Green Champion Opts for 'Eco' Baptism

Hey Everyone,
Here's a little article about the amazing things that one of our friends from Ystrad Mynach Church is getting up to. Doing Wales proud, and leading the way in all things sustainable.

Whether it's an eco-friendly hairdryer, recycling mobile phones, digging up the lawn to plant vegetables, or getting baptised, 16-year-old Anna Surridge is passionate about the environment and climate change.

Living in South Wales she is one of six "Climate Change Champions" appointed by the Welsh Assembly to "help people change small things in their life to help the environment."

During 2009 she is traveling to various events highlighting the need to care for the environment. As well as visiting schools she has met with Welsh Assembly ministers and visited the EU in Brussels. This month she was one of the speakers at a "Countdown to Copenhagen" conference where she was able to share ideas with over 380 young people alongside the likes of Ben Saunders, the polar explorer. She encouraged the young people to leave messages on a 'graffiti wall' or to record a video message for the environment ministers to take to the upcoming Copenhagen Summit.

Anna lives a busy life. She has just finished her GCSE exams and attended her prom (in eco-friendly dress and by public transport), but she is equally passionate about her church. During her year as "Climate Change Champion" she also chose to get baptised. Not for her the warmth of a heated baptistery in her home church of Ystrad Mynach. Anna chose the outdoors and the River Usk for her special day. In a full page spread in the South Wales Echo she stated that she, "worked out that the electricity needed to raise the temperature of a baptistery to a comfortable temperature could be equivalent to making a thousand cups of tea."

During the year Anna has become quite media savvy appearing on TV, meeting with government ministers and celebrities, and being reported in various newspapers and newsletters several times. However, the report in the South Wales Echo was the highlight for her. "I'm just delighted to get my two favourite causes, environment and church, into one story," she said. "I'm passionate about climate change because it's happening here and now and if we don't do something about it, the consequences on us and our environment are only going to get worse. I'm passionate about my faith because I love God and have such a loving church family."

Anna runs her own website about the environment and is keen to spread the simple message that making small changes to your lifestyle can make a big difference to the wonderful world God has created for us to live in.

[Victor Hulbert]

'Home'- An amazing documentary

Watch this full documentary which follows on from the aerial photography of Yann Artus Bertrand. Although I don't agree with all the billions of years that the narrator mentions, it is so wonderful to see the astonishing beauty of creation. We have almost lost our connection to nature. Let's learn from the world that we were created for, not from the worlds we create.

"Our earth relies on a balance, in which every being has a role to play and exists only through the existence of another being. A subtle fragile harmony that is easily shattered".

To see the video in HD or widescreen, go here.

Matthew 25... and politics?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Jim Wallis
www.thedailyshow.com

I happened to find this video of the Christian activist Jim Wallis on the 'Daily Show' (a comedy news show from the US, that does well to tackle serious issues and poke fun at prejudice). The presenter Jon Stewart is Jewish (not strict) so he's not scared to tackle serious religious issues. Anyway....
The point of showing this video is, that so often people who say they are doing the 'right thing' are usually ignoring what Jesus taught.
Here's what Jesus said in Matthew 25 (34-45):

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

"Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'

"Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'

"He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.'

There is so much injustice in the world, and Jesus has given us a commission to fight for those who can't fight for themselves. "It's a commission that can only be fulfilled because people of faith and hope believe that the world can be changed. And it is that very belief that changes the world. And if not us, who will believe? " (paraphrase of the ending of Jim Wallis book 'God's Politics').

Remember Lisa Sullivan's quote-

"We are the one's we've been waiting for"

Tee design so far...

Here are the two main options so far from the feedback I've had.
The green tee is for a tee made from Bamboo fabric. The yellow tee will be made from earth positive organic cotton. Click on the images to see the graphics in more detail.
Comment below to say what you think and vote for if you like either design or want to try something else?

Talk: 'Good Guys, Bad Guys and Us Guys'

Happy Sabbath! :)
I'm sure everyone who was in Church today will agree that it was an extra special service. We we're blessed with a talk entitled 'Good Guys, Bad Guys and Us Guys' given to us by Vladamir Pujic, a pastor in Central London Church. The talk spoke to many hearts where so often we can get bogged down in trying to be 'righteous' and losing focus on Jesus. The talk was based on the parable given by Jesus found in Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

After the regular fellowship lunch we enjoyed an impromptu lively songs service with wonderful piano playing from Vladamir.
If you couldn't make the service, I've found a pre-recording of the talk from the Central London Church's website. There are more there to find, all available free through podcast.
(To download the talk simply right click on the title link and choose 'save as'.)

Check out 'Jesus People'

I'm not sure how I came round to finishing this, but it's given me a good laugh so I thought I'd share it. It's a satire of the Christian music scene. You have to admit that you've met people like this :)
The article shows how they've turned the mini video series into a movie. It's only just been released in the US so not sure if we'll get a chance to see it over here.
What do you think about it?

'Jesus People' Making Leap of Faith from Web to Big Screen





Official Movie Site