Rosie Venner, our Money Makes Change programme manager, introduces a new resource for churches to use during Lent and beyond.
What we do with money matters. Where we bank, where our churches hold investments, the decisions we make with our everyday spending. What kind of world are we shaping?
As 2021 begins, we are increasingly aware that we live in a world of growing inequality, exacerbated by the pandemic. Power and wealth are concentrated amongst the few, at the expense of the poorest in society. Some of the world’s biggest companies are fuelling climate change, paying low wages and ignoring injustice in their supply chains, while continuing to profit. What is our response?
If you are looking for a challenging but accessible resource for Lent this year that gets to the heart of these issues, then why not take a look at the Money Makes Change bible studies?
The studies are designed to be used by small groups to explore themes of faith, finance and a fairer world. The resource follows the four Action Areas of our Money Makes Change Pledge, and we’ve created an extra session that can be used to introduce the studies as part of a Lent course, or as a one off study.
Here’s a quick summary of the topics covered, and how you might run them during Lent:
- Week 1 – Introductory session: What have our finances got to do with our faith? How has the pandemic affected people? What is our role to play in tackling inequality?
- Week 2 – Where your treasure is: The money we steward – is it ours or God’s? How does this affect what we do with our resources?
- Week 3 – Learning and sharing: In a deeply inequal world, whose voices do we listen to? How can we share what we have with others?
- Week 4 – Spending power: Do we give the same attention to our spending as to our giving? Can we shape a better society for everyone with our everyday spending choices?
- Week 5 – Speaking out: How can we hold businesses and policymakers to account and speak out for a fairer economy?
Using the resource
Each study looks at a few short bible passages, and contains written reflections, video clips and discussion questions to help you get started. Suggestions for practical responses will help you move from conversation to action.
All the studies can be downloaded for free here. We’d love to hear from you if you are planning to use them – whether during Lent or later in the year. Get in touch via info@eccr.org.uk or tag us on social media. Why not share your reflections using the hashtag #MoneyMakesChange?