people are always intrigued by it.”
 
The girls really want to bring hope through their fashion label. They have recently joined the UN’s Blue Heart Campaign against human trafficking and a proportion of the profits from each product they sell will go towards the initiative.
 
“Our whole aim is to make women feel beautiful both inside and out,” says Lavinia. Little touches, such as inscribing many of their items with, “Love like you’ve never been hurt, dance as though no-one is watching, sing as though no can hear you,” means they are doing just that.
 
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This article has been copied with permission from Evangelical Alliance UK and was originally published in Idea Magazine.

Outline of visiontalk given in Sept 2010
Personalinfo: sabbatical, writing the book
Church:completion of purchase of new building happened in sabbatical. Lookback – give thanks to God. Look forward – Joshua’s amazing encounter with Godbefore the battle for Jericho (Bible reading). Story of King’s rooted in suchan encounter – 4 weeks into my ministry here visit of Vineyard prophetic team.Discovered in the history of the church – founded by a protégée of C H Spurgeonwith a vision for a church of 1000 members. We advance like Joshua and thepeople of God – a mixture of fear, uncertainty and excitement.
Newdevelopments: Catford, Downham and Lee sites. Explained new future leadershipstructure to cover sites. Asked for volunteers to go and help support theseleaders in their work. Initially helping to set up and prepare.
Wallsthat we face: people challenge – volunteers needed to serve, financialchallenge – core of established givers, newer arrivals slower to sign up forregular giving. Please step up.
Joinus in commitment to meeting with God as we step forward, to see the churchadvance and many others won for Christ.