And to cap it all ...

Every week I get a short e-mail news digest from the Bible Society. This one is pertinent to one possibility we are praying about this year ...

"As thousands of debt-ridden families wake up to the reality of Christmas overspending, a Christian charity is offering churches the chance to come to their aid. Christians Against Poverty (CAP) has produced CAP Money, a course featuring Alpha-type filmed talks, to help people budget their way out of hardship. CAP founder John Kirkby said they were launching the course ‘in response to the overwhelming demand for a simple, easy-to-follow money management course that will make a long-term difference.’ Alan Meyer, senor minister of Elim Community Church in Carlisle, said a pilot scheme they had run ‘had a fantastic response’. ‘We are looking forward to using it as an evangelistic tool because of the huge impact it is able to make in people’s lives,’ he added. Meanwhile, the Methodist Church has produced thousands of fake credit cards bearing the inscription ‘Buy L£ss, Live More’. The cards are designed as a reminder to fit in a wallet and carry the inscription ‘MARK 10:17-27’ in place of a credit card number."

Sources: Christianity (Feb 08); Church Times (18/1)

What would you do with £25?

Here's a shocking story of what one pastor did by way of explaining the parable of the talents!

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/pastors-challenge-shocks-congregation/20071220192509990001

I wasn't born again yesterday

I stumbled accross this website today
http://www.ex-atheist.com/index.html

I have no idea who this guy is but there's some interesting stuff here. In particular 2 things caught my attention
His story of from atheism to faith (from skeptism to worship)
His illustrations and exercises to illustrate a new way of thinking (Learning to think spiritually).

Provocative Christianity

I read this at the end of a series of 'health' articles in the Times last weekend. It reminded me so much of what we have been communicating about being provocative Christians:

I was standing in the queue at midnight waiting with my daughter to buy a copy of the final Harry Potter book. It was cold and I was tired. There was a man offering hot coffee at a stall nearby. How enterprising, I thought. I went to the stall to get a coffee. "How much?" I asked. "It's free," the man replied. Looking down, I noticed a flyer for a Christian group on the stall. "But you want some sort of donation, right?" "No," said the man, "it's free." "Why would you give coffee away for free? What's in it for you?" I asked. The man just smiled. I took my free coffee. I've been thinking about that smile for six months, trying to figure it out.