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INTRODUCING SIMPLIFY
Simplify – live small, think big
As we experience the effects of the recession, the obvious thing to do seems to be to tighten belts and lock down our finances, in an effort to last the distance.
But as Christians we believe in a God who tells us not to worry about our food and clothes, and commands us instead to care for those in need. Rather than joining in the panic, maybe we can see this as an opportunity for us to live out this Biblical mandate by going against the flow and stepping up to the challenge of living more simply and giving more generously.
Simplify asks us to take a fresh look at our lifestyles, priorities and purchases, at the stuff we collect and what the word need really means. At the same time, it prompts us to be generous and practically show our solidarity with people who are all too familiar with need.
The initiative, part of the Evangelical Alliance’s Life Beyond Debt campaign, aims to stimulate Christians across the UK to live on the same amount of money they would receive if they were on benefits for one month, giving any excess money to charity.
This October, why don’t you and your church join the Alliance by getting involved in Simplify. If it sounds complicated, don’t worry – we’ve put together an easy guide to how you decide what to spend and what to give away.
Steve Clifford will be trying Simplify out in August and will be blogging what he learns, by following the wisdom of experts and sharing it with you on this website. There will be cost-cutting ideas from people who are living simply, both through choice and necessity, and thoughts from theologians who have explored what the Bible has to say about money.
Each church or individual can decide which charities and causes to donate the raised money to. It could be someone in your church who is struggling financially, a community initiative or a local, national or international charity that helps the poor or gives debt relief and advice.
To give us a good picture of the impact of Simplify, I’d like to ask you or your church to register with us, tell us your stories about how it has affected your lives and report back to us how much has been raised and where the money has gone.
Please go to www.simplify.org.uk to find out more.
Danny Webster
Parliamentary Officer
Evangelical Alliance |
Danny Webster, 04/07/2009 |
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