Church calls on all to repent of climate change sin

There has been some controversy in some circles about the use of the word sin in this context, but I think that this is a timely reminder that God, our Creator, charged the human race with taking care of His creation for Him, and failure to do so is surely 'sin'. This year's Methodist Conference has certainly been tackling many down-to-earth (if you'll excuse the pun) issues this year and we can be proud of its leadership in this and on other current issues:-

"Church to reduce carbon emissions by 80%

The Methodist Church is urging Christians to repent of the sins that contribute to climate change. A report received by the annual Methodist Conference in Wolverhampton today encourages people to acknowledge their complicity in systems that exploit creation and prey on the powerless.

But the Church also wants to empower Christians to make positive lifestyle changes, in line with the report’s title, Hope in God’s Future.

Revd David Gamble, the President of the Conference, said, “The first step in making a difference is the recognition of what we’ve done wrong so far. But we can’t just stop there. We must not be beholden to economic growth at the expense of our world and the lives of those who are most vulnerable.

“In the face of climate change, do we give up and treat it as a lost cause? No. We are people of faith. We can turn the tide if we commit ourselves to acting together to make our planet a safer space. So the report challenges the Church to tackle the issue head on, committing itself to significant action over the coming years.”

The report outlines plans to reduce the Church’s carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050, in line with the target set by the UK Government. The Government is criticised in the report for its failure to outline how these tough targets can be achieved.

“But we are also challenging ourselves,” added David. “We cannot expect the Government to take the issue seriously if we fail to do so ourselves, and this report outlines some big changes for the Church.”

Bishop Michael Baroi of the Church of Bangladesh urged the British Church to prioritise this work. He said, "By 2050, two thirds of my country will go under water and about 30 million people will be displaced and have no place of their own to live on this planet Earth, if we do not deal with this issue of global warming and climate change urgently and seriously".

Source: Methodist News Service 07/07/09

PREMIER RADIO AND MRDF SAY IT’S TIME TO CHANGE THE WORLD

This Lent, Premier Christian Radio and the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) are challenging people to take simple actions that will change the world. As high food prices threaten to push 100 million people deeper into poverty and the global economic crisis persists, the organisations have produced a radio series to remind people that they can make a difference to people living in the world’s poorest communities.

The series, which comprises six internet programmes and exclusive interviews on Premier’s Sunday Breakfast, is based on MRDF’s study pack, What does the Bible say about changing the world? It will focus on Biblical characters and people from MRDF’s overseas work who have made an extraordinary difference. It will also give listeners ideas of simple actions they can take to empower some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

The President of the Methodist Conference, Revd Stephen Poxon, recorded the biblical reflections for the series. He said: ‘I am thrilled to be a part of Premier’s Lent series and to champion the work of MRDF. I recently visited its project for street children in Bangladesh, where I saw love in action as vulnerable youngsters were cared for by people who could have been doing less risky work. Through my reflections, I hope to encourage us to nurture this kind of selflessness in our everyday lives.’

Peter Kerridge, Premier’s Chief Executive, said: ‘These programmes are of great importance because they do not only highlight the global crisis that we face, they offer listeners ways to respond to the issues and make a real change through MRDF.’

MRDF Director Kirsty Smith said: ‘We are excited about our collaboration with Premier Radio for this Lent series. The MRDF staff have been privileged to meet ordinary people overseas, as well as within the UK, who are helping to make a tangible difference in some of the world’s poorest communities. We are delighted to have this opportunity to tell some of their stories and to reflect on Biblical principles that inspire us all to use what we have to change the world.’

The internet programmes can be downloaded from www.premier.org.uk/lent. Exclusive live interviews with people who have seen MRDF’s work first-hand will feature on Premier’s Sunday Breakfast between 8-10am until 12 April, 2009. Listeners can order MRDF’s study pack, What does the Bible say about changing the world? for use in their house groups and youth groups from www.mrdf.org.uk.


Source; Methodist News Service 27/02/2009

BETTER THAN BUBBLE BATH

Extraordinary gifts for Christmas

As many of us rack our brains for the perfect gift for that difficult relative, the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) is encouraging people to do something life-changing this Christmas. It has launched an all-new range of gifts: ordinary-sounding things that make an extraordinary difference to people living in some of the world’s poorest communities.

Extraordinary gifts provide a variety of opportunities, such as sending a child to school in Bangladesh or giving families in El Salvador a wood-saving stove. A colourful card and magnet explain all about the small miracle that each item enables – and with prices from £7 and gifts from around the world – it’s not hard to find the perfect miracle – whomever you are buying for.

MRDF’s Director of Supporter Relations, Amanda Norman, says: ‘Understandably, people will want to be careful with their money this Christmas. Buying one of MRDF’s Extraordinary gifts is money well spent – a meaningful gift that will change the lives of some of the world’s poorest people.’

Each gift comes from ongoing work carried out through responsible, local agencies that know what is best for their communities. MRDF works closely with its partners ensure everything it supports is safe, sustainable and situationally appropriate.

Extraordinary gifts can be bought online from www.mrdf.org.uk, or by calling 020 7467 5132 to order a catalogue.

Source: Methodist News Service 20/11/2008