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 (Author: Danny Webster)

Articles in this group

Former CSM Chair sets up 'The Methodist Tax Justice Network
New tax justice network (Author: Sam Buck)

What Money Can't Buy - the moral limit of markets
Event at St Paul's Cathedral exploring issues in the latest book by Michael Sandel (Author: Sam Buck)

Christian investors question executive pay
A Church Times piece on Church investors and bankers bonuses. (Author: Sam Buck)

Christian financial advisors call for debt forgiveness in Eurozone
The Association of Christian Financial Advisers is calling for debt forgiveness as a way to ease the Eurozone debt crisis and prevent a possible collapse of the banking system. (Author: Sam Buck)

Christian Socialism at Davos
Guardian piece on Christian Socialism and its relevence for today (Author: Sam Buck)

Ethical capitalism?
Report from a debate on the future of capitalism (Author: Sam Buck)

ECCR Publishes Report on The Banks And Society
Read the ECCR's latest report on the impact of the banking sector on the lives of customers, employees and communities... (Author: CSM)

Independent Commission on Banking Looks Set to Fulfill CSM's Campaign for an Ethical Banking Sector
New Prospect for Banking Separation (Author: CSM)

THE ECONOMY
Economy home page (Author: )

Labour Responds to the Emergency Budget
Thoughts and reactions from Labour HQ on the Emergency Budget and an invitation to respond. Read on or visit www.labour.org.uk (Author: Andy Freeman)

Labour's first election film – The Road Ahead
Labour's first broadcast of the 2010 election describes the choice facing Britain on May 6: whether to stay on the road to recovery or risk a change of direction. (Author: CSM)

Theology and executive pay
The Church Investors Group have published a key paper outlining moral questions around Executive pay and have brought a theological basis to this ongoing debate. (Author: Andy Freeman)

Obama agrees with CSM Call for Separation of Banks
CSM is pleased to see agreement with our campaign to separate the banks, and continue to lobby for UK banks to be split ina similar way (Author: CSM)

Separate as well as regulate
Why we must seize the day and reform the banking system (Author: Stephen Beer and John Mitchell)

Separating the banks: looking at the arguments in more detail
We look at the case for separating banks and respond to some arguments against. (Author: CSM)

EDM Calling for Separation of the Banks
The Early Day Motion written by Alan Michael MP calling for the government to separate the banks (Author: Alun Michael MP)

ING bank separates banking operations
ING is moving towards complete separation of their banking and insurance operations. (Author: Josmar Hart)

Bank of England Governor repeats call to reform banks
He reveals we bailed out banks with a previously unrevealed extra £61.6bn last year and calls for structural reform. (Author: CSM)

Gordon Brown says stronger bank regulation not enough
PM proposes new measures to renew the economic and social contract between banks and society. One more measure is needed, says CSM. (Author: CSM)

Archbishop - Economics is 'housekeeping' for humanity
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has urged us to keep economics in perspective, as it is only one aspect of human existence... (Author: CSM)

Bank of England Governor says separate the banks
Mervyn Kings comments effectively support CSM's campaign. (Author: Stephen Beer)

MPs urge government to separate casino banking from retail banking
CSM Chair tables Early Day Motion, backed by Treasury Committee chair (Author: Stephen Beer)

Markets and morals at Labour conference
The values that should underpin our economy were debated by CSM at Labour Conference. (Author: CSM)

Government minister calls for banks to reform morals to earn forgiveness
A change of behaviour is required, argues Paul Myners (Author: Stephen Beer)

EU Predicts Economic Gloom
As the European Commission forecasts a year of decline and unemployment, we focus on the Church's role in providing a spark for the economy and on our 2009 Tawney Dialogue. (Author: Andy Freeman)