How Can Your Faith and Your Business Come Together to Boost the Economy?

How Can Your Faith and Your Business Come Together to Boost the Economy?

Are you a business owner, faith focused or a budding entrepreneur looking to run a socially conscious venture? If you are any of the above or would describe yourself as naturally curious, then you can’t afford to miss “Faith and Business Summit: Harnessing The Social Capital of Our Nation’s Churches."

Taking place on Monday 28th November 2016 at RBS, Bishopsgate, this summit is a must attend event for anyone who is interested in the role that the church and other faiths have in shaping today’s economy through enterprise.

The Faith and Business Summit promises to be a highly informative and interactive afternoon which will be facilitated by Sonia Brown MBE of NBWN and include an exclusive keynote presentation from Rt. Hon. Stephen Timms, MP – Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society

Supporting guest speakers on the day will include:

• Julie Baker – Head of Enterprise, NatWest Business Banking
• Bishop Wilton Powell – Church of God of Prophecy
• Bishop Wayne Malcolm – ICAN Community Church
• Rev Sally Muggeridge – St Stephen Walbrook
• Rev Martin Wheadon – Christian Education Project
• Minister Joyce Fletcher – National Women's Minister Director (COGOP)
• Pastor Nick Chanda – (RCCE)
• Ray Lewis – EYLA

Why attend?

Statistics from the Cinnamon Faith Action Audit (2015) show that the contribution from churches and other faiths make to the local economy is £235 million and the national value from these organisations via social action projects through their communities is estimated at 3billion per year. In light of these figures, the NBWN and NatWest Business Banking are aiming to bring together faith leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs to harness this capital and look at what needs to be done to start and stimulate businesses in the UK.

Among the topics to be covered on the day include an outline of how faith based organisations contribute to society and how the church can help to start, grow and support more businesses within their local and national communities. In addition, there will be an opportunity to look at how the church can encourage international trade through their well established and solid networks.

As well as listening to our exclusive guest speakers you will also have the chance to get involved, have YOUR say and establish and expand your own business networks.

If you would like to get involved or find out more about how our churches can get more involved in the business agenda, then please join us for this free event aimed at bridging the gap between faith and business on Monday 28th November 2016 at RBS, Bishopsgate, London from 12.00 – 4.30pm by visiting: Faith and Business Summit.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chance the Rapper - Blessings.

Mixing Church & Politics (2)

Yesterday the Bishop of Barking (with Anglican and Ecumenical partners) hosted a seminar for church leaders on encouraging vocations to public life and political office entitled Mixing Church and Politics.

This was a well attended event at Westminster which saw politicians and political activists from each of the main parties speak passionately about the faith motivations for their political careers. These ranged from the influence of Catholic social teaching to Evangelical urban missions.

Stephen Timms equated Wilberforce’s campaign for the abolition of slavery with the Church’s involvement in the Jubilee 2000 and Make Poverty History campaigns. Jon Cruddas commended the attempts by Rowan Williams and Vincent Nicholls to change the language of political discourse and to re-emphasise the significance of ‘virtue’. In addition to contributions from Simon Hughes and David Burrowes, Caroline Alabi and Sister Josephine Caddy spoke about their involvements in the Hope not Hate and London Citizens campaigns respectively.

Bishop David has said, "After the past eighteen months confidence in political life in our country has reached an all time low. The Christian community needs to take responsibility in calling out vocations to public life and supporting politicians in this high Christian calling."

The evening saw my continued engagement with local politics as, together with Tom Platt of Living Streets, I presented the Community Street Audit report prepared by the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association to the Area 7 Committee in the London Borough of Redbridge.

Our report highlights issues of traffic speeds, pavement parking, damaged paving, renewal of signage, litter, and seating in public areas along Aldborough Road South. We are calling for greater enforcement of the 20mph speed limit; traffic calming measures; a review of parking in the whole area; and additional signage to local amenities. Alongside these requests, we are offering to help fund new public seating and to organise community events to clean up the area and promote pride in the upkeep of front gardens.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Runrig - City Of Lights / Dance Called America.

Shared Faiths response to the credit crunch

Last year Faiths in London's Economy (FiLE) published a shared faiths response to the credit crunch which calls for: non-interest bearing transactions; mutual societies; business accountability to a wider range of stakeholders than shareholders alone; transparent and ethical business practices; and recognition of the role that artists and communities play in generating real wealth.

The document was picked up by the Faith Engagement Team in the Department for Communities and Local Government and posted on the G20 London Summit site as part of the Faith Debate section. The full text of our ‘Shared Faiths response’ was published in the ‘Faith in Business Quarterly,’ an article on the document was prepared for the Three Faiths Forum newsletter, the document informed a consultation on the issue undertaken by the East of England Faiths Council, and a Faiths Conference organised by the Basildon Faiths Forum.

Stephen Timms responded to the shared faiths response to the credit crunch in a speech to the East of England Faiths Council. In this speech, he focused on two aspects of the Shared Faiths response:

Firstly, he said that the paper is right to highlight how the faiths value work – how: “The work ethic is seen as a noble endeavour in many faiths.” Secondly, he focused on what we describe as the ‘breakdown in the relational aspects of the economy’. "You say ‘many faiths reflect on transparency and the hidden (often in terms of the imagery of light and dark’) suggesting that where actions can be hidden, injustice and wrongdoing often occur’. Rowan Williams said earlier this year: “our faith depends on the action of a God who is to be trusted; God keeps promises.” I think you’re right. Hiddenness, and a lack of transparency, has been one of the causes of this crisis."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gillian Welch - Everything Is Free.

Prayer for a new global economy

This month's Take 5 from Micah Challenge is on April's G20 meeting in April:

"The G20 meets in London on 2nd April whilst we stand amidst the ruins of our global economy. The agreement reached between the heads of the 20 leading economies will begin to draw up a blueprint for a new global economy that will rise out of the rubble. At this crucial time, take action and pray with Christians around the world that our new global economy might be more squarely founded on the values of our creator God."

See my Faith & Finance post here to read Stephen Timms' hopes for this meeting.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Nu Colours - What in the World.

Faith & Finance

Earlier this week I was at the Faith & Finance event organised by the Christian Muslim Forum at St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. It was interesting primarily for the speakers as opposed to being an event at which there was a great deal of opportunity for input to the issue. I was there together with Dr. Husna Ahmad representing FiLE and circulating copies of our draft 'Shared faiths response to the credit crunch.'

The main speakers were Sadiq Khan, Stephen Timms and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Sadiq Khan emphasised the importance of the faiths voices being heard and said that global challenges need global responses which meant that all groups need to be able to contribute. He highlighted the value of generosity in faith traditions and the sense of security that faith communities provide for their adherents.

Stephen Timms repeated the mantra that international problems need international solutions and suggested that a new collaborative approach to tackling social and environmental challenges could be shaped by civil and religious society. He spoke of this as a Global New Deal involving: sustainable recovery through fairness, stability, growth and jobs; action to stimulate global demand; new regulatory structures; action to address tax evasion; and reform of the IMF and World Bank. The G20 meeting later this year which wil be hosted by the UK provides and opportunity to begin addressing this agenda.

Rowan Williams answered questions from delegates before making three points about principles and values. First was the importance of keeping promises based on our belief in a faithful divinity. Faithfulness and trustworthiness are fundamental. Second was the idea of the world as gift; that we are living in a world that does not belong to us. As a result, our desires do not define what is good, the material world is to be respected and the world is not wholly under our control. The earth is the Lord's. Finally, the idea that what is good for us is to do with connection. My flourishing and yours belong together. Individualism undermines ethics.

The value of the meeting was not solely in its keynote speakers. Alex Cobham from Christian Aid highlighted the way in which money is taken from developing economies for shareholders in the developed world through the use of tax havens by businesses. £160bn is lost to the developing world annually through tax evasion. Mohammed Amin suggested that we need a better understanding of the reasons why people into debt in order to challenge such behaviour. John Madely spoke about the theology of 'enough' suggesting that we have been addicted to growth and need to learn to live within the limits of available resources. He spoke about 'shalom' as the harmony of a caring community informed at every point by God. Faizal Manjoo contrasted Islamic law with Roman law and said that three key factors in the credit crunch - contracts, high interest and gambling - were forbidden in Islamic law. Finally, Mark Speeks proposed that covenantal theology could provide a relational basis for just or moral banking.

A Church Times report on the event can also be found by clicking here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Beatles - Taxman.

What faith communities offer

A government minister has highlighted the role of religion in building a ‘new politics’ based on hope. Stephen Timms, financial secretary to the Treasury, spoke of the challenges presented by the world economy, the conflict in the Middle East and last weekend’s attack on Stephen Lewis, who was stabbed leaving a church hall party in his East London constituency. Addressing the Institute of Public Policy Research, Mr Timms said it was the ‘calling’ of politicians to figure out how to tackle such challenges and that the religious groups of Britain were ‘crucial’ to this process. ‘Faith communities have a great deal to offer us, not least in their resource of hopefulness, as we build a new politics based on hope to respond effectively to the challenges we face,’ he said.

Source: The Times (29/1) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5614131.ece.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bruce Springsteen & Seeger Session Band - Jacobs Ladder.

Money Well Spent

FaithAction's Money Well Spent conference brought together more than 200 faith-based and community organisations delivering public services, senior civil servants and ministers to engage in meaningful dialogue. Speeches by The Rt. Hon Stephen Timms MP and Dr. Husna Ahmad, CEO of Faith Regen UK were of particular note and both speakers have consented to their speeches being put onto the FaithAction website, so please click the following links to download:

• The Rt. Hon Stephen Timms MP’s Keynote Speech in which he praises the work of faith-based and faith-inspired organisations around the country and talks of his support for FaithAction.
• Dr. Husna Ahmad’s Setting the Scene in which she discusses faith communities and the Government to work together to build more cohesive and sustainable communities.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Curtis Mayfield - Keep On Keeping On.