Businesses Working With Christian Aid

Perhaps we don't expect organisations like Christian Aid to have a connection with the private sector? We tend to pigeon-hole charities with the voluntary sector. So I was interested to come across the Good Little Company which makes sausages and has, as one of its stated aims, an ongoing commitment to improving the ability of people in the developing world to grow food. The company's sausages are produced from ethically grown materials and it partners with Christian Aid, making a donation of 7p for every packet of sausages sold. The claim is that each packet provides one family in the developing world with enough seeds to grow staple foods to feed their family for one week. Apparently, the company worked with Christian Aid from its inception in 2009 and is now in a position to look at expanding its product range beyond sausages and meatballs.

Read their own story at http://goodlittlecompany.com/

Or find out how your business can work with Christian Aid to help end poverty by e mailing bbrosnan@christian-aid.org  

Christian Aid has produced an excellent way of marking Lent 2012. Count Your Blessings invites us to do just that everyday - give thanks for running water, free healthcare, light at the flick of a switch, benefits, jobs, pensions, a choice of what to eat, opportunity to travel. Each day we are encouraged to focus on one particular blessing and then make a small response of gratitude by praying, giving or acting. There's a version for children, too. Download copies from http://www.christianaid.org.uk/lent 

Sadly, Christian Aid are now drawing our attention to the fact that there has been a severe drought in parts of West Africa. This has led to food shortages in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mauritania. They are asking for urgent donations.
http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/areas-of-concern/west-africa-food-shortages.aspx

Motivation and Ambition in Business

It is crucial to affirm the positive role of business in God's purposes and to think about the application of Christian faith and values in business' The Revd Dr Richard Higginson

The Diocese of Ripon and Leeds has been undertaking an exercise called 'Ambition for Mission' through which we hope to research and discover more about what makes churches grow and become more effective in their mission, their ability to encourage true discipleship and their ability to get into partnership with community and business organisations in their own locality. My eye was caught by the details of a conference at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, run by the Faith in Business Initiative, which clearly has something to say in this area. The organizers comment that the level of debate about the economic issues underlying the present, perceived national and international financial crisis has been disappointingly low. (This statement is borne out in the remarks of the Archbishop of Canterbury, today, in the Times where he criticises just about everybody from all sides of the debate for over-simplifying the causes of the current financial difficulties.) The aim of the conference is to explore the question of how faith impinges on motivation and ambition. Speakers include

Beverley Shepherd, a mamgement training consultant
Andrew Tunswell, CEO ToughStuff
Graham Codrington, founder TomorrowToday
Jim Wright, consultant Soterio
Harald Holt, chair Noroff AS
Richard Higginson, Director Faith in Business

Topics cover Adventuring with God, Running a Social Enterprise, Motivational Differences, Big Business and the Kingdom of God, Success and Signifiance, Motivation in China.

I have attended some of these Faith in Business conferences myself and the great thing is that I have always come away having met one or two truly inspirational people who have then gone on to affect my life or the life of the churches and organisations I work for in significant ways. I know Cambridge is the deepest south, but it just could be worth the journey...!!!  'A rich diet of inspiring talk and candid sharing lies in store for you. Attending this conference could be a life changing experience.'

If you are in business, are a church or community leader or an entrepreneur, if you care about the ethics behind business and the financial community or the pastoral care of those who work in the financial sector, this could be for you. The conference is at Ridley Hall in Cambridge from 30th March - 1st April (honest!) 2012. Cost £265 or £240 for early bookers.

To book using the secure online system go to

http://www.faith-in-business.org/programme.html