Stop the traffic
September 2008
Stop the Traffic
MP3 by Steve Chalke
Steve Chalke is a leading evangelical social reformer based in the UK. Steve founded the Oasis Trust which has developed into a family of charities now working on five continents and 11 countries around the world, to deliver housing, education, training, youthwork and healthcare. Recently Chalke was appointed as a Special Advisor on Community Action against Human Trafficking to the United Nations.
In this message, presented at the Mars Hill church in Michigan USA, Chalke challenges Christians to realise one person can make a difference. This is an impassioned call for Christians to make a difference in their world – well worth a listen.
To listen to this message click here |
Creating a culture of influence
by Mal Fletcher
Mal Fletcher is the founder of Next Wave International a faith-based communications group based in London which is training organizations to engage the future and move society forward in a positive direction. Prior to this role Mal worked in Australia and was the pioneer of the very successful Youth Alive ministry. In this article Mal encourages the church to take up its responsibility to shape the culture in which in functions rather than the other way round. Here is an excerpt.
“For churches and leaders to influence our highly secularised society, they must establish a culture of influence within the church which is stronger than that of the surrounding environment. We need to build into the people we lead a sense that influence is their right and responsibility; that God has called them to shape events in their world and equipped them to change the city more than it changes them. That begins with answering three fundamental questions: What kind of city or nation do I want to be living in 10 years from now? What kind of city or nation would God want me to be living in? And what am I prepared to do now to set that in motion? “
To read the full article click here
How to Create a Relational Society
A Cambridge Paper
This article is an an extract from one of the Cambridge Papers which are published by the Jubilee Centre. The Jubilee Cente describes itself as “a Christian social reform organisation. We believe the Bible describes a coherent vision for society that has enduring relevance for Britain and the world in the twenty-first century. At the heart of this social vision is a concern for right relationships. We seek to study, disseminate and apply this vision in order to provide a positive response to the challenges faced by individuals, communities and our politicians.” This paper examines some of the fundamental issues that need to be addressed to see community transformation. Here is a summary.
“How do we move towards relational well-being? The place where the Bible sets out the foundations required to create a society of right relationships in terms of structures, resources and processes is primarily in the law which God gives to Israel when it is first established as a nation. The paper explores how these institutional norms, as deepened and extended by the rest of biblical teaching, provide the basis for social transformation today.”
To read the full article click here |
