Thought For The Week

CREATING COMMUNITIES OF WHOLENESS WITH CHRIST AT THE CENTRE

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September - Thought For The Month

WORK AND FAITH

We often put faith into a box and label it Sunday and Church, and then for the rest of the week we ignore it, unless there's a real crisis. But whether we're aware of it or not, God's with us all the time and wants us to be with him too, to listen to him, talk with him, follow him. And through September we're going to be looking at how this can work in a number of different work-place environments, at school, in politics, in business and amidst the juggling act of work and family.

And then we'll also, be looking at what we do with the money we work so hard to earn, and how we can share, give and honour God's world and God's church.

So here are some questions to think on:

How does your Christian faith relate to your work?
Is faith just in a box marked Sunday's or does it affect your day by day life, at work and at home, 24/7?
Think about a time when your faith has hanged the way you've responded to a situation at work.
Think about a time when you wish that your faith had changed the way you responded to a situation at work?
Do you know what the Bible says about work and money? [If not then come along this month and you'll hear more!]

5 September

WORK AND FAITH - POLITICS

§ Is faith in public life good for Britain?
§ How can churches and other faith groups build trust within society?
§ How can politics support and encourage the faith communities?
§ How does faith affect politics and your political life?

These and other questions will be addressed to some of our local politicians, Michael Wills MP [at St Francis] and Cllr David Renard [at St Andrew's]. What's your response?

Politics influences every part of our lives, even if sometimes we'd prefer to pretend that it didn't. Jesus talked and lived politics every day of his life and thoughtout the Bible there is an especial concern for the poor, vulnerable and marginalised. As Christians we can't and shouln't avoid being part of the body politic; so this is a chance to reflect with our local politicans on what our role could and should be.

11 September

WORK AND FAITH - MONEY AND STEWARDSHIP

God loves us so much that he gives us this amazing world and all that is in it, and even when we do all we can to break and destroy our world and ourselves he continues to love us and in willing to give even his own life for us.

In response to such generosity from God, we are called to be generous ourselves, with our time, our talents and our money.

Many already give in a whole variety of ways to the church and other good causes.

But this Sunday we will alll be thinking about what we give to God's church and how and why.. start the process now.

20 September

WORK AND FAITH - TARGETS AND RELATIONSHIPS

In a recent discussion between the Anglican Clergy in the town and the Chief Exec of Swindon Borough Council [SBC] we talked about targets vs relationships. The church was asking if we could get more external funding if we put more stress on targets and the Chief Exec was talking more of dialogue and relationships. In reality we need both, if its all about the journey, then we'll never know when we are approaching the end, and if its all about targets we'll miss everything along the way.

But these are important questions as we consider how our faith impacts our work and our work impacts our church. Think on...