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Supplier resilience equals supply chain resilience The Mars-Tanager mint partnership shows how diversified income streams, gender inclusion, applied agricultural research creates a more resilient, sustainable agricultural sector. What are the learnings? More ... From a webinar by Business Fights Poverty Heroes "What's remarkable about history is ordinary people doing extraordinary things...we never know how our actions are going to ripple over time but each of us can take responsibility for pushing in the direction of justice, equality, tolerance." More ... From a TEDx talk What parent behaviours, rather than style, matter most for children’s success? In most situations, parents know what decisions they ought to make, but some chronically make decisions they know are not beneficial for their child nor what they should do. More ... From an article by Behavioral Scientist What would R T Kendal say to his younger self? I think of Acts 4:13. When the Sadducees saw the boldness of Peter and John they were amazed. They noticed that they were uneducated but they had been with Jesus. My advice to anybody is two things... More ... From a podcast by J John Why do we assume faster is better? Why do we assume faster is better? There are things in life you want to compress, accelerate, make more efficient. And there are things where value is precisely in inefficiency, in time spent, in pain endured, in effort you have to invest. More ... From an article by Behavioral Scientist How to take back your family’s Christmas This Christmas, choose gratitude, forgiveness, service, and connection. This Christmas, choose joy. 7 strategies to beat the Christmas Grinch. 1. Create Some Structure. 2. Practice Acceptance. 3. Craft Your Joy... More ... From an article by Happy Families The importance of the first few years: one family's story Who you are as a person is largely shaped during these formative years. "Our son has had the best start in life, something that hasn’t happened in my family for as far back as anyone can remember." More ... From a video by For Baby's Sake Trust Asset Based Community Development for Churches (ABCD) - 2 ABCD shifts focus from what is lacking to what is present, valuable in communities - hidden treasures waiting to be uncovered, celebrated. A new story - one that reflects abundance and potential. More ... From a webinar by Church Urban Fund Redemptive entrepreneurship Creative restoration by business through sacrifice using the agency, resources available. Blessing others, renewing culture, giving of ourselves - an “I sacrifice, we win” approach. Fundamentally other-centred: to love, serve. More ... From Praxis Labs Bringing back the power of community William Beveridge, whose 1942 report led to the welfare state, recognised he'd made a mistake in omitting a greater role for families, communities, volunteers, civil society. “It did frankly send a chill to my heart.” More ... From a blog at the British Medical Journal and oth How screen time affects childhood development As screen tech becomes more integrated into our lives, attempts to understand its impact on cognitive and behavioural development, particularly in children, have sparked concerns and debate. Some insights.. More ... From an article by Safety Detectives Asset Based Community Development for Churches - 1 Sometimes answers lie within our community, within our shared experiences. Listening to one another, acknowledging our collective knowledge can guide us. But do our current responses exacerbate issues? More ... From a webinar by Church Urban Fund Why we struggle to share power The social business space is filled with people who want to make a positive difference. But for many Westerners, the work of empowering vulnerable people goes against several deeply ingrained cultural norms. What are they? More ... From an article by Next Billion Who are you called to share Good News with? As Ann began to pray into the idea of being an ordinary missionary in her neighbourhood, she asked the Holy Spirit to whom she is called to bring Good News, the answer was clear. The Lord gave her a picture.. More ... From a story by KC Underground Catalysing a movement for resilience in a community “One thing that resonated with everybody was the discussion about trauma.” Trauma was THE common thread linking child welfare and student behaviour issues, adult addictions, domestic + sexual violence. More ... From an article by Mobilizing Action for Resilient Estates Evangelism More than bread, more than words. We must not be content to see those living on estates as anything less than family who deserve the dignity of food and the astounding truth of the gospel. More ... From the Church of England Kitty's Laundrette A community launderette and social space in Liverpool, run by the community for the community. High-quality, affordable ecological laundry services and an accessible social space for people to gather, talk and learn. More ... From an article by the School for Social Entrepren Could exploitation be taking place in your local hand car wash? The Safe Car Wash App helps us all know what to look for and how to report concerns. It asks users questions related to indicators of modern slavery, assesses answers and lets users report. More ... From an article by Compassion Ministries The Compass of Shame The first wince of shame is physical. The feeling is so noxious that we generally move quickly to get out of this moment through one or two of four scripted responses - referred to as the four points on a "Compass of Shame" More ... From an article by Psychology Today Holding a sacred assembly in your community A sacred assembly is a gathering of Jesus followers in a community for a public event of worship and prayer - specifically prayers of repentance and proclamation - often combined with fasting. A manual.. More ... From a book by Bob Perry and Amy Lykosh Fostering innovation and empowerment in the neighbourhood economy Innovation Works has so far engaged over 400 social enterprises in their city - actively supporting more than 160 and ensuring that those reduce neighbourhood and racial wealth divides. More ... From an article by the Miller Center for Social En Building a community wellbeing data hub in Widnes What is wellbeing? Research with residents - emotional, physical, spiritual health, human connection, getting to places, community spirit, support, respect, kindness, values, public spaces and services.. More ... From a report by Civic Data Co-operative How different types of disadvantage impact England’s pre-school children Disadvantage has two dimensions – economic and home disadvantage. These have different effects on later outcomes. Need to vary hours in pre-school according to disadvantage. More ... From a report by Nesta AI In The Church Survey 2024 Demonstrates a growing interest by church leaders in integrating AI into aspects of ministry. However there's a mix of excitement and caution between enhancing ministry versus ethical implications and preserving human touch. More ... From a report by Exponential Pursuing failure to test innovations We grow up trying to avoid failure. But with Testing before Investing we do the opposite-pursue failure. If we're going to fail, we want to fail early and small. Then we learn, adapt, iterate for a better solution. More ... From an article by Spring Impact Camino Verde - a living seed bank The concept is to cultivate native species safeguarding their future as well as actively promoting their sustainable use throughout the region as a source of livelihoods for communities. More ... From an article by Reasons to be Cheerful The foundations for inequality are reinforced at pre-school Teachers do their best to give all pupils the same chances but why do schools fail to level the social playing field? Classroom interactions, social comparisons with children perpetuate inequalities. More ... From an article by Bold Guide to prayer walking Prayer walking is “praying on-site with insight.”. Seeking the Spirit’s guidance, mercy, and transforming power in our context. Helping us become more aware of our neighbourhood and its cultural and spiritual realities. More ... From a prayer guide by KC Underground The Biblical basis for entrepreneurship If we only focus on certain aspects of God's story, it has very significant impact on how we understand the role of business and what the Kingdom of God is about. More ... From a talk by Matthew Rohrs, CEO, Sinapis From community engagement to ownership 6 developmental phases - a pathway to strengthen, transform our communities. Thriving, diverse, equitable communities are possible through deep participation, unleashing capacity to address our toughest challenges. More ... From a resource by Facilitating Power Confronting the toll of hook-up culture The consequences are tangible psychological distress, embarrassment, loss of respect, distrust, difficulties with maintaining steady relationships, STDs, depression, anxiety. We need to model something different. More ... From an article by The Institute of Family Studies Spirit-empowered ministry There's only one thing that's going to move the dial in our ministries, in our church. Not strategy, theology degrees, training, important as they are. Jesus knew it and he lived by it. The power and the life of the Holy Spirit. More ... From a talk at Exponential 2024 - One Eighty: The Harnessing AI for social impact The intersection of AI and social impact presents extraordinary opportunities for positive change. Improving efficiency, optimizing resource allocation, developing innovative products, and helping better decision-making. More ... From an article by Impact Entrepreneur Solutions Journalism Solutions Journalism investigates and explains, in a critical and clear-eyed way, how people try to solve widely shared problems instead of “what’s gone wrong" journalism. Changing the culture. A guide.. More ... From the European Journalism Centre 10 essential tips for effective Youth Ministry Practical advice on how to navigate the challenges and rewards of working with young people in a Christian context. Help with unpredictability of youth work and fostering a community connection. More ... From a video by Ridley Hall Cambridge Sheep Among Wolves A documentary that sheds light on the underground church in Iran. Their movement is characterized by rapid reproduction, yet it operates without property, buildings, budget, or formal status. Remarkably, it is mainly led by women. More ... A film from FAI Studios Inside the UK’s first open-access, pay-as-you-go factory  A 32,000-square-foot converted warehouse fully kitted out with £1.3M worth of manufacturing equipment. There's a flexible membership structure which has attracted a community of 1000 makers. More ... From an article by Reasons to be Cheerful The future of Christian social action Has enthusiasm for social action led Church to become a handmaid of the state? Have projects been effective at reducing poverty? Have they been an effective way of witnessing Christian faith? What needs to change? More ... From a lecture by Jon Kuhrt for Together for the C A mother’s answered prayer  At 16, Cindy started dating a young man and found herself pregnant. After months of painful decision making, she decided that adoption was the best route. Her son Tom was born and she held him for four days and prayed.. More ... From an article by The Salvation Army Becoming the Church that Jesus comes back for - part 2 The work the Lord is doing is not reformation but re-founding of Church on Jesus - bringing us back to first love. To deeper devotion and dependency. There are no well worn paths.. More ... From a podcast by Kairos Connexion Can AI be ethical?  As AI becomes advanced and integrated into aspects of society, it is crucial to address potential ethical implications of its use. There is a consensus that development of ethically aligned AI systems is imperative. Some insights.. More ... From a report by Digital Leaders Understanding spiritual and religious abuse in the context of intimate partner violence  Such abuse is when spiritual or religious beliefs are used to hurt, scare or control someone. Religious leaders often inadequately equipped to respond effectively. More ... From a research paper by The Australian Institute Bringing social entrepreneurship to schools  Students greatly benefit from engaging in an entrepreneur project, including practicing various approaches to learning skills, enhancing financial literacy, and developing perseverance and resilience. More ... From an article by Alison Yang Becoming the church that Jesus comes back for - part 1 If you look at church history, you can see moments of seismic shifts in what the Church looked like. 500 years ago, it was the Reformation. If I'm and others are right, this is one of those moments.. More ... From a podcast by Kairos Connexion Imposter syndrome  Impostor-related thoughts and feelings lead to unproductive behaviours which are costly to individuals and their organisation. An estimated 70% of achievers - men and women - have experienced impostor syndrome. More ... From information by Dr Valerie Young The case for getting and staying married This article has been unpublished due to sensitive content. More ... Should adolescents start school later?  Various pilot programs have found that later secondary school start times may help students get more sleep, feel less depressed, attend school more, and achieve higher grades. But it depends on.. More ... From an article by Bold and other sources Discipling a million  Story of a website that had over 50M visitors last year, all seeking answers to hard questions about life and God. 1M visitors found a link saying they invited Jesus into their life and wanted info to get discipled. More ... From a podcast by Heaven in Business Alternative Walking Tours - Invisible Cities  Invisible Cities is a social enterprise that trains people affected by homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city. The training focuses on confidence building, public speaking and customer service. More ... From an article by Reasons to be Cheerful An innovation process for a town/city Towns/cities today must respond effectively to the needs of increased urbanisation. To do this, they need to learn, embrace an innovation process in their practices that involves local people and others. An example.. More ... From an article by Apolitical Reminiscing with your child  Reminiscing with children at various ages benefits the children linguistically, cognitively, emotionally, and academically. More ... From an article on Child and Family blog Experiencing a whole church Bible reading week  A church decided to undertake an adventure in the form of a whole church Bible reading week. On each day of the chosen week, the plan offered a choice of specified Bible passages. So how did the church react? More ... From an article by Baptists Together How companies can support survivors of domestic abuse  There is more awareness of the workplace impacts of domestic violence and abuse. Access a Toolkit that offers a roadmap for businesses to support survivors of domestic violence. More ... From an article by Business Fights Poverty The root of social connections in a community  Community building is about the vitality of connections, not tasks they perform or possessions they accrue. Such vitality is most evident in the quality of relationships rather than the quality of projects. More ... An extract from an article by Qeios What responsibility do parents have for their children's mental health?  There is a belief in many parents who come for guidance that children are the problem. “Fix my child." They can’t see how their behaviour, style or issues may impact their child. More ... From an article by the Institute of Family Studies The challenge and beauty of church planting  You don't want your closest friends, who you feel will contribute to what you're doing, to leave you. But you're on a mission, you have to release them to go. There is a grief and sadness, but excitement too. More ... From a video at a Confluence Church Conference Pursuing a generous lifestyle  We were surprised by wealth. The question then became how do we use this wealth to honour God? That's not a simple question. Money tends to hold power over us. Giving really takes away that power and dethrones this control. More ... From a video by Faith Driven Investor The Wellbeing Journey  Churches are in a unique place to lead communities on an 8-part video journey to improved physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. It's based around 7 key areas of wellbeing. "It's been amazing." More ... Geoff Knott The first 1001 days Children’s development in the early years sets them on a positive trajectory. Children’s development at just 22 months has been shown to predict their qualifications at 26 years. More ... From infographics by the Parent Infant Foundation The failure of Celebrity Christianity  The celebrity-ism that we are tempted with is one that's marked by entitlement, marked by performance, marked by power. This is the core of celebrity-ism. 4 questions to ask. More ... From a video by Thinq Media God in a construction company  5 lessons and counting from leaders who have given a company to God and are stewarding it... Listening and obedience, united prayer, wise counsel, trust and rest, fathering.. More ... From an interview by Heaven In Business God saw that it was good  In such a visual age, “God saw that it was good” videos aim to take people on a step of encounter. Beyond wondering about the “how” and “why” of science’s mechanistic approach towards an encounter with the God of creation through the visual senses. More ... From videos by the Baptist Union Environment Netwo Schools and intergenerational tutoring  A programme that which pairs senior volunteers with children in kindergarten thru Year 3 for 30–45 minutes each week. They become their tutor, mentor and friend. The volunteers benefit in various ways too.. More ... From an article by The 74 Ministry in the age of AI - 2  Some of the adoptions of AI by churches. Summarising meeting notes, action points, sermons, manuscripts, etc. Things that are more strategic - building insights, trends. Giving pastoral care advice and coaching leaders... More ... From a webinar by Barna and RightNow Media A 3D-printed BioHome, a 100-percent recyclable house  Printing a home in as little as two days and thanks to its natural composition from wood left over by local mills, the home acts as a carbon sink, sequestering 46 tons of carbon dioxide per 600sq-ft unit. More ... From an article by Reasons to be Cheerful 3 things cities do to foster innovative local government  Research identified; a) New institutions that are “licensed to innovate”, b) Approaches based in design thinking, c) Nurturing more creative bureaucracies... More ... From an article by Apolitical What is family?  Cultures, values, social expectations, laws have changed over time and vary from place to place. In research, love and unconditional non-judgemental support had universal agreement as being important, but what about legal and blood ties? More ... From research by the Australian Institute of Famil Ministry in the age of AI - 1 25% of adults say that they would trust an AI response if they asked it questions about Christian teachings and beliefs. That rises to 40% for Gen Z and Millennials. We face interesting questions about how to do ministry. More ... From a webinar by Barna and RightNow Media Pressing into prayer for revival  "I've seen a vision of England, and over her I can see spots of light. Light. City after city. I believe God is going to raise up an army of light all over the nation." Let's believe. Let's constantly press in prayer. More ... Your Workspace Matters  Your physical workspace has spiritual significance. You carry the presence of God into the workplace. It can be a surprisingly hostile place as a result. So how can you pray effectively over that space? More ... From a book by Amy Lykosh and Bob Perry Resilience in turbulent times? The answer is community. A strong community is an amazing place for young to grow up in and elderly to age in. We've got connection, share resources, feel safe, our hearts belong. But what's it got to do with resilience? More ... From a TEDx talk Art diversion programme allows young to exit justice system In 10 years, 1,400+ young people diverted away from jail or sanctions. Their art is used to advocate for legal reform and show their many facets, strengths, aspirations. More ... From information from Young New Yorkers 15 observations in disciple making movements in urban locations - 2 Today, 4.4 billion people (56% of the global population) live in cities. People in cities are increasingly unreached. 15 insights for growth from research and questions to consider.. part 2. More ... From research by Two Four Eight Food as freedom  The ability to know where your next meal is coming from is empowering. If you don't know how to answer that question, as the hunger pains increase, you will do whatever you can to get food on the table. More ... From a video by Thinq Everybody needs good neighbourhoods  Communities with neighbourhood-based initiatives exhibit; lower overall levels of crime, a greater reduction in levels of anti-social behaviour, a greater reduction in levels of criminal damage, a better neighbourhood environment and.. More ... From a report by Local Trust Tackling Trauma, Ending Homelessness  94% of people facing homelessness have experienced trauma. We can only end rough sleeping and homelessness if we tackle trauma. Research about this 'Catch 22'... More ... From a report by Oasis Community Housing 15 observations in disciple making movements in urban locations - 1  Today, 4.4 billion people (56% of the global population) live in cities. People in cities are increasingly unreached. 15 insights for growth from research and questions to consider.. part 1. More ... From research by Two Four Eight The vocation journey of Cam Moss  "Currently I own a small business that helps other businesses with their people problems. I have a background in missions, then into being a pastor and then into the business world..." More ... From an article by At Work On Purpose Services based on relationships to fix our social problems "I want to tell you about Ella. Ella is stuck. She has lived with crisis for 40 years. There were 73 different services on offer for her. 73 services run out of 24 departments in one city.." More ... From a TED London talk The courage of parenting if you have a history of trauma  On one hand you want your children to get what you didn’t, have opportunities you didn’t have. On the other, you worry that they don’t appreciate what they have and won’t get strengths you have. More ... From a blog by Gretchen Schmelzer How can we speak clearly and powerfully about racism?  Reframing Race spoke to 20,000 people in England and Scotland about race and racism. They tested messages with the public. New ways of talking about racism lead to new ways of listening. A guide.. More ... From a guide by Reframing Race ‘There’s something about having nothing to lose that makes you take risks’ Your Own Place CIC, an award-winning “targeted prevention homelessness social enterprise”, now 10 years old. The biggest lesson from experience as a social entrepreneur? To develop “a network of support”. More ... From a podcast by Pioneer Post Walking in Gratitude  When Nicola, a working mother of four, faces serious mental and physical health issues, she finds herself saying, “thank you.” She discovers that by practicing gratitude, she is able to.. More ... From a video by Take Care A curious lawyer’s journey to justice  I watched a one-hour film called 'Resilience'. It was all about childhood trauma. I watched and thought, "I've been a lawyer for 25 years and I didn't understand any of my clients". More ... From a video by ACE-Aware Scotland Believing but not religious  We're seeing the decline in the number of congregations and in the number of religious vocations. However, we still have incredibly high numbers of people who believe in God or a higher power... More ... From a session at Human Flourishing The demand for spiritual care in the private sector  The boundary between HR and chaplaincy is that chaplains have to be neutral. That ability is critical so that they can move in and out in a liminal way (occupy a position on both sides of a boundary). More ... From a video by Chaplaincy Innovation Lab Culture on prescription  People have long used arts as a way to make sense of the world, build connections and define themselves whilst benefiting from the arts’ therapeutic effects. Arts and culture can make us feel better... More ... From a video by Culture on Prescription Building youth resilience  Resilience is not just something individual - like perseverance or grit. It is also about navigating resources – both social and non-social – that are available in the wider environment. More ... From an article by Bold Rethinking church planting: don't start with Sunday  We must start with discipleship and mission and work toward church. Church planting is the outworking of engaging context and cultivating community. The church is formed by mission and is formed for mission. More ... From an article by Missional Church Network How to measure the impact of employee volunteering  A volunteering programme can be transformational for employees, community members, non-profits and your business. Clarify what you hope to achieve and then tie 5 measurement strategies to those goals. More ... From a guide by Submittable How are adults coming to faith in the UK?  Big themes for churches to explore. 1. Friendship. 2. Digital. 3. Mercy ministry and gospel. 4. Hospitality. 5. The Bible. 6. Prayer and dreams... More details.. More ... From a Twitter X thread from Phil Knox The Resilience Challenge What information, if it were flowing through the people of your community, would start them on a journey together toward really strong, healthy living? Could your church be instrumental in doing this? More ... Geoff Knott How to live out the good news in our cultural conversations - part 2 Underneath our cultural conversations, we see a fundamental question, "What does it mean to be human?". There are four core aspects that bridge our cultural conversations and faith... More ... From a video by the Evangelical Alliance This is My Place: Fatima's Story  Fatima was married with three daughters and was working for the NHS in Cardiff. But sadly, throughout her marriage, she experienced domestic abuse. She divorced and had no home to go to... More ... From an article by Resonance Go Chatter  A Christian media ministry that serves and equips churches with quality videos from over 90 content creators. The aim of their resources is to get people talking about Jesus. More ... Geoff Knott Is the decline in children's independent activity one cause of decline in their mental well-being?  Over last 60 years, understanding has shifted from children as competent, responsible and resilient to focusing on children’s needs for supervision, protection. More ... From an article in the Journal of Pediatrics How to live out the good news in our cultural conversations - part 1 55% of non-Christians who know a practising Christian have had a conversation with them about their faith in Jesus Christ. 44% said they had not had a conversation about faith. More.. More ... From a video by the Evangelical Alliance Why the dignity of work is at the heart of civic and spiritual renewal  Work is a spiritual activity, following literally in the footsteps of a carpenter, through which the worker collaborates with the Creator “for the redemption of humanity”. More ... From a talk arranged by Together for the Common Go The devastating effect of divorce or separation on Adverse Childhood Experiences  Individuals, communities, society pay a huge cost due to ACEs - wasted lives, premature death, anti-social behaviour, + healthcare, justice, education, social services costs. More ... From a report by My ACE Story 10 ways to practice Positive Childhood Experiences at Christmas  The season can present times of stress and pressure, but no matter what you celebrate, believe, practice, this season can offer big and small opportunities to create positive memories. More ... From an article by HOPE – Healthy Outcomes from Po Your toddler was born to help  Research suggests that all children are naturally helpful, and parents play a crucial role in keeping it this way. The caveat is that it has to be real help, or else it could later backfire. There are lasting benefits. More ... From an article by Bold Holy/Hurt: Exploring spiritual trauma and healing  A feature of trauma is loss of meaning and trust, undermining sense of self-worth, value, and humanity, while increasing the presence of guilt, shame, fear, and numbing, defensive strategies to mask it. More ... From a podcast by Holy/Hurt Podcast Community-led digital inclusion support  How do you reach people who aren’t online? Or people not interested in learning digital skills? One way is via local digital inclusion hubs. 3000+ UK organisations form the National Digital Inclusion Network. More ... From an article by Digileaders The Neighbourhood Storyteller Asma started thinking that the refugee community in the camp needed to work together to change things. She saw potential and thought there was something to be done. She always loved reading and she always loved stories.... More ... From a film by the Big Heart Foundation The effects of harsh parenting  Research shows that harsh parenting, such as hitting or shouting, may have a damaging effect on children’s behaviour and emotional development. This can lead to a self-perpetuating loop... More ... From an article by Child and Family Blog How to talk to your children about conflict and war  Conflict or war can cause feelings such as fear, sadness, anger, anxiety wherever you live. Children look to their parents for safety and security – even more so in times of crisis. Here are 8 tips.. More ... From an article by UNICEF 6 temptations of an entrepreneur  Temptation 1: Listening to the undermining voice of fear. Temptation 2: Expecting long term results in the short term. Temptation 3: Thinking that working harder is just better than working smarter.... More ... From an article by Stronger Network Always Hope - Supporting young adults with experience of care and custody  Care experienced young adults are over represented in the prison system. Always Hope aims to reduce reoffending, enable rehabilitation, increase chances of positive future. More ... From a report by the Innovation Unit A Hidden Sentence  A video created by young people impacted by having a parent in prison. "Police came to the house. My dad was stood with handcuffs. I got put out by mum and went up the street crying." More ... From a video for the charity North East Prison Aft What do smaller churches get wrong when they look at bigger churches?  Eight suggestions. 1. Searching for silver bullets. 2. Copying the outcome, not the process. 3. Burying your Talents. 4. Reverse snobbery. and 4 more... More ... From an article by the Affinity Network Corporate impact: seven tips to get companies on board  When a corporation commits to meaningful business change, or supports a social or eco initiative, it can make a real difference. But influencing decision-makers to take the leap isn’t always easy. More ... From an article by Pioneer Post Churches creating safer communities for young people  We know the young people in our communities need safe spaces to grow up in. What part can churches play as part of the mission of God? Three churches tell stories of their response. More ... From an article by Compassionate Communities Londo Positive Childhood Experiences and adult health outcomes  Positive Childhood Experiences can have a protective role in enhancing health resilience by promoting healthy outcomes and also by reducing the negative impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences. More ... From a study published in Pediatrics Getting out of the fold into the flock The Lord spoke to me and said. "You're entering a new season. I have something more for you, something different." There was a real cost to that and a real laying down but I have to say I was ready for it. More ... From a podcast by Transform Our World Tools to reduce age bias in recruitment Older workers (defined as aged 50+) make up approximately one third of the workforce, yet face numerous disadvantages during the recruitment process. Here are 3 tools to to minimise age bias... More ... From a report by the Behavioural Insights Team Do not underestimate the power of your story You may not think it’s dramatic, important, worth telling. It is. People are drawn to conversation, and through conversation are drawn to Jesus. Ask, “God, what is my story? Who do you want me to tell it to?” More ... From an article by Exponential When grandparents divorce, everyone hurts  “I remembered how things used to be. I will never see them [grandpa and grandma] together again.” “I felt depressed for months after I learned [our grandparents] had divorced. It’s not the same when you see them.” More ... From an article by the Institute of Family Studies 7 insights from church plants working together What could partnership between new churches look like? Key lessons from 3 church plant leaders about working together. More ... From a video by FIEC Tpel - an entrepreneur's story "It’s a journey, but I’m learning to lean into the Lord, to manage my time and prioritise tasks to make it manageable. Because I believe running a business is like... More ... From an article by LICC 5 tips for citizen engagement for the public sector A public servant needs to master the art of engaging citizens effectively. To do the right things, they must listen, engage, and co-create solutions with those they are here to serve – the citizens. More ... From an article by Better Government Healing from ACEs: a parent’s story  "I was told my face was not worth looking at, my voice not worth being heard. It was very painful for me to look people in the eye. I was hiding my brokenness because I was afraid to show it to the world..." More ... From a blog by ACEs Aware Three phases of revival Teo Hayashi continually sees hearts awakened and thousands of people give their lives to Christ. He shares from experience growing up in the mission field of Brazil and what he believes are the three phases of true revival. More ... From a video by ThinkQ Doughnut Economics for business: creating enterprises that are regenerative and distributive Redesigning business away from the outdated 20th century idea of existing to extract maximum value, to the 21st century idea of generating maximum benefits. More ... From a toolkit by Doughnut Economics Lessons learned from Newham’s participatory budget programme Creating a culture of participation in the area, increasing transparency/trust in local government, including local people in the decision-making process. 157 local projects funded. More ... From an article by CitizenLab The transition to fatherhood  The birth of a child is the birth of a father. The birth of the first child marks the transition. A developmental milestone. A new phase in adult life with unfamiliar tasks and responsibilities. How are men prepared for this? More ... From an article by Child and Family Blog Crossing Cultures 101  A free, online, self-paced course that gives you the basic information you need to know to work in another culture. General principles that apply widely to any cross-cultural experience. More ... From a course offering by FieldPartner Internation Evaluating impact through a Most Significant Change approach  MSC is particularly useful when you need different stakeholders to understand the different values that other stakeholders have in terms of "what success looks like". More ... From an article by Better Evaluation The Debt A young Mexican boy comes of age – for better or worse – in his quest to save his beloved pet goat from a debt collector. The film is inspired by Jesus’ Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. More ... From a video by Share Change Zero Gravity  Students selected for their accelerators come from backgrounds and areas where reaching a top university is more of a challenge than an inevitability. According to UCAS, they are twice as likely to achieve top university places. More ... 5 life lessons from Mother Teresa  1. Never Quit. She persevered throughout all the adversities that she knew in her life. 2. Embrace the Power of Prayer. She said that if you're too busy to pray, you're too busy. For her, it all began with prayer. ..More More ... Business as mission and the Church Report highlighting how every Christian in every marketplace can become ambassadors of the gospel–priests in their own parish–as they do business as an act of worship - equipped, discipled, covered by the local church. More ... From a report by Business as Mission Empathy + compassion are evolved states of being  The best way to spot an idiot is to look for the person who is cruel. Over many years, I have found one thing to be universally true - the kindest person in the room is often the smartest. More ... Discipline mistakes A series of very short videos talking about discipline mistakes we make regularly and what we can do instead. These ideas come from the book No-Drama Discipline, a NY Times best seller, now translated into 50 languages. More ... From a video by Dr Tina Bryson Intimacy, imagination, innovation Intimacy - create rhythms and patterns of intimacy - familial friendship with God. Imagination - take time to both dream and receive revelation. Innovation - try new things - prototype, test, learn. More ... From a talk at Kairos Connextion Silvopasture  Ancient practice of raising animals and growing trees and pasture on same piece of land. Combats climate change well ahead of solar panels, recycling , etc. Pastures with trees sequester 5 to 10 times as much carbon as treeless ones. More ... From an article by Reasons to be Cheerful From terrorist to pastor Aged 12, Billie McCurrie's life changed overnight when his father was shot dead by the IRA - a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Seeking revenge, Billie became a terrorist... More ... Volunteering and the positive impact on mental health  "This study shows the tremendous benefits of youth volunteering. The act of helping others and building empathy and understanding, is a critical protective factor against mental ill-health." More ... From a report by the Australian Institute of Famil Church at a crossroads: 6 lessons from the United Reformed Church  A snapshot of URC today, exploring its identity rooted in practice, what flourishing looks like, what resources exist or need to be sought, what barriers there are to future flourishing. More ... From a report by Theos Storyville Gardens To challenge literacy statistics, Storyville is designed to ignite the desire to read by toddlers to teens and adults alike. It is an imagination-driven, interactive entertainment destination where stories engage and connect. More ... From an interview at Q Ideas Culture Summit “You feed them”  Jesus’s challenge to his disciples. Today, at any one time, Saltbox’s 50 staff and 40+ volunteers are helping almost 500 needy local people with housing, loneliness and debt. Changing the world one life at a time.. More ... An article by Lloyd Cooke, CEO of Saltbox and the The impact of paternal positivity on child mental health  Children whose fathers showed more paternal positivity e.g. warmth were less likely to have mental health challenges. Esp. in low income communities, for girls and in middle childhood-adolescence. More ... From an article by Emerging Minds Crisis Communications Course for Churches  This free online course gives church leaders a foundational understanding of good crisis communications and application – from guidance on preventing a crisis, to how to respond and repair the damage. More ... From a resource by Confident Church Three great commissions   A business leader told me that, when he began his career working for a mission organization, he was often prayed for at church. But when he later decided to go into business, those prayers stopped... More ... From an article by Faith in Business A guide for churches to address domestic abuse  How churches can foster a safe, supportive environment where victims/survivors can talk openly about complex issues without fear of stigma or shame and how to appropriately respond to abusers. More ... From a publication by Restored Find out your Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) score  Are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) impacting your adult life? Are you passing your ACEs on to your children? Discovering your free ACEs score is often the first step to getting help... More ... Letter from the Father My Child, You may not know me but I know everything about you (Ps 139). You were made in my image (Gen 12v7). In me you live and move and have your being (Acts 17v28). I chose you when I planned creation (Eph 1v11). You were not a mistake (Ps 139)... More ... Part of Thy Kingdom Come 2023 Dispersing manufacturing jobs to marginalised communities  "I never wanted to create 'just another clothing brand' - I want Paskho to be a vehicle for meaningful change. building a more equitable landscape for all of us." More ... Embedding spiritual practices and seeing the benefits  "What impact would we see if we taught a group of disciples some tailor-made spiritual practices with a whole-life focus, and helped them integrate those practices into their lives?" 10 observations.. More ... From a report by LICC ThinkZone 3-10 year olds enrolled in ThinkZone programs significantly outperformed comparison group by 40%-60% in number recognition and counting, in comparison skills and shape knowledge, in reading and writing, in division skills. More ... From ThinkZone India What we can learn from the persecuted church? "We see discipleship in two ways within the church. First is an intense encounter with Jesus. This is quite common. That intense encounter brings out the second - a following of Christ and paying the cost." More ... From a discussion at Ekklesia 23 Producing energy from waste water A cassava mill in Indonesia now supplies 9.8 GWh of electricity to the local grid per year – enough to supply 20,000 people with clean, reliable energy, while reducing emissions by 30,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. More ... From an article in Pioneers Post Children’s sense of what they owe aging parents varies across Europe What is the percentage of each European country’s adults who agreed with the statement, "Adult children have the duty to provide long-term care for their parents.” and why? More ... From an article by the Institute of Family Studies Building a better brain through music, dance and poetry "Children who engage in the arts are better learners. Students with access to art education are 5x less likely to drop out, 4x more likely to be recognised for high achievement." More ... From a podcast by NPR 8 non-numerical ways to assess the health of a church  Church 'success' is seen often as numbers - attendees, donations, etc. However, these are not the best way to measure church health and effectiveness. Here are 8 helpful ways to assess... More ... From an article by Karl Vaters Thinking of bookshops as cultural civic centres “Reimagining Bookstores is a movement for strengthening communities, deepening literacy, paying living wages”. Independent bookstores “need to have a broader vision - not just be a channel for publishers.” More ... From an article by Stanford Social Innovation Revi Why news is so negative If a headline reads, "Some very sad, terrible news to share", it's hard to resist opening the article. It makes an important point though - consuming news of the awful is addictive. What are effects? More ... From an article on Readtangle Breaking the cycle of generational trauma Have you heard the saying, "Hurt people hurt people"? Instead of passing down hurt, we need to pass down healing by recognising symptoms of trauma, building resilience and restoring the brain and body. Details.. More ... From a TEDx talk by Dr Candice Jones Giving parents authority over children's social media Encouraging law on social media - an example for governments to follow. Gives full administrator-level access to parents, so that they can see everything that their children are doing on social media. More ... From an article by the Institute of Family Studies The fifth industrial revolution  “I see a crisis of trust in technology. In the Fifth Industrial Revolution, we’re going to have to have a chief ethical and humane use officer. Are we using these technologies for the good of the world?” More ... From articles by Regenesys Business School and Dig Incentives to donate Studies have shown that donors strongly prefer charities with low overhead regardless of cost-effectiveness i.e. impact. How can you incent donors to give towards impact? An experiment.. More ... From an article by Behavioral Scientist Community businesses - helping make places better  "With their ability to adapt and respond swiftly to their communities’ changing needs, community businesses are playing an integral role in levelling up the country towards a fairer economy." More ... From a report by Power to Change Are microchurches just small groups with a different name? There really is a big difference between typical small groups and microchurches. A look at 4 differences; what is church, reasons to gather, discipleship and equipping, and empowerment. More ... From an article on Leadership Network 3 reasons you may struggle with close relationships Mary was raised in a chaotic alcoholic home, witnessing long-term domestic abuse. From lived experience and study, she describes why finding, maintaining close friendships seemed to be so challenging. More ... From an article by Mary Giuliani That Night, I Had A Dream  I said to God, “Jesus if you’re real, I need to see you”. That night when I was sleeping, I had a dream. I was standing in a courtroom and I was waiting to be judged... More ... From an article by Unreached Network Do less and feel good about it  During the pandemic we experienced a period of less and as we come out of that period, there could be a tendency to add, to get busy, to fill our time. 5 key insights as to why we do this and how to prevent.. More ... From an article by The Next Big Idea Club Overcoming generational poverty  Ruth Beltran was at the end of herself. After leaving an abusive relationship, a single mother of six struggling to make ends meet. She was living in a car with her children. Then she met the Salvation Army and all changed. More ... From an article and video by the Salvation Army Selling as a way to bless customers How do you see sales or how do you see the act of selling? What if it was actually a way to serve, or bless others? Reaching out to a customer as a friend. Effectively putting love into it... More ... From a talk at Faith In Business Digital Compass A behaviourally informed programme, designed with young people to help them behave ethically online. A positive impact on their online experiences; knowledge, new coping strategies, responsibility, consequences of their actions. More ... From an article by the Behavioral Insights Team The dignity of work  It is a phrase which is growing in usage, but what does it mean? Examples from experience of working, an exploration of biblical perspective and why it is relevant to all of us. More ... From an article by Beautiful Enterprise Breaking Free from Benefits Julie Hawkins had to take benefits when she became a single mum. A system in which she was trapped by a lot of barriers at great cost - both financially to taxpayer and personally to individuals. Her suggestions for change... More ... From a book by Julie Hawkins, Founder Single Mums' Belonging The need to belong is a fundamental and human motivation. And that means we will find somewhere to belong to regardless of whether it's healthy, regardless of whether it's safe. Regardless of anything, we'll find somewhere to belong to. More ... From a talk by Lisa Cherry 6 challenges that Christian leaders face Insights into challenges that Christian leaders have faced, particularly those who are entrepreneurial in nature - keen to transform or develop projects or ministries within a Christian setting. More ... From a talk from Stronger Network Space for community: strengthening our social infrastructure  "Social infrastructure is central to providing hope and support for communities, particularly when led by individuals with a deep understanding of and connection to those communities.” More ... From a study published by The British Academy, Pow It takes one person to change a company While corporate transformations are almost universally assumed to be top-down processes, in reality, middle managers and supervisors can make significant social impact change when they have the right mindset. More ... From an article by Harvard Business Review White mailboxes Primary school children can write about anything that weighs on them. The letters are read every day and a professional team of psychologists, doctors, educators and law enforcement then confidentially work to find solutions. More ... From an article by Reasons to be Cheerful From community involvement to community engagement Transformational community-driven engagement shares power with community and is built on trust, transparency, and mutual accountability. Shifting power to the community can be done in a variety of ways. More ... From a report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundatio From textile waste to refugee livelihoods  In 5 years, Refugee Artisan Initiative has diverted 5,000lbs of textiles from the landfill and produced 120,000 items, 37 women have earned £400,000 in income, and eight have launched online shops. More ... From an article on Reasons to be Cheerful 9 ways of communicating the gospel to postmoderns  Their world view states there is no objective, absolute truth; ”truth” is what you believe it to be. So how can we convey understanding of the One who is the “way, the truth and the life” to them? More ... From an article by Free Ministry Resources The use of mobile devices to calm young children creates longer term issues  When kids are stressed, and parents put a screen in front of them, children aren't learning how to deal with stress; they are just distracted by the screen. More ... From a study by University of Michigan and an inte Principles for asylum dispersal  Ensuring that people seeking asylum receive adequate temporary accommodation and support while they wait for a decision on their application should be a fundamental aspect of a fair and just asylum system. 12 principles.. More ... From a briefing by Asylum Matters and NACCOM What happens when we pray We've been praying from the year 2000 for the transformation of our city, Liverpool. We're just seeing transformation after transformation after transformation. Don't be afraid to pray big prayers. More ... From a video by Stronger Network What is the link between video gaming as an adolescent and later gambling?  3 questions; 1. Effects of daily video gaming on real money gambling? 2. Effects of playing simulated gambling games on real money gambling? 3. What are other main risk factors? More ... From a report by the Australian Institute of Famil Five lessons from ten Corporate-Charity partnerships  From charity partnership with 10 FTSE100 companies, key lessons for coys to have a positive impact on poverty, the environment, and working well together with charities and government. More ... From an article on Business Fights Poverty What if your local government budget was aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Since 2019, budgets of Strasbourg have been mapped to the SDGs. It's given greater legitimacy to local actions through clear objectives and increasing impact. More ... From an article by Apolitical Creating a 'Social Business City' Taoyuan City, Taiwan has created “an enabling ecosystem for social businesses, social enterprises and social innovation” by removing obstacles and giving them the “power, means, opportunities and authority to pursue their goals” More ... From an article by Pioneers Post Lessons for pioneer pastors Benjamin Francis was a rural pastor. English wasn't his native tongue. He was a bivocational farmer-pastor who looked after a small congregation in a small village. Yet in his ministry, he baptised 450 people. Lessons... More ... From a Twitter thread by Tim Wilson An online parenting program for divorced parents  Most divorced or separated parents ask themselves, “What can I do to protect my children from the problems that often follow divorce?” An online parenting-after-divorce programme backed by research.. More ... From an article by Child and Family blog A story of ‘Regeneration and Rest’  It started with prayer. Little local ‘houses of prayer’ began praying in their geographic locations and prayer walking the streets all over Whitby and the surrounding villages asking God to send revival. More ... From an article by Kairos Connexion Four core regrets in life “How often do you look back in your life and wish you had done something differently?” Analysis of 23,000 regrets from around world show four core regrets and how regret, while painful in the moment, can help us move forward. More ... From an article by Behavioural Scientist and other Redirecting procurement to social enterprise suppliers  Social procurement creates better outcomes for society, the environment and a business. It prioritises social and environmental outcomes alongside financial factors. More ... From an impact report by Supply Change ACEs reduction is a community initiative Resilience is the responsibility of not just one sector, but all sectors. Could every sector share the information on ACEs, brain development, and resilience as a platform on which to build particular strengths, skills, and capacities? More ... From an interview by Community Resilience Initiati 6 keys of connection: turning your neighbourhood into a community  Neighbours are a wellspring of abilities, knowledge, passions, experiences. When we encourage, support, share, enjoy neighbours, we put the world to rights on our street, build connection. More ... From an article by the Good Men Project Social Impact Entertainment The term social impact entertainment (SIE) broadly refers to entertainment media that aims to drive progressive social change - typically via raising awareness of an issue and then promoting some form of behaviour change on the part of the audience. More ... From an article by Nesta Using mass media to create positive behaviour change and peacebuilding  Mass media propaganda has been used to generate hatred and perpetuate conflict. Can it also be a tool to maintain and rebuild peace and change negative behaviour? Some insights.. More ... From a report by the Behavioural Insights Team (BI The expectation of fatherhood as a vocation  Without an involved father, the family cannot approach the perfection of which it is capable. We must do everything in our power to recapture, reignite, and recommit to the expectation of fatherhood as a vocation, a calling in life. More ... From an article by the Institute of Family Studies Standing firm The risks and rewards of pioneering. We need to be a people who stand firm. Stand firm in our calling. Stand firm against the schemes of the enemy. Stand firm in our faith... More ... From a talk at a Pioneer Europe Conference Can a scientist believe in miracles?  “When I was an atheist, I'd get cross at discussions…on how Jesus’s miracles could be physically explained. To me, once you believe in God, a supernatural being, then it’s obvious that supernatural stuff can happen." More ... From an article by The Faraday Institute What happens when a school bans cell phones?   Kids have learned to talk to each other again instead of texting. Engagement in class has improved markedly. Kids appreciate the peace and quiet, mental calm from not constantly responding to social media. More ... From an article by the Wall Street Journal There's never a right time to start a business  If you can carve an amount of regular time into your busy diary, do not underestimate the power of what you can achieve. Our lives, whatever we do, don't stop us from building a business - it's the perception of our time. More ... From an article by Holly and Co Thriving Cities (or towns) What does it mean and take to thrive in my city, and how can I contribute? Six areas of community wealth and well-being: Truth, Prosperity, Good, Justice and Order, Beauty and Sustainability. More ... From a report by the Institute for Advanced Studie BUILD 2022 - merging tech skills with faith A weekend hackathon of cross-church productivity, focus, community building, and worship. Project with biggest potential for Kingdom impact was.. Project people would've liked to work on besides their one was.. More ... From an article by Kingdom Code Storybook Dads and Mum In UK, 300,000+ children experience the imprisonment of a parent. Storybook enables families to reconnect through magic of storytelling. Helping parents in prison to record bedtime stories, messages for their children on CD or DVD. More ... From information from Storybook Dads and Mum and t Kinhub - personalised support for every parent  A family wellness service aimed at companies. Employees can access parental wellness consultants, covering many specialties, via chat or video, plus a range of parenting articles, guides, and tips. More ... Geoff Knott Surviving domestic abuse: Sarah’s story  “The coercive control I experienced was so subtle that I doubted myself. Struggling to trust my own judgement. The helpful thing the Church did was to make it clear that what I was experiencing was not normal.” More ... From an article by the Diocese of Gloucester SharpFutures A social enterprise that helps young people from diverse working-class backgrounds into the creative, digital, tech and film industries. “I’m really sometimes overwhelmed by what these young people achieve when we do make an intervention." More ... From an article on Pioneers Post Tiny farms Sparking the creation of a swarm of biointensive microfarms that can be run by people with other jobs. Clusters of these farms can supply regional food to supermarkets, caterers, schools, etc within a radius of 50 miles. More ... From an article by Reasons to be Cheerful Preparing young people for the world of work  Many think they did not receive enough support in education to prepare for careers. Many dissatisfied with current job, career progression due to poor-quality management and lack of training holding them back. More ... From a report by the Chartered Institute of Person City transformation One thing we have learned is that when you have purpose plus unity plus communication, you have unlimited potential. We, the Ekklesia and authorities and others, have the same vision - to see our city transformed. God is connecting us. More ... From a session at the Transform Our World 2022 con Knowing when to quit “What are the signs that, if I see them in the future, will cause me to exit the road I’m on? What could I learn about the state of the world or the state of myself that would change my commitment to this decision?” More ... From an article by Behavioural Scientist Trends in Global Christianity, 1900–2050 Presentation given at the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in September 2022. 150 years of global trends in 11 minutes. More ... Presentation by Center for the Study of Global Chr Trauma-informed communications skills  People who have multiple and complex needs can be difficult. How can we respond in an informed, compassionate way through our spoken language, our body language, our approach and way of connecting with people? More ... Geoff Knott Agents of Flourishing - pursuing shalom in every corner of society Six areas; the True - knowledge, learning, Prosperous - economic life, Good - social mores, ethics, Just and Well-Ordered - political, civic life, Beautiful - creativity, design, Sustainable - natural, physical health. More ... From a talk at Q Ideas How nearly everyone can start a microchurch Practical ideas based on Scripture, examples, context, to help your friends encounter God and help you lead microchurch. You can keep your job, remain linked to home church, and lead a small congregation. More ... From a book by Ralph Moore Forgiveness and releasing a sense of entitlement God started to speak to her about things that had gone on in her life. She says, "We want to transform the world which God wants too but there were things in my life, my family, which were not dealt with.". More ... The Washing Machine Project  70% of the world does not have access to an electric washing machine. Hand washing clothes is time and water-consuming.affecting livelyhoods, health. The Project developed an off-grid, manual machine, which saves 60% of time and 50% water. More ... Geoff Knott 'My city is God's city' Can we see a harvest of people coming to Jesus in our town or city? Being transformed by the life changing gospel of Jesus? Bringing about healing in the city that we love, in the city that He loves? Declaration, prayer, blessing. More ... From an initiative in Philadelphia, USA Masaka Creamery "I can say that it's a blessing for the company and also to the community to employ youth with disabilities or hearing impairments. I've come to realize that actually they're not disabled because they are so committed." More ... From a video by Faith Driven Investors Dismantling the poverty premium Limited means of consumers on low incomes reduces their economic flexibility, creates costly choices, which then serves to reduce their overall means. This cycle of paying over the odds makes up the poverty premium. More ... From a report by the Centre for Social Justice (CS Cooking lessons as youthwork? 'Chopped Jr' consists of physical activity, cooking, measuring, kitchen equipment, reading recipes, budgeting, cooking techniques. It ends with a competition where the chefs make a meal for the judges. More ... From Salvation Army's Caring Magazine 'The Guy' versus the Five-Fold Team  If you reimagine church as a decentralized network of multiplying missionaries, microchurches that fill a city, region with the fullness of Jesus, then this requires a shift from centralized leadership to decentralized. More ... From a webinar by Multiplication Making Change: What Works Movements change the world. Throughout history, loosely organised networks of individuals and organisations have sought changes to societies – and won. What can we learn from success or failure? More ... From research by IPPR Buying local - food In Colombia, a law mandates all gov. agencies that buy food eg hospitals, schools, etc., buy a min of 30% of food from local small holders/farms. Addresses rural poverty, cuts food miles, helps food security, creates local markets. More ... From a presentation at a GoLab Conference 10 tips for sexual abuse prevention Info that helps caregivers feel empowered. Specific strategies for how to talk with children about this difficult topic, how to respond if abuse is suspected. Identify misinformation that puts children at greater risk. More ... From a podcast by Meghan Backofen Four key shifts facing the Church "What would a collaborative, dynamic, authentic, sacrificial, generative and innovative community of Christlike leaders look like?" Four key shifts could help transition to answers to this question. They are.. More ... From an essay by Rich Robinson Effects of grandparents' involvement About half of grandparents, in U.S. and Europe, provide some kind of childcare to their grandchildren. How does grandparents' involvement affect their own lives, their children, their grandchildren? 5 observations... More ... From an article by the Institute of Family Studies Reducing discrimination between groups  A 'shared identity' helps bring people together. We may have institutions that make it hard for some to stay part of a common identity. People are not hardwired to be racist, etc - we are hardwired to be group-ish. More ... From an article from Behavioral Scientist Own your own source of low cost green power Ripple Energy offers people part-ownership of a wind farm with 1000's of others as a co-op. This gives consumers direct access to UK's cheapest source of electricity-helping reduce bills and carbon footprint. More ... From information from Ripple Energy What do friends have to do with economic mobility?  Social capital-the strength of one's social network, community-is a determinant of outcomes from education to health. A study reveals importance of friendships across socioeconomic class lines and more... More ... From an article by Behavioural Scientist Growing a healthy and mature prophetic culture  10 years ago, God spoke to Cath very clearly and told her to start multiplying. Taking things that He'd been teaching them in their church, going to others and enabling them to grow a healthy prophetic culture. More ... From a podcast from Accessible Prophecy 'Such love.. When no one else could deal with me I had you.' One25 meet women who are traumatised by childhood abuse, violence. They are stigmatised, marginalised, locked out of society. Many are in crisis and many are street sex-working. More ... From information from One25 The case for Living Wages Paying living wages throughout core operations and the value chain strengthens business performance, resilience, stability, while delivering measurable social impact and enabling more effective delivery on human rights obligations. More ... From a report by Business Fights Poverty Praying for patients "Am I allowed to share my faith and pray with patients? What if I get struck off?" Pray with people, but at their request. Respond to people's questions with compassion and respect. A look at what the Bible and professional bodies do and do not say.. More ... From an article by the Christian Medical Fellowshi Insight into trauma-informed education settings Six core principles that value and nurture transformative relationships with young people without re-traumatising. For a school program to be effective, it must include four R’s and embed principles across school.. More ... From a report by West Yorkshire Health and Care Pa Offering hope to domestic abuse victims  What do churches need to consider when it comes to domestic abuse, and how can they walk alongside and help victims best? We want our churches to be communities of hope - places where the right kind of support can be given. More ... From an FIEC podcast Facing the poverty tsunami COVID, conflict, climate change are some of challenges driving tsunami of poverty already crashing into lives of vulnerable people, communities around the world. An extra 1bn people will live in poverty. How can business help? More ... From a paper from Business fights Poverty Healing 'Church hurt' with coffee and community  A common issue is ‘church hurt’ - pain stemming from experiences within a church community. For 10 years, The Salvation Army has been working to help heal these wounds through a relational ministry at a coffee shop... More ... From Share Change - an initiative of the The Salva When hope shows up  Hope seems unreasonable and, at times, irrational. When our hope is tethered to the one who brings life, innovation, beauty, creativity out of nothing, our hope serves as a symbol that a promise made will always be a promise kept. More ... From a talk at Q Ideas Six ways social entrepreneurs can help refugees  Half of refugees in the UK struggle to get employed. What can those of us working in the social impact space do to help them find meaningful work? More ... From a webinar by Pioneer Post Working in partnership for positive health - stories from Fleetwood In Lancashire, a range of local partners are creatively collaborating with local residents across the community to positively change things. Initiative is known as Healthier Fleetwood. More ... A webinar by Future NHS When do your secrets hurt your wellbeing?  While there is nothing inherently wrong with having secrets - it depends what the secret is and what revealing involves - the more burdensome it is for you to keep, the more likely it will affect your well-being. More ... From an article in Greater Good magazine Nurturing the future: investing in early childhood development  Studies have shown that healthy brain development during early childhood increases the likelihood of success later in life. By providing supportive, nurturing environments where children feel protected and learn social emotional skills... More ... From a video by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Increasing trust and engagement in fundraising  Ripples asked the question, ‘What if donors could understand their impact in 5 seconds?’. They created an impact feed in their app - fast, personalized evidence. Donor feedback overwhelmingly positive. More ... From a video at Digital Leaders The Outcomes Matrix - plan and measure your social impact A useful tool to a) Gain a starting point for planning and measuring your social impact outcomes, b) Communicate your impact to social investors and key stakeholders and c) Think about future areas of development for your organisation More ... From a resource hosted by Good Finance Climate Emergency Toolkit  Provides a route map for your whole church or organisation to respond to the climate emergency. There are three simple but powerful actions that will have an impact far beyond your own walls... More ... Produced by Tearfund in partnership 'We heard God say He was going to connect us to the poor in spirit' Using the Kickstarter scheme, they created job placements with Christian firms, for 18-24 year olds on universal credit, plus mentoring and a course. Many are now on a faith journey.. More ... From an article by Kairos Connexion Baby Buddy app  "I find the information really helpful.. It teaches you all about your baby, how to communicate with the baby and their development. This is important as you can build a better relationship with your baby." More ... From an article from Best Beginnings Work: The Bigger Picture God is intensely interested in how each of us uses the talents, resources, power, opportunities, and freedoms he’s given us at work. And why wouldn’t he be? He loves us. More ... From a video by LICC Wysa - Ai-based mental health support In a real-world evaluation of effectiveness, users who used the app regularly showed a 40% improvement in self-reported symptoms of depression when compared to infrequent users. More ... From an article by World Economic Forum Pureflow - a founder's story There are over 1M motorcycle drivers in East Africa and less than 20% own their bike. Pureflow's lease-to-own program gives opportunity to own. This creates sustainable income, opportunities to save, and financial independence as well as kingdom growth. More ... Geoff Knott 'I’ve been looking for you! I’m healed!'  When a delivery driver first knocked on my door, he had braces on both knees and wraps around both elbows. He was in pain and about to go on disability. I asked him, “Can I pray for you?” and he said, “Sure.” So, with very little faith I prayed.. More ... From an article by Exponential An effective way to reduce violent crimes? Evidence that offering at-risk men behavioral therapy plus opportunities to earn a living greatly reduces the future risk of crime and violence, even 10 years after the intervention. More ... From an article on Vox How the Metaverse is changing the way people attend church  "People come to the Metaverse to connect with others, trying to deal with issues they're facing. As a pastor, that's my bread and butter. I'm reaching people who never go to a physical church." More ... From a news segment on the Today programme USA. Avoiding white saviourism Principles that can be applied to you working cross-culturally whether overseas or with communities in your own nation and whether you are planting churches or doing community development work More ... From a session at Unreached 2022 What happened when France sent children from low-income areas to wealthy area schools? The theory was “a rising tide lifts all boats.” By moving students into schools of proven success, social determinism is countered, all children benefit. 5 years on.. More ... From an article in Reasons To Be Cheerful The importance of prayer for entrepreneurs  Why would my business look the same as someone who didn't know God? One of God's favourite ways of growing our businesses is by growing us. He does like to work internally as well as do things for us externally. More ... From a podcast by Faith Driven Entrepreneur Meghan's story - 'I just needed to be received' She was trapped under the ownership, power and control of other people. After 30 years of being trafficked, Meghan experienced Jesus when a group of friends simply received her into their lives. More ... Geoff Knott How businesses can shift from social responsibility to social change  Including people with lived experience of social problems in identifying, implementing solutions creates impactful, sustainable social change in ways not possible with just board decisions. More ... From an article in Stanford Social Innovation Revi 'Worth dying for and therefore worth living in' There's a strong sense in E Mediterranean churches that we know how to be a martyr church, how to stand our ground when pressure comes. Makes us aware of the pursuit of the commitments we hold. More ... From a podcast by Embrace the Middle East Forgiveness versus revenge ..as responses to victimization. Compared with revenge, forgiveness was more effective at restoring sense of humanity - less self-harm, greater sense of belonging and greater importance of moral identity. More ... From an article by Greater Good Magazine The reason he's still alive is because you've been praying over us as a family My neighbours are scattered. I realised I've been driving past them for 46 yrs and not praying. A few weeks ago, I began praying over them. Then something amazing happened.. More ... From a video by Transform Our World How accountants can help uncover modern slavery  Asking the right questions, raising awareness and ensuring the right procedures might end up helping a trafficked person to freedom or preventing slavery in the first place. More ... From an article on accountingweb Discipling entrepreneurs in church to live out their faith  Entrepreneurs want to connect Sunday to everyday, work to their faith and make an impact for the kingdom. Why not form a group and let them work through an 8-week Foundation series - videos, guides, etc? More ... From an initiative by Faith Driven Entrepreneur Nourish - helping to address maternal mental health “The transition from being an independent career woman to a mother whose focus was nappies, sleep routines, feeds, was one of the most challenging life adjustments.” The Nourish app aims to help.. More ... From information from Nourish Parents Trauma as a place of service There are many in this world who suffer from totally undeserved injustice and trauma. If we, as the body of Christ, look to suffering humanity, we would realise that trauma is perhaps the greatest mission field of the 21stC. More ... From a talk at Q Ideas The miracle of the dirt The site that needed levelling was solid rock in every direction, the dirt/gravel needed would bankrupt him. John turned to prayer and the Lord revealed that something big was going to happen that day... More ... From a video from the producers of The Chosen In-person events - turnout has been mixed, for many a failure, but why? An “Attitudes to Events" survey of delegates, speakers, event organisers and sponsors revealed four key takeaways... More ... From an article by Digital Leaders. Mental Health - helping churches respond to growing challenges in our communities The free, 8 session Sanctuary Course helps churches grow as safe, welcoming communities, prepared to support those who face mental health challenges. More ... From Sanctuary UK Repair Cafés  In a Repair Café, you’ll find tools, materials to help you make repairs you need; clothes, furniture, appliances, bicycles, crockery, appliances, toys, etc. You’ll also find expert volunteers, with repair skills in all kinds of fields.. More ... Geoff Knott Microchurches: co-existing with existing churches, working in partnership Microchurches are adaptable, lightweight, and lay-led communities that live out their missional identity in a particular network or neighbourhood. They can co-exist with existing churches to reach all the nooks and crannies of society. More ... From the 2022 Annual Tinsley Lecture 21st Century Pioneers: Faith, enterprise + social purpose  Christians are playing a key role in purpose-driven businesses, social enterprises of all sizes, across the UK and a wide range of sectors. Working in business is a vocation for many. Renewal is happening today and needs to be encouraged. More ... From a report by Jubilee Centre Pop-up pods help to tackle homelessness Each ‘pod’ provides a bed, chemical toilet, charging facilities. Aimed at helping people sleeping on the streets who have complex needs so may struggle in hostel style accommodation. Have made a real difference. More ... From an article by Salvation Army How to set up a community engagement panel Deliberative initiatives provide local government with valuable opportunities to bring communities together, source innovative solutions on topics ranging from mobility to social care, climate, inclusion, safety. More ... From a guide by Citizen's Lab Developing commercial farmers - creating path to land ownership for the poor Agros purchases large tracts of land and invites landless families to join a village, where members buy for their land by building agri-businesses and working cooperatively. More ... From a film by Faith & Co He Gets Us A campaign in USA designed to create cultural change in the way people think about Jesus and His relevance in their lives. After extensive research, it launched in March 22. Already ads have had 200m+ YouTube views, 2Bn+ impressions on TV/media. More ... From a campaign by He Gets Us He said, 'It's everywhere!' Many people pray who would not consider themselves religious. ‘Trypraying’ is written for them. It’s in accessible language and is a simple challenge to try praying for 7 days and see what happens. More ... From an article by trypraying If I led Levelling Up – local changemakers speak "We know that at hyper-local level, people understand what causes of concern are. They are careful with public funds, are prepared to work together to get best impact. Levelling Up needs to build on this." More ... From a blog by We're Right Here Doctors screening for ACEs have seen reduction in drugs given to children "Understanding root cause of symptoms, addressing toxic stress in a child's life is a paradigm shift and allows us to address the whole child that simply treating symptoms doesn't." More ... From an article in North Coast Journal Step Inside the Circle "In prison, you're not supposed to show your weaknesses. But to take each step forward in the circle was a reminder to ourselves that we still have humanity and we want to be loved. Most people on the outside don't understand it." More ... From Compassion Prison Project The 5 vital signs of a scalable idea   Some ideas that initially seem so promising fail to work on a bigger scale - voltage drops. There are five specific and universal causes of voltage drops and how to avoid them. If these can be overcome then... More ... From a blog by Behavioral Scientist Rekindling Democracy When institutions begin to replace civic life, they regulate citizens to 2nd place; consumers of government services. Experts and officials are superior to the people they serve. Over time, 5 consequences become evident... More ... From book 'Rekindling Democracy' Cormac Russell Mental health - see the person, not the problem "I think the key question is: How can we (the Body of Jesus), enable this person, a disciple of Jesus, going through difficult times, to find and hold on to their vocation even in the midst of the storms?" More ... From an article in The Plough Scottish churches and Christian groups have helped over 2,000 people recover from addiction Research highlights the extraordinary efforts of Christians in Scotland to assist, care for those in addiction, bringing to light the scope of Christian services.. More ... From the Evangelical Alliance and Serve Scotland Turning small groups into missional communities  "Over 10 years, we've discovered a vocabulary for mission, importance of each group ministering to city, doing things that build relationship with people beyond the walls of church, the priority of mission." More ... From a talk by Sanjay Mahtani at Ekklesia ’22 Being a witness at work  God determines where we live, where we work, and who we work with. And he has given you a unique set of workplace relationships. As a Christian, the best chance your colleagues have of hearing the gospel is probably through you. More ... From a video by A Passion for Life Digital mission - 3 What is the 'ask'? Go and have a look at your church's social media presence. Realise that we can go to them and we can meet people where they are first - like Jesus did - rather than say 'come'. More ... From a talk at Stronger Network Seeds of Change Putting more power, resources and decision-making into the hands of local communities, to enable them to transform and improve their lives and the places in which they live. A case study.. More ... From an article by Local Trust How migration has shaped who we are  The Migration Museum explores how movement of people to/from Britain has shaped identity–as individuals, communities, a nation. New Exhibition shines light on role migrant entrepreneurs have played in shaping our lives. More ... From information from the Migration Museum Global economic inequality: what matters most is not who you are, but where you are  A person’s knowledge, skills, and how hard they work all matter for whether they are poor or not but together far less than being born into a large, productive economy. More ... From an article on Our World In Data What does it feel like attending a white majority church?  People highlight importance of creating multi-cultural churches. We are often unaware of challenge and cost for those who are different from us joining us. People share their experiences.. More ... From a video by Hope Church, Luton Faith changes everything about your work - 2 You need to be preaching in ways that talk about their work, thinking about city impact from their work, what work suffering does in their hearts, blogging about their work, visiting them at their workplaces. More ... From an article on Redeemer City to City Digital mission - 2 We need to be present at the wells, the pools and the marketplaces just as Jesus was in our online communities. Where could these be for you? Could it be the local Facebook group, local hashtags, local business social media? More ... From a talk at Stronger Network Never Give Up: a complex trauma film by youth for youth  Featuring 7 diverse young adults who examine challenges faced, mistakes made, growth attained in struggle to transcend legacies of developmental trauma. Offers collective wisdom, inspiration hope.. More ... A video from the USA National Child Traumatic Stre Charity resilience and volunteering trends Charity leaders report their biggest challenge is organisational resilience. How to address? Volunteering trends in pandemic have changed. Are these permanent or temporary? More ... From an article by Action Planning Digital mission - 1 How can we as Christians, as church communities, mark success as digital missionaries? The danger is that we could get sucked into the influencer culture - narcissistic, chasing mass approval and likes. What can we do differently? More ... From a talk at Stronger Network Family structure and stability matter for children The future of a country rests partly on preparing next gen to live + lead. Research shows kids flourish if they have; 2 parents committed to each other; stable home life; economic resources; are welcomed. More ... From a report by AEI and Brookings Institute Faith changes everything about your work - 1 By seeing something broken and trying to care for people impacted by that brokenness, an act of love in the workplace led to natural evangelism conversation about how it all began because of Christian beliefs. More ... From an article on Redeemer City to City Show Me The Father "This movie illuminates the powerful role that God has placed in the hands of every dad. It had us riveted from the first minute and cheering toward the end. The time for this critical message is right now for our society." More ... From a documentary Show Me The Father Unshattered - ending the addiction relapse cycle They save 3000+ lbs of fabrics, textiles from landfill yearly. Women with lived experience use reclaimed material to create unique, handcrafted handbags, etc - making a difference for planet and themselves. More ... Geoff Knott R;pple - suicide prevention technology Alice Hendy lost her brother Josh, 21, on 25/11/2020 to suicide. Josh had been researching how to take his own life via harmful internet searches. In order to prevent more suicides, Alice set up R;pple to discretely intercept harmful searches. More ... Geoff Knott Create a gratitude wall One or a number of linked blackboards labelled 'Today, I am grateful for..'. People write their answers in chalk on the board(s). Many benefits inc freeing from toxic emotions, appreciation of people, improved mental health.. More ... Geoff Knott It's not your job to feed the 5000. You only need to provide the loaves and fish The Chosen is a crowdfunded, historical drama using the Bible as primary source of truth. It has had over 400M views. Director, Dallas Jenkins tells his story.. More ... From a podcast on Faithdriven Investor The solace of ‘At Least’ and the sting of ‘If Only’  Thoughts about the past that make us feel better are relatively rare, while thoughts that make us feel worse are exceedingly common. By making us feel worse today, regret helps us do better tomorrow. More ... From an article by Behavioral Scientist BizMin - equipping a generation of Christian entrepreneurs to do business as ministry A 10 session course for Business owners and leaders - Kingdom Entrepreneurs - who have unique opportunities and responsibilities in the Kingdom of God. More ... From resources by BizMin Helping people with trauma after a disaster - 2 Trauma healing materials mainly focus on help that can be given when sufferers are in recovery. There is less material to help with practical care immediately after a crisis. Article seeks to address this.. More ... A guest blog by Frank Cole, Trauma Healing trainer Thriving community businesses provide economic and social boost despite the pandemic  They are run by local people, trading for the benefit of the community to which they are accountable. They make positive impacts and exist to help make places better. More ... From a report by Power to Change Contrasting 'Church as we know it' and 'Disciple-multiplying movements' - 4 Possible ways forward. Stop and Reflect, Fast and Pray, Hear God's leading, Respond. Plus some other insights. Let's get the R number above 1! More ... From a talk by Simon Holley and a book In the Way Talking to our young people about war  "This war is not hitting them as the first challenge given the pandemic. My children's concept of the world now is that it's a scary, unpredictable, risk-filled place and their future is uncertain.." How to help.. More ... From a webinar by Kintsugi Hope Mental health difficulties in young people: a toolkit for parents It's stressful for a parent to see their child having mental health issues. Where to start? This toolkit has key topics, signposts to information, shared insight by parents and young people. More ... From an initiative by the City Mental Health Allia Contrasting 'Church as we know it' and 'Disciple-multiplying movements' - 3 What are the contrasts in the way the Church engages with people and how they engage with the Church? E.g. Appealing to consumer vs Calling. Extraction vs Infusion. And more... More ... From a talk by Simon Holley and a book In the Way Helping people with trauma after a disaster - 1 Due to the war in Ukraine, many people have volunteered to receive refugees. How can caregivers be prepared to help with trauma that refugees may be suffering? Booklet, Helping People after a Disaster, guides.. More ... From a booklet by Trauma Healing Institute The Flourishing Business Canvas The Flourishing Enterprise Innovation Toolkit is a management innovation to enable leaders to design their flourishing enterprise: socially beneficial, environmentally regenerative and financially viable. More ... From Flourishing Enterprise Innovation Making music, changing lives: Youth orchestras help at-risk kids  “There’s benefits to music involvement; recovering from traumatic experiences, fostering positive experiences with learning and developing interpersonal skills - so essential to life." More ... From an article by Elizabeth Thompson, North Carol Understanding gambling harm and ways to identify those at risk  Harms relating to relationships, health, emotional/psychological wellbeing are most-reported gambling harms. Family members of those who gamble can experience gambling harms. How to identify.. More ... From an article by the Australian Institute of Fam Entrepreneur: Don't worship work Solomon identifies four areas of work life that disappoint us. Entrepreneurs need to keep a close eye on each of these, lest well intended efforts become vapour. Solomon also has four truths to help avoid the dangers.. More ... From an article by Faith Driven Entrepreneur Contrasting 'Church as we know it' and 'Disciple-multiplying movements' - 2 What are the contrasts in Activities and How the Church is led and developed? E.g. Teaching vs Training. Congregation vs Small Group. Professional vs Bivocational. And more... More ... From a talk by Simon Holley and a book In the Way How to support your teen’s mental health  Given the challenges teens have and are facing due to the pandemic, a Clinical Psychologist gives 9 tips on how to support your child’s mental health going forward.. More ... From a blog by MyTutor Contrasting 'Church as we know it' and 'Disciple-multiplying movements' - 1 In 33 AD, 120 followers of Jesus started a discipleship movement that ultimately converted an estimated 30M people to the faith in some 300 years. They called this movement, 'The Way'. How can the 'Church as we know it' become 'The Way'? More ... From In the Way by Damian Gerke Connecting social action and faith-sharing A helpful booklet about lessons learnt from social action + faith sharing. Case studies, tips and practical suggestions. "When you meet a need, you create a context to share something of the hope we have." More ... From a booklet by Share Jesus International Decarbonising transport Two examples of green innovation. Replacing a diesel transport refrigeration unit could be the equivalent of removing 31 cars from the road and solar foils which can be customized to any vehicle rooftop. More ... Geoff Knott Preventing abuse through creative projects Theatre-based education to learn about building healthy relationships, preventing children becoming victims or perpetrators of abuse and equipping them to have relationships based on equality and respect. More ... From a report by Tender Healing Grove Health Center "Every time I've had a call from God, I've been like, "Yeah, let's go." And then God says, "Whoa, slow down." This time something really unique happened. We are like, "I don't know." And God's like, "GO NOW! GO, GO, GO!"" More ... From a presentation at a Transform Our World Confe Boardroom of the future? In many cases, board members are limited by the traditional rules and culture of business. There is an opportunity to engage key people involved with your business, tackle the challenges that lie ahead and make necessary decisions. More ... From an initiative by B-Lab UK That's why you're standing here looking at this. I had a dream. I was surrounded by water and also many people who were overwhelmed. I'm standing in a raft with Jesus, and I said, "Do something." He says, "I did. That's why you're standing here with me." More ... How do young people see the world differently?  The Changing Childhood Project was created to better understand what it means to be a child in the 21st century. What is it like growing up today? And how do young people see the world differently? Answers... More ... From a report by UNICEF Gen Z snapshot: 4 youth culture trends in 2021  What are the latest trends for today’s young people, aka. Generation Z (born 1995 - before the early 2010s)? What's their world like and how are they spending their time? How are you connecting with them? More ... From an article by Youthscape What are the strongest relationship satisfaction factors? A study from longitudinal data from 11k couples, examining what factors are linked to how relationships have been doing. Gives insights into what you should look for/strengthen in a relationship. More ... From an article by Institute of Family Studies More than a receptionist All of us are God's ekklesia. We can transform whatever environment we're in. And we can transform all these different industries, including the medical industry, to become more loving, and for God's hope to be spread instead of despair and hopelessness. More ... From a session at the Transform Our World conferen Teaching children about early child development A pilot in 21 secondary schools with 3700 pupils aiming to embed the key principles of early child development and neuroscience. The results have the potential to improve outcomes for future generations. More ... From a project by the Department of Psychiatry, Un Umbrella An 8 minute award winning animation inspired by true events and filled with messages of empathy and hope, Umbrella follows Joseph's story, a boy who lives in an orphanage and dreams of having a yellow Umbrella. More ... Poverty Cure We are called to a loving and generous concern for the poor. We often ask what causes poverty. But the real question is; how do people create prosperity for themselves, their family, and their community? More ... From information by Poverty Cure Community life - a trade-off between inclusion and exclusivity  Well-meaning communities erect barriers against families and households who wish to live in a community with thick social ties but who are unable to afford the price of admission. More ... Based on an article by Patrick Brown, published by A bipolar journey A story of living with bipolar disorder. Of diagnosis, hospitalization, and a recovery journey, which includes forms of self-care, reliance on community, prescriptions, counselling and spiritual direction, being active and having hope. More ... From a blog by Sanctuary Mental Health Making Disciples for the Workplace Work is not a topic to be addressed but a context to disciple people for. A booklet for leaders unpacks research and tested ideas on biblical frameworks and spiritual practices that will enable workers to be fruitful. More ... A booklet from Grove Books Feast Allows refugee chefs to have a pop-up kitchen for a day a week and cook the food from their country. They keep the proceeds and pay a below market rate for the kitchen hire. It helps them develop skills and prove their ideas. More ... A film from Faith and Co Humanising the supply chain  Marianne Hughes was a regular shopper on the High Street when she heard about a factory collapsing in Bangladesh. She became fascinated by: "Who made my clothes?" and set out to do whatever she could to find an answer... More ... We can prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) When communities come together, they can do so much to prevent ACEs. Prevention cannot be left solely to government agencies. We can all help in implementing 5 strategies to create safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children. More ... From a video by Centers for Disease Control and Pr Beautiful Things are not always as they seem. A video giving a momentary glimpse into one woman’s life as she walks down the street. There is always more to someone’s story than what’s on the surface... More ... A video from Salvation Army Caring Magazine Meron -  a ministry of hospitality One of a film series sharing stories of God at work through ordinary Christians in everyday places. For Meron, driving is a ministry of hospitality, not just transportation. She sees each customer as God-sent. More ... From LICC Lessons in scaling for impact ‘Impact at scale’ remains a buzzword; widely talked about but little understood, especially when it comes to practical implementation. Spring Impact have distilled the lessons learned in 10 years of helping mission-driven orgs to scale. More ... From a report by Spring Impact La La Land Kind Café Care leavers find it hard to get or maintain jobs. No income leads to homelessness, hunger, and decisions they shouldn’t have to make. One business trying to make a difference has a mission to make the world a kinder place. More ... Geoff Knott Have foodbanks politicised kindness? A great initiative but the relationship between the donor and receiver is broken-a loss to community life. Such acts of kindness are institutionalised, more transactional and politicised. What can we do to improve this? More ... Geoff Knott Are Adverse Childhood Experiences a public health emergency? Many studies confirm link ACEs + health outcomes - psychological and medical conditions, risky behaviours, impaired functioning. Yet we treat the conditions rather than unhealed childhood wounds. More ... From an article by Psychology Today Parents can equip children to resist harms of social media Ensure children enter into adolescence with full tank of resilience, good sense of own self-worth, lovability, attractiveness, based on their value as human beings who we love unconditionally. More ... From an article by the Institute of Family Studies Becoming The interview question is, "How would working here help you become who you're hoping to become?" "It is an amazing opportunity for people to experience being truly cared for. The way that we care for people feels like the gospel fleshed out." More ... From a video by Faith & Co How to build an impact city: nurture neighbourhoods “Small impact enterprises are a crucial part of a community’s fabric. Their societal impact is tangible, direct - well-connected to neighbourhood and inspiring locals to become more actively involved.” More ... From an article by Pioneers Post Oprah Winfrey and Dr Nadine Burke Harris discuss Adverse Childhood Experiences "It's a systemic issue. Society looks at individuals and says pull yourself up by your bootstraps. I realized this is a public health crisis - we must take another approach." More ... From Number Story Clarissa Clarissa is a film created to improve the health of people affected by homelessness, through better understanding of their experiences. It has been woven together from real experiences of people. More ... A film by Groundswell Three reasons anti-poverty programs don’t work, and how there’s a better way  71% of people who escaped poverty said it was due to economic transformation such as jobs, new income, new businesses. Provides insight as to what works in eradicating poverty. More ... From an article by Christensen Institute Transitioning from a 'come and see' to a 'go and be' church - 2 "We're moving into a season of discipleship making that is going to be decentralised. I don't want to just go to a building anymore. I want to see people leading neighbours to the Lord.." More ... From a talk on Exponential Recognizing the impact you already have What if we asked people before they engaged with another person what they expected their impact on the other person to be, and then immediately asked the other person how much they were actually impacted? More ... From an article on Behavioral Scientist Diversity, equality, and inclusion measurement tool  A free tool to support organisations to accurately measure and report against indicators related to organisational diversity and equality. More ... From an article by The Big Issue Smart videos for curious minds  An award-winning collection of 5,000+ child-friendly videos, curated for teachers and parents who want to share smarter, more meaningful media in the classroom and at home. And it’s free and available for everyone. More ... From The Kids Should See This Transitioning from a 'come and see' to a 'go and be' church - 1 "I saw that that we weren't really building disciples. There was heavy centralization, full-time leader-led, building central. The shift is to distributed leadership - lay led communities..." More ... From a talk on Exponential From prisoner to preacher  "One night, two police officers knocked on my door. They told me that if I continued preaching, they'd put me in jail.. I stood at my usual spot, proclaiming Jesus, then a police van came around the corner and my heart sank." More ... From information by BigLife Nurturing curiosity and invention  Virtually everyone begins life with building blocks to construct new ideas. But by 5, only some are still on a path to become adept at such thinking, while most leave it farther behind. But such a fate is not inevitable. More ... From a blog by Child and Family Blog Pancakes on the Porch Everyone has a need to have connection and community. You're building relationships with a sphere of people you would never normally hang out with. Have the faith to say that if I take the first step I think that God will take take it further. More ... From a video by Forge Using tech to help people get back into work  Held over 3 days, Hack2Work brought together over 150 people from many backgrounds to develop innovative digital solutions to help people back into employment post-pandemic. There were 2 winning teams.. More ... From an article by Digileaders ACEs Infographic An infographic produced by the US Gov. but a lot holds true for the UK, allowing for a smaller population. It gives a picture of the problems and potential actions for prevention, which are fairly universal. Food for thought... More ... From an infographic by the US Government's Center' Worth It The old way of treating employees as an expense to be minimised is not effective as treating them as valuable assets and human beings. It hinders growth and keeps everyone from realising their full potential. More ... From a book by Dan Price, CEO Gravity Payments Mobilising missional disciples - 2 What does it look like to shift from being an attractional Sunday church to being a more missional church? Leading with mission - training Christians to live as missionaries, to be disciple makers out in the everyday spaces of life More ... From an interview by Exponential Basic patterns of impact businesses An analysis of 500 example organisations having social impact showed 12 different groups of businesses with 24 sub-groups. All solve social problems through business action. More ... From a report by Reframe Ventures Charity takeovers Should regulations allow dynamic charity takeovers? Currently, charities can consider merging but the number that do that is very small (0.1% of charities). Is the sector therefore risk adverse, inefficient with lots of duplication? More ... Geoff Knott Possible national objectives to work towards to reduce ACEs “Decades of evidence confirms that exposure to ACEs increases the risks of delayed development, mental health problems, chronic diseases.” Four Childhood Trauma Objectives introduced in USA are.. More ... From an article by Salud America Mobilising missional disciples - 1 A pastor started to shift an attractional, Sunday-centric professional led church into more of a seven day people movement of God, where every disciple was feeling the call to make disciples in the ordinary spaces of life. More ... From an interview by Exponential Let's continue to build community - collective intelligence The advantages created when institutions mobilise the information, knowledge, skills and capabilities of the public to extend problem solving abilities. More ... From a report by Nesta Risk, Reward and Values Kingdom entrepreneurs are people whom God has gifted with the ability to create and innovate enterprises, culture, products and services in a way that demonstrates human redemption. They are being prophetic to their world. More ... From a book by Nick Nicholson Choose Love The Choose Love online shop is the world’s first to sell real products for refugees and displaced communities. There are three categories of products; Emergency Needs, Daily Survival, Building Futures. More ... Geoff Knott Unleashing the potential of young people  There is a shift in the important skills to develop for future workforce - social and emotional in nature e.g. empathy, creativity, leadership, adaptability. Business leadership essential to address skills gap. More ... From a paper by Standard Chartered Bank The hidden impact of the smartphone industry  20 years ago we couldn't imagine a smartphone and now we can't live without one. Our constant demand for newer and better phones has a huge impact on the environment. One manufacturer is trying to change this.. More ... From a video by Fairphone Why sharing stories of the pandemic is good for us  We have been experiencing so much anxiety about the pandemic. Should parents try to “shield” their children from this stress and simply not talk about pandemic worry? The answer is absolutely not. More ... From an article by Psychology Today Addressing human trafficking in your own backyard David Batstone is a venture capitalist, business professor, PhD in theology. He discovered his favourite Indian restaurant had trafficked 500+ girls, aged 14 to 19 for forced labour. So what did David do? More ... From a podcast by Faith Driven Entrepreneur Bringing nature into your town La Riche decided to plant an urban forest in the community to lower temperatures and bring the nurturing elements of nature into an urban setting. They launched an online engagement platform for residents to choose a location. More ... Geoff Knott Healing the hidden wounds from childhood  Dr. Edith Eva Eger, who in her 90s is still a practicing psychologist, is a Holocaust survivor. She recounts her her childhood adversities and shares life lessons and advice that can help us all. More ... From an article by Psychology Today Toxic workplaces increase risk of depression by 300%  A year-long study has found that full time workers employed by organisations that fail to prioritise their employees’ mental health have a threefold increased risk of being diagnosed with depression. More ... From an article in Neuroscience News Surveillance Capitalism: the hidden costs of the digital revolution  An economic order built by aggregating human experience as free material to predict, manipulate behaviour and sell, resulting in great wealth, knowledge and power in private companies. More ... From a paper by the Jubilee Centre, Cambridge Putting nature at the core of business strategy After building a strong foundation, with new products e.g. plant-based gouda + cheddar, Willicroft are making every decision, whether related to packaging, supply chain or energy, on effect on the planet. More ... From an article by Pioneer Post Social Emotional Learning The process through which we understand + manage emotions, set + achieve positive goals, feel + show empathy for others, establish + maintain positive relationships, make responsible decisions Strong uptrend in positive outcomes. More ... From material on Hope Rising Heart of This Place A modern day re-telling of the parable of the prodigal son. In rural England, a father and his two sons run the family business. But their relationships are torn apart when the youngest son rebels... More ... A video by Share Change Kenny - a story of trauma All it takes is an alignment of circumstances, events which hit in violent succession, and then suddenly it’s your children in care, marked with a stigma that can seem indelible. More ... From a report by The Centre for Social Justice Beam - crowdfunding new career opportunities for homeless men and women Alex was Inspired to build this platform after getting to know a homeless man at his local Tube station. “What could we do to make a real difference to that man’s life?” The answer lay in giving him the skills to support himself. More ... Geoff Knott What can we learn from the world’s most peaceful societies?  Peace is not just an absence of violence and war, but also people and groups getting along with each other: the cooperation, sharing, and kindness that we see in everyday society. An analysis.. More ... From an article by Greater Good Magazine The 'experimental revolution' in business  A fundamental shift in the way businesses make decisions is taking place. Traditionally, running experiments has been the domain of scientists, but managers across industries have been adopting them to inform decisions at an unprecedented scale. More ... From an article by Harvard Business Review Is individualism creating difficulty for couple relationships? Commitment is a sense of “us with a future” for couples. For those who want the “us”, they need to look for a relationship with the right balance of me and we, and then invest in protecting it. More ... From an article by the Institute of Family Studies How to connect social action and faith sharing A booklet to help churches think how they can incorporate sharing faith in the social action they are involved in, to demonstrate what makes us distinctive. Case studies and 25 practical ideas. More ... From a booklet by Share Jesus International Play has the potential to reduce inequality  26 studies of play in 18 countries found in disadvantaged areas, kids showed greater learning gains in literacy, motor and social-emotional skills in centres with a mix of instruction, free and guided play. More ... From an article by the Hechinger Report Different types of storms In the New Testament we see three types of storms; First type - believers cry out, Jesus stops it. Second, Jesus invites us to face it, walk on water, and then rescues us, Third type is the most severe storm.. More ... From an article by Ed Silvoso Beating the bias in AI  As organisations implement machine learning algorithms, it is crucial that we understand the implications of the biased decisions AI can make. ETIQ have built tools to detect and stop the bias, unfairness and bad decisions. More ... From an article by ETIQ.AI Forgiveness: A tool for personal growth and global healing  Forgiveness is a deeply personal choice independent from seeking justice or atonement. Forgiveness improves physical health, mental wellbeing, and relationships across all ages. More ... From a video on the Forgiveness Forum Relational poverty If you have adversity but also connections to family, community and culture, which are resilience building factors, you're not at any increased risk for bad outcomes. But adversity and poor connections equals significant risk increase. More ... From an interview with Dr Bruce Perry The ‘abyss of irrelevance’  What happens when your identity is founded on what you do and then that is removed? Are you facing the ‘abyss of irrelevance’ and what should you do? Some principles.. More ... From an article in Sorted magazine Tools to help your organisation achieve net zero emissions The B Corp Climate Collective has partnered with Oxford University to curate a set of tools to guide you on the path toward achieving net zero emissions by 2030 while taking a human-centric, climate justice-oriented approach. More ... From a set of resources by B Corp Proof Bakery Situated in Coventry, Proof Bakery was founded as a social enterprise to help refugee women learn professional baking skills and find steady employment. Their specialties are sourdough bread, focaccia and Middle Eastern-inspired bakes. More ... Geoff Knott Breaking The Cycle, reclaiming our humanity  “Many people believe that humans have made great progress and there is no other option than this dehumanizing, anti-life, planet-destroying culture. In a short film, Breaking the Cycle, other options are shown." More ... From a film Breaking the Cycle The Good Shepherd A video of a friendly encounter with a shepherd in mountains of the Middle East. They had a chat about the parable of the Good Shepherd and caught it on a 2 minute video. It helps put the parable in the cultural context. More ... From a video from Unreached Network Together Again app launched to help ease mental health worries A game offering questions and conversation prompts to help us talk through the challenges we’ve felt during the pandemic, our anxieties about society reopening and our hopes for the future. More ... From news from Sanctuary UK Modern slavery due diligence technology  Slavery is an issue of our time and exists in all industries and countries. Companies are expected to conduct ongoing due diligence. Failure to act creates ethical, operational, reputational and legal risk. More ... Geoff Knott Radical faith in the underground church - 3  The problem with the western model is 'come and see'. That's not what Jesus said. Jesus said, 'go and find'. We don't even see a 'come and see' model - it's all about going and finding the lost. Going where they are. More ... Clashing Agendas David Freud tells the inside story of his battles - with Westminster and Whitehall alike - to modernize our welfare system inc Universal Credit. It is a riveting dialogue-driven account of how Government really works (or not). More ... Geoff Knott How one little word gives you permission to feel your feelings When you use the word “but” between two statements, it negates everything you say before it, while “and” allows you to be saying (and holding) both. “And” is a powerful word. As a concept for healing, it’s life-changing. More ... From an article by Brickel and Associates Radical faith in the underground church - 2  I would read Acts and ask the Lord, "Why is persecution reducing the Church here?" The Lord answered, "You made converts not disciples. Converts will run away from me in persecution. Disciples will die for me." More ... If you want to be happy, try to make someone else happy It’s counterintuitive for some people, but if you’re not having the best day, you should think about doing something nice for someone instead of concentrating on yourself. More ... From an article in Greater Good Magazine 12 tips for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs Three entrepreneurs, who have continued to grow their businesses in the pandemic, reveal their top tips for anyone out there looking to start a business. More ... From an article by Nesta Challenges An inner-city, gospel-centred, anti-trafficking initiative  The Lord gave me a vision of a prostitute walking around the red light district in Cardiff. And I audibly heard the voice of God shouting at me, "Go and rescue her. Go and rescue her. Go and rescue her." More ... From an interview by Exponential Kingland Global Dennis Yandi runs a motor spare parts business in Nairobi, Kenya. He shares stories of how the Lord is giving him opportunities to serve Him through the business. More ... From a story sent out by Sinapis Radical faith in the underground church - 1  This church movement has no bank account, charitable status, central leadership, denoms, church buildings or seminaries and if any one is caught they could be executed or put in prison and yet it is exploding. More ... You marry the mission and date the model "Hey, we're out of the 'Here comes Sunday' rhythm. So what can we do with this time? What can we do with this energy? What can we do digitally? What can we do in the community to be the hands and feet of Jesus?" More ... From a presentation at Future Church Summit 2021 Experiences that build resilience strengthen children who face adversities  From research evidence, a list of the top 10 types of relationships and resources that provide Protective and Compensatory Experiences that bolster children against adversity More ... From an article on Child and Family blog How to get better at changing your mind "Finding out that I was wrong is the way I’ve learned something. Otherwise, I’m just living in a world that’s dominated by confirmation or desirability bias. And I’m just affirming things I already think I know." More ... From an article by Behavioral Scientist Integrating work and faith - 2 There are believers in every domain of work, in every single pathway that you can imagine, who are living out their faith in these really profound ways that they often don't even recognise as being particularly profound. More ... From a study 'From Secular to Sacred: Bringing Wor The Underground - 2 The Underground now has over 200 microchurches across the city, each with its own distinct ministry - no two the same. What a group of people can do who conceive church in an entirely different way - from the vantage point of mission. More ... Geoff Knott Helping to tackle climate change, one click at a time  Reforestation is a key focus for search engine, Ecosia. Since launch in 2009, it has planted more than 120 million trees in 26 countries globally – an effort that has benefited hundreds of communities. More ... From an interview on DIGIT Leadership The effect of patient evaluations for ACEs on doctor visits  Integrating ACE questions for health check-ups led to a 35% reduction in doctor visits and 11% reduction in A+E visits. That has a multi-billion dollar implications for the cost of medical care. More ... From a webinar by the Academy on Violence and Abus Integrating work and faith - 1 The experience of work is more positive for people who have strong faith commitment and who live that out in their life. Increased satisfaction with their job and commitment to the organisation that they're working for. More ... From a study 'From Secular to Sacred: Bringing Wor The Underground - 1 A true story of a 10-year experiment that unpacks the possibilities of a church structured and streamlined for mission. Over the last ten years the church has been validating its ideas with sustained and growing results. More ... Geoff Knott Should doctors prescribe kindness? A doctors' practice has developed a parenting programme of events, lessons, and tools promoting kindness. Practicing kindness and purpose benefits children and helps kids care for others and flourish themselves. More ... From an article by Greater Good Science Center Business as ministry Business people have not been affirmed in their gifting in the body of Christ. And business itself remains a largely untapped resource for global mission. How do we achieve the paradigm shift from where Sunday and Monday are disconnected? More ... From a conversation by Business As Mission Socially Connected Communities - solutions for social isolation Loneliness describes individual experience, but we need to find the root causes of social isolation to identify community-level and structural factors that can be changed to address them. More ... From a report by Healthy Places by Design Paul Polman: individual courage and leadership are missing pieces in shaping new economy  Representing 60% of GDP, 80% of job creation, businesses had scale, expertise, resources, innovation to “make an outsized contribution” to addressing global problems. More ... From an interview in Pioneers Post Social distancing Although we proclaim we hate social distancing, what we love is to be socially distant from those we consider to be different to us. But the Carpenter from Nazareth invites us to consider another approach. More ... From an article by Geoff Shattock My Dream, My Taste  People are losing a public sense of what 'the good life' is and replacing it with their own individualised version which changes according to day-to-day tastes. They have become detached from the larger story of deep meaning. More ... From a podcast and video by Theos The mental health benefits of prayer  Prayer plays a significant role in helping those who have experienced trauma and live with mental health consequences. It is a vital way many people use to cope with everyday life and trauma history. More ... From an article by the CPTSD Foundation How resilient is your town? Following drought in Cape Town, the council approved Cape Town Resilience Strategy. This addressed how to build resilience to future shocks. The City had, in effect, a broad framework with which to mount its Covid-19 response. More ... From an article by Apolitical Positive childhood experiences have greater impact than the bad  "13% of adults with high levels of PCEs went on to experience depression and/or poor mental health as an adult. But the rate was 48% for those with fewer than 3 PCEs." More ... From an article by Contemporary Pediatrics Evangelism in a digital age - 5 People are dropping into our online presence and seeking to hear about God, to encounter God, to see if God encounters them. They have just found a safe place to find their answers about God More ... An online discussion hosted by Fresh Expressions The Lantern Network Imagine that friends got together, built out an ecosystem of microchurches, little businesses, not only to sustain livelihoods, but to engage culture and bless it. Someday they might say, "You're making it hard not to believe." More ... Geoff Knott Evangelism in a digital age - 4 The success of online church depends on understanding online platforms as a particular kind of space, rather than merely a means of projecting my church into your living room. More ... An online discussion hosted by Fresh Expressions Scaling behaviour change  Research found decisions were based on 2 variables: social proof + social pressure. People adopt new practices if they see successful adoption by others (social proof) or if they feel their use is expected by them (social pressure). More ... From a blog by Behavioural Scientist Grandparents matter: intergenerational faith development  Research found intergenerational relationships are 1 of 4 features of church life that create faith that ‘sticks’ into young adulthood. Given church demographics, grandparents have crucial role. More ... From a blog by Youthscape Recycling plastic waste to make bricks that are stronger than concrete  Nairobi, Kenya-based, materials engineer Nzambi Matee is transforming plastic waste into bricks that are lighter and five to seven times stronger than concrete. A social enterprise recycling waste and creating jobs. More ... From a video on The Kids Should See This Do you know who made your clothes? With increased transparency, brands and consumers can identify whether or not people are being exploited in the supply chain or if the environment is being harmed. An example social enterprise in Nepal. More ... From an article by Purnaa Being a fair parent increases your authority If your child thinks you are fair, they obey you as they see you as legitimate authority. Harsh disciplinary strategies backfire. Instead of eliciting a healthy fear, they undermine parental legitimacy. More ... From an article by Child and Family Blog Are we willing to pay a price? In 42 years, a very dark time of Iran's history, over a million people have turned to Christ. Persecution is increasing. Iranians are paying a price. A sacrificing church who knows how much Jesus has loved and sacrificed. More ... From a podcast by Release International Stewardship as surrender  After travelling on various short-term mission trips, Robert Kim started imagining the role of investing as a tool to uplift communities – as a conduit of God’s blessings. He sets out 3 elements of stewardship.. More ... From an article by Faith Driven Investor Evangelism in a digital age - 3  18-30 year olds are really interested in faith but the medium, the language is all online. We've got a generation asking big questions and interested in faith, and a church that has been pushed to speak their language. More ... An online discussion hosted by Fresh Expressions Repositioning church as a mission agency Having experienced a movement that produced over 200,000 new disciples and 22,000 different microchurches - ordinary people who were making new disciples in new contexts, then, "Okay, why not here why not us?". More ... From a talk by Rob Wegner, Microchurch Leader Kans Jericho social enterprises Providing people with work, training in their social businesses, projects. They are breaking barriers, changing lives. 7 businesses offering goods, services to their communities and employment to local people who need it most. More ... Geoff Knott Stuff - developing a healthy relationship with material things Are we preparing our children to be happy and free adults as we immerse them in a society where image is king and consumerism seems to control us? Some insights from parents... More ... Evangelism in a digital age - 2  It's all about context, context, and context. Different ways of presenting material and sharing your own story, connecting with different people groups. Do not underestimate the importance of simple things.. More ... An online discussion hosted by Fresh Expressions The vulnerability problem of the bully  Bullies lack ability to care because to care sets them up to get hurt too much - they are wounded individuals and have hardened hearts. How do we restore emotional norms? More ... From research by The Neufeld Institute Evangelism in a digital age - 1 The key about sharing faith through digital media is to build relationships within affinity groups. You belong and can share faith personally, rather than think of preaching on internet platforms to people you don't know. More ... An online discussion hosted by Fresh Expressions No Crying at the Dinner Table  A film that highlights the common stigma in families against expressing emotional vulnerability. It presents a portrait of intergenerational trauma, grief, and secrets about things left unsaid. More ... From a video by Carol Nguyen 5 checkpoints for work as worship Is our business a God-centred business, using profit for giving, innovating best products and services, building good processes, nurturing people? An altar to worship Him in a deeper, meaningful way? More ... From an article on Leadership.com.sg I met God online To stress the importance of how this generation is using the internet to answer spiritual questions, listen to Kimberley's testimony. More ... Geoff Knott How poverty makes workers less productive  Poverty is like a parasite, consuming mental energy that could be put to more beneficial use. "Being poor is like having just pulled an all-nighter, and that hurts the ability to escape poverty." More ... From an article by NPR Shifting the Balance: Local adaptation, innovation and collaboration  2020 was a year with unprecedented challenges, and it also proved community power is possible at scale. Public services and communities came together to help each other as never before. More ... From a report by New Local Resources to help you respond to local housing need The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Housing, Church and Community has partnered with Housing Justice to release extensive resources to empower churches to respond to their local housing need. More ... From Housing Justice 15 things for young people to do if they are feeling lonely  Anyone can experience loneliness. Almost 70% of young people said they have felt alone some or all of the time during the pandemic. Here are some tips.. More ... From an article by the Mental Health Foundation Grief - coping with loss of identity  "A friend whose husband died over a year ago. She knew she would grieve for him, but she was also grieving for the person she was when he was alive. She felt she had lost that person." More ... From a blog by a Moodscope member Does childhood trauma affect our relationship with God? The victims’ sense of being loved, accepted by God can be disrupted leading to difficulty in believing in God’s love. They may question God’s power and justice. Underreport God as absolute or just. More ... From a research study published in the Internation What does it mean to be a Christian entrepreneur?  There are hundreds of Christian entrepreneurs who struggle with anxiety. Why? It relates to identity. It comes from a feedback loop that doesn’t come from their time in Scripture, but from society at large. More ... From an essay by Henry Kaestner of Sovereign's Cap City-wide prayer evangelism - Sheffield During this month, March 2021, hundreds of believers from 90 churches across Sheffield will be prayer walking their streets. They are prayer walking along the streets they know and love to bless their city. More ... From an initiative Arise Sheffield Speaking of poverty, differently  Poverty is really not a failure of the individual. We should see it instead as a failure of society. A society that fails to recognize the competence of people in poverty. A society that relies on a unhealthy conception of merit. More ... From a video by a UN Special Rapporteur Home insurance for those needing it most 1/3 of of South Africa live in informal dwellings in settlements, rural villages. Many are shacks. For people living, working, raising families in these conditions, insurance protection is unavailable. Until now. More ... From an article by Insurance Thought Leadership Vancouver gave people experiencing homelessness £4,500. It changed their lives.  Half of the cash recipients moved into stable housing one month after they received the money. After 1 year, participants had an average of £600 still left in the bank. More ... From a blog by Next City The Thinker (Wrong Turns) Rodin's famous sculpture, 'The Thinker' was envisaged as part of a much larger work. He was to be placed on or by 'The Gates of Hell'. He watches the scene, wrapped in contemplation... More ... From a track by Z317 Music The 5 side-effects of compassion Compassion affects the brain, cardiovascular health, slows ageing, increases emotional connections and motivates kindness. More ... From an article by Dr David Hamilton Ethical Addictions They prayed that EA would be a company that honours God; gives back to the communities they buy from; build relationships with people and do right by them... Now 14 years later, Covid hits.. More ... From a guest blog by Ian Meredith, head bean at Et A vicar meets his Muslim parishioners  It is important that I can explain Christian truths to my Muslim friends. And I do so out of friendship, a relationship of mutual respect. They may not engage with it, but many have no idea what Christianity is about. More ... From a podcast from Mahabba Nelson Mandela through the eyes of his prison chaplain, Colin Chambers  Mandela said, "I know that if I don't leave all my unforgiveness, resentment and bitterness behind when I walk through those gates, I will be walking out into another prison of my making." More ... From a video by Life Stories At Lunch Redemptive entrepreneurship  A vehicle and language for vocation. How do I live who am I called to be if I'm not called to be a pastor of a church? How are we equipping people to actually do the work of the kingdom through the work of their calling? More ... From a video of the Un-Famous Collaborative Confer Look Beyond Borders When you sit down opposite a specific person and look into their eyes, you no longer see an anonymous refugee, one of the migrants, and notice the human before you, just like yourself – loving, suffering, dreaming. More ... From a video by Amnesty International Does ‘lockdown learning’ question conventional education? Many parents are recognising a disturbing truth revealed by the COVID-19 crisis: school is often regimented and boring and does not fit the way that their children learn naturally. More ... From a article on Child and Family Blog Equipping What proportion of time is being used on maintenance ministry versus developing others? We can all fill our diaries but building increasing time for training must be vital for a healthy, growing Church and kingdom. More ... Geoff Knott Understanding and responding to grief  How can you help someone grieving a loss? Grief may feel like a rogue wave that rises from one day, or even one moment, to the next, but you can help others ride out the wave and sail to a calmer sea. More ... From an article by The Gottman Institute Transforming communities through transport and enterprise  A Basic Utility Vehicle designed travel the roughest tracks in developing countries. Robust, easy to build and maintain, a first/last mile solution for small-holder farmers and communities. More ... Geoff Knott Who I am in Christ  “I am no longer a product of my past, I am a product of the work of Christ on the cross.”. What does this mean? I am Accepted, Secure and Significant in Christ.. More ... From the book, Living Free in Christ, by Neil Ande Low-level, poorly resolved conflict between parents affects children's mental health  Damage is done not by a few instances, but by chronic interactions. Children become more sensitive to episodes which are exhausting emotionally and increase insecurity. More ... From an article on Child and Family blog Charity digital journeys  Over the last year, COVID-19 has forced charities to move to remote working, deliver services online, invest in new tech and upskill staff faster than they ever anticipated. What works and what doesn't in digital transformation? More ... From a report by Catalyst Money Help Toolkit  Compassionate Communities ran a series on “Covid 19: Responding to the Debt Tsunami”. They explored, with the help of experts and parishes, how the church can help and support those struggling with money in wake of Covid-19. More ... From a resource by Compassionate Communities Impact-Weighted Accounts  The legitimacy of a business should depend on its ability to create value for society. How do you measure that and create accounting standards that reflect a company’s financial, social and environmental performance? More ... From an article by the Institute of Chartered Acco Interview with Guvna B "If you wake up in the morning and try your best to be who God has called you to be, it might be daunting, risky, but you go to bed knowing you've given it all. That is one of the most satisfying feelings that I've ever felt." More ... From a session at Everything 2020 Whole people - healing communities Trauma interrupts normal child development and exacts deep costs, to both the individual and the community. Here is a story of one neighbourhood working to change its destiny.. More ... From a video on PBS LivFul Their mission is to discover, develop, and distribute life-saving, life-innovative products to those who need the most help around the world. More ... From a presentation at Praxis Labs The Gathering 2 5 lessons from the wise men We are all called to communion with God. Finding and living out this communion sometimes involves embarking on a journey without knowing where it will take us. More ... From an article on Mind & Spirit What is prosperity? Prosperity is much more than mere wealth or economic growth. True prosperity is when all people have the opportunity to thrive and freedom to fulfill their unique potential taking responsibility for contributing to their communities and nations. More ... From material by Legatum Institute Adversity in childhood is linked to mental and physical health throughout life  There are behavioural, emotional, neurobiological and physical consequences affecting cardiovascular, immune, metabolic and brain health. More ... From a study in The BMJ Lessons from reducing and preventing domestic abuse  External evaluation found that where perpetrators were referred, victims and survivors were 3 times less likely to experience physical violence . More ... From a report by Social Finance Volunteering and human flourishing  For many, engaging in volunteering can be a powerful way to contribute to the good of others, to the community, to the common good, and to the good of the person volunteering as well - with significant health benefits. More ... From an article by Psychology Today Launch of screening for children and adults for trauma  Early identification of trauma and providing the appropriate treatment are critical tools for reducing long-term health care costs for both children and adults. Should the NHS introduce screening? More ... From an article by Center for Youth Wellness, Cali CrossPurpose "How do we help our neighbours escape poverty?". CrossPurpose has a mission to abolish economic, relational, and spiritual poverty through career and community development. 473 neighbours so far graduated and escaped poverty... More ... From a presentation at Praxis Labs The Gathering 2 Shifting heaviness with praise “Lord, what’s going on? Why, the sudden crying and feeling of despair and hopelessness, when I was feeling OK 10 minutes ago?” The Holy Spirit brought a scripture to mind that talks about a ‘spirit of heaviness’. How to lift? More ... From an article in Heaven in Business Are businesses ditching purpose post-Covid?  What impact will the crisis have on organisational purpose? Will SMEs continue to embrace it, or deem it a luxury they can no longer afford? Research uncovers the answers.. More ... From a research by ABA Imagine your community as a human library  What would it look like if every community member saw themselves as an educator or mentor? Each of us has unique stories, skills, passions and experiences. When we share these gifts with each other.. More ... From articles by CommunityShare The birth story I realised I needed more than a nursing degree to be able to really affect any change in underserved contexts. I felt like God was calling me to become a midwife. And I was like, "Okay, I'm in. I'm in. I want to help." More ... From a video by Faith Driven Entrepreneur Creating community in work  "My purpose in life is to glorify God, to know Him, and to make Him known. My strength is being able to have conversations with folks. I feel I'm in a ministry every day. I was called to be a missionary in my own backyard." More ... From a video by Faith Driven Entrepreneur The health benefits of cleanliness and being organised It’s clear that staying clean and organized is a good thing. It helps us feel better about ourselves, it keeps us productive and it may very well keep us physically fit. More ... From an article in Psychology Today Chatta - positive impact in speaking, writing and learning Designed to increase the quality and quantity of parent/child interaction via school. 40% greater progress in both speaking and understanding than children without Chatta. More ... From an article by Chatta Protecting your relationship in the shadow of Covid-19  Covid-19 raises new challenges for our most cherished relationships. There are three keys which can help couples. They are simple to remember and potent. They may help you, now... More ... From a blog by Professor Scott Stanley Taking burnout and our minds more seriously   Burnout is a complex set of experiences and reactions. If you know you are running near to the edge take it seriously. We are all human. We all have a limit. More ... From an article by the Mind and Soul Foundation Inclusive innovation – innovation that helps the community  Vietnam has had very low infection rates during two waves of Covid-19. Grassroots innovators+socially minded entrepreneurs have helped. This has meant that society’s most vulnerable have had access to.. More ... From an article in the The Conversation Let's continue to build community - when 'helping' hurts When is an issue really for neighbours to sort out? In an eagerness to help, do Councils tend to debate neighbour issues, form committees, develop rules instead of helping people talk to each other? More ... From an article by Strong Towns Saving the high street: community takeover?  The number of community businesses has been growing, with many in high street locations. Research shows how these have created more vibrant and resilient high streets. More ... From a report by Power to Change Youth STEM Matters  Glasgow based social enterprise, YouthSTEM2030, is determined to empower young people around the world to use science, technology, engineering and maths to change the world through progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. More ... From YouthSTEM2030 Low-income communities have assets  You have to start with the belief that people have capacities and abilities and they can be powerful. I’ve never seen a low-income neighbourhood that really changed because they finally got enough agencies fixing them. More ... From an article by Faith and Leadership Nails A person who speaks words that build up and encourage is a tree of life, but a person who speaks words that overwhelm and depress crushes the spirit. In other words, kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim. Prov 15v4 MSG More ... From a track by Z317 Music Turning customers into activists Tony’s Chocolonely was set up in 2005 with a clear purpose: “Together we make chocolate 100% slave free”. It pursues that purpose by producing and selling chocolate. They actively track down and combat child labour. More ... From an article by Corporate Rebels The contact hypothesis  Prejudice, hatred and racism stem from a lack of contact. We generalise wildly about strangers because we don’t know them. So the remedy seems obvious: more contact. More ... From an article in The Correspondent How to respect my ethnic name Things you should never say. Equally inappropriate actions. How to help. "I'm very proud of my name. It represents identity, my parents history and my culture." More ... From an article by Anparasan Sivakumaran Helping small businesses to grow - a story Clyne started a company in 2019 with just one van which supported the family and repayments on the van. He needed funding to expand to the next level but found it difficult to get money. He now has 3 vans and... More ... From an article by Purple Shoots Everything course A 7 week small group course exploring how to play your part in the renewal of culture. As followers of Jesus, we are called to seek the renewal of our world. It’s part of our call to shape our culture for the common good. More ... From an article by Everything Conference The Two Year Rule Dating and cohabiting couples should have a serious discussion about the future of their relationship within two years, and if the relationship is not headed toward marriage by then, it is time to end it. More ... From an article by the Institute of Family Studies Geek Challenge Yarl IT Hub is a non-profit in Sri Lanka created to improve education, employment + entrepreneurship in community. Two competitions; YGC Senior - an entrepreneurship competition open to all youth, YGC Junior for junior students in schools. More ... From an article by Center on Business and Poverty 8 social innovations that we could see in next decade Ways of interacting, underpinned by technologies, that could alter social systems and overcome one or several challenges faced by society. More ... Geoff Knott Journeys  "Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It's a journey of discovery - there are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep valleys of despair." Rick Warren. More ... From a track by Z317 Music How can parents build children’s self-esteem without turning them into narcissists  Parents’ ideas about how to instil self-esteem e.g. with lavish praise, can inflate a child’s narcissism: a sense of one’s importance and entitlement. Some tips.. More ... From an article by Child and Family Time to reset capitalism To build a future where all people can work with dignity, care for themselves and loved ones, where our planet is healthy, our economy thrives, we must reimagine our economic system so it works for all of us today and long-term. More ... From Imperative21 What workers want from their local church  Working Christians want their churches to provide encouragement and support for their work, provide guidance for how to engage faith at work and have more empathy with respect to the demands of their work. More ... From an article by Made to Flourish Best practices Victor Ho's start-up hit a rough patch and needed to lay off 50 people. Best practices suggested handling this with surgical precision. Victor felt compelled to take a different approach that was consistent with the company’s values. More ... From a video by Faith and Co Practical wisdom helps us cope with uncertainty Begin with our knowledge about what the risks are, and self-knowledge about what risks we are willing to take and what benefits we’d like to prioritize. 4 ways to guide us.. More ... From an article by Behavioural Scientist Church growth or kingdom growth focus? “What do seminaries/bible colleges need to be like to equip the churches to equip God’s people to serve God in the patterns of their work and their play beyond the boundaries of the church?” More ... From a talk by Richard Mouw, former president of F The Skill Mill Working with young offenders, changing their identity from one of offender to an employee with legitimate income, self-respect and a desire to change their behaviour and contribute positively to society and the economy. More ... From an article by The Skill Mill At a Loss - bereavement support A coalition of Christian organisations has developed resources to help the Church support the bereaved. Especially important due to Covid-19 and the large number of people who are, and will be, seeking help. More ... From the Loss and Hope initiative Time for a plastic paradigm shift  Plastic pollution is getting worse, and fast. Solving this growing problem requires creating a plastics economy that is smart, sustainable, and circular. 10 critical findings re actions.. More ... From a report by Pew Trusts Change agents: why entrepreneurs are uniquely equipped to tackle poverty The story of Waweru Kuria, a Kenyan entrepreneur. In this challenging time, the need for Kingdom entrepreneurs in emerging markets is at an all time high. We need the impact job creators can make in the lives of countless individuals. More ... From an article by Sinapis The Stump There is a proverb that the rich think their wealth protects them; they imagine themselves safe behind it. But a life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump. Some reflections.. More ... From a track by Z317 Music Money Can't Fix Everything - a relational approach to poverty Poverty is best understood as a symptom of relational dysfunction, especially in families, rather than a purely financial condition. A relational approach requires that we recognise 3 principles.. More ... From a report by Jubilee Centre The Invisible Church - an update Results of a “five years on” study. A substantial proportion of the population beyond current congregational life see themselves as part of the Christian family and are actively pursuing the Jesus Way. More ... An article by the Church Missionary Society How to repair the little things so they don’t become big things  Unspoken questions like “Do I matter to you?”, “Do you accept me as I am?” are always being asked internally. If it feels the answer is “no” to any question, our survival system sets off alarms. More ... From an article from the Gottman Institute CEO blueprint for achieving racial equity Ideas on themes; Designing HR practices that are actively anti-racist, Expanding worker power, Designing products and services, operations and supply chains that ensure racial equity. More ... From an article by Just Capital Managing ‘back to school’ anxieties  Children will be returning to their classrooms and there will be a vast range of emotions that come as a result, from both children and parents. A few principles that might help... More ... From an article by Care for the Family From outsourcing to ethical sourcing  Every employer has the power to effect significant social change right now – through their purchasing and outsourcing decisions. Three key tests.. More ... From a report by Clean for Good Let's continue to build community - community mobilisation Public bodies are realising, especially given Covid, that their best work and most robust decisions are made when they are working hand-in-hand with communities they serve. 4 key principles... More ... From a report by New Local Government Network Mirror, mirror An international study revealed over 90% of women aged between 15 and 64 years would change at least one thing about their body image if they could. Some beauty tips.. More ... From a track by Z317 Music Why 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)? The ACE Study revealed certain things we've been taught not to see, speak about, ask questions about. When these are explored, one finds high prevalence, relationships to major public health problems and to life expectancy. More ... From a blog by ACEs Connection The fine-tuning of the Universe There are fundamental constants + quantities that determine the structure of the Universe. Scientists have realised that each of these numbers have been carefully dialled to an astonishingly precise value. Accident or design? More ... From a video by Reasonable Faith 5 insights from Business Fights Poverty Online 2020  Attended by 1000+ delegates worldwide, the pandemic has put the spotlight on business purpose, protecting the vulnerable in value chains, technical skills, equity, interconnectedness... More ... Geoff Knott Social enterprise and the Church What if our models shifted from donations to empowering sustainable initiatives that spark lasting change in individuals and communities? Sharing the love of Christ can extend in powerful ways to the hurting and hungry. More ... A follow-on from the blog 'Let's continue to build Faith groups and social cohesion  Faith groups’ positive contribution to social cohesion deserves greater recognition and greater influence on cohesion policy. "Faith groups play a central role in social cohesion while providing crucial services." More ... From a report by the British Academy and the Faith Learning through play: more than laughter and smiles  Play works as an emotional toolbox—a safe space in which many emotions can be experienced without consequences or worrying about whether the emotion is acceptable to the big people in children’s lives. More ... From a blog by Child and Family Are we really well? Have we created environments that help us to be well? How can we build wellness together where we live? There are four key foundations on which we need to build.. More ... From a TedX talk by Dr Andy Knox Take a step - learn how to share the best news ever A way to get started on the journey to sharing your faith regularly. For most of us it can seem so daunting but all of us can have a go and see ourselves start to grow as a result. More ... From a course by Relational Mission A parent asks her child what she could have done better The conversation could have hurt but it needed to be one that healed. Parent offered a generous and kind-hearted gift by engaging with the child - "let's heal together and grow stronger." More ... From a video by Alison Cebulla, ACEs Connection Weakness is an invitation to connect with God We are told success is the thing to pursue and woe betide if you show weakness along the way. Yet God says, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”. As a result both we and the world are deeply blessed. More ... From a blog by Heaven In Business Let's continue to build community - a new table The table is not a physical object sitting in some meeting room at the Town Hall. It’s not a visioning session, public hearing, or an online form. The table is out there. The table is our community. More ... From an article by Strong Towns Regrets Bronnie Ware, a nurse who counselled the dying in their last days, revealed the most common regrets we have at the end of our lives. We don't know when our life will end but there is hope. Hear from the wife, husband, children and the Stranger.. More ... From a track by Z317 Music Family matters for student performance Student performance cannot be understood apart from family dynamics. What should our communities and larger society be doing to help ensure that future generations of children have a stable, supportive, family life? More ... From an article from the Institute for Family Stud Deeply Rooted: A Wellbeing Resource for Leaders  We all maintain our health through multiple means.The last weeks will have disrupted our usual strategies for self-care. It’s therefore vital that we take an honest look at how we are doing... More ... From a resource by Sanctuary Mental Health Ministr Drowning in empathy: compassion fatigue Compassion fatigue is experienced by those in a helping profession or ministry, whether paid or not. What puts you at a greater risk is empathy - putting yourself in someone else's shoes.. More ... From a TEDx talk Vallejo - the impact of the MTS Training Academy A programme with dramatic results as a company dedicated to God ministers to the re-entry population: people that have been released from prison and helping them get re-established in society. More ... From a video by Transform Our World Digital youthwork Creating a space where struggling youths can reinvent themselves as being successful against a backdrop where generally the world is telling them that what they're doing is wrong. More ... From a talk by Simon Glenister, founder of Noise S Let's continue to build community - employment Employment in our communities will be affected by Covid-19. Many people will struggle to find employment they are used to. Churches i.e. the people, can have a pro-active role to play. This could be... More ... From a talk by Mal Fletcher at an Everything event The difference a positive adult figure makes Footballer Ian Wright talks about his teacher - Mr Pigden. More ... Let's continue to build community - adding deliberation Deliberation - debate used together with participation e.g. voting ensures meaningful engagement on a large scale giving a central place to citizens in decision-making processes. More ... From articles by CitizenLab Turning on the subtitles improves literacy In a longitudinal study of continuous caption use at home, children who viewed with captions scored significantly higher in tests of word identification + passage comprehension compared with non-caption viewers More ... From an article by Turn On the Subtitles A second chance company Many employees who join Nehemiah Manufacturing just need a chance to prove themselves. "If I had to describe it in one word, it would be grace. When society deems that we are out of chances, Nehemiah gives us another chance." More ... Geoff Knott Empathy vs Sympathy If I share something with you that's very difficult, I'd rather you say, "I don't even know what to say. I'm just so glad you told me." Because the truth is, rarely can a response make something better. What makes something better is connection. More ... From a video by The RSA ACEs e-learning A number of free, government funded, online courses which take under 1 hour to help you and contacts in the community find out more about Adverse Childhood Experiences - stressful events occurring in childhood which raise risk of poor life outcomes. More ... Geoff Knott Turning online attendance to deeper engagement Turning online attendance to deeper engagement. The transition from cyber church to physical church is not necessarily a smooth or fluid one. Recognise the audience. It's a different audience with a different set of needs. More ... From a discussion with Mal Fletcher Let's continue to build community - by pursuing the Common Good A free Guide shows you how to run 4 short group sessions locally with people from across the community as a basic introduction to Common Good principles and develop an action plan for your context. More ... From a resource by Together for the Common Good The unstereotype experiment If you could help to broaden the way people see themselves and the world around them, could they be more open to questioning how they might inadvertently stereotype people and will that help inclusivity? More ... From a video by Unilever Businesses as transformational agents for the common good  Business has a higher purpose beyond mere sustenance or just financial returns. We seek holistic transformation of people and societies. A positive impact on multiple bottom lines for multiple stakeholders. More ... From an article by Transformational SME Memory Matters Care designed to support people affected by dementia. The social enterprise has seen a 70-80% rise in cognition – the ability to acquire knowledge and understanding – from their workshops. More ... From an article on Pioneers Post Let's continue to build community - food provision In local efforts re food donations, are we focused on supermarkets? In efforts to cook meals, are we focused on charity kitchens? Including small high street retailers + restaurants would help our towns.. More ... Edtech for good: using tech to navigate the impacts of Covid-19  Education faces some fundamental shifts. There has been unprecedented demand on Edtech companies to help organisations in this uncertain period and adapt. More ... From an article on Digital Agenda Let's continue to build community - participatory budgeting Seven steps that are shared by most successful participatory budgeting processes. They are relevant regardless of the size of your city/town and the themes citizens are involved with. More ... From a report by CitizenLab The colonel and the cleaner Jason Denney had severe Covid-19. A priest administered the last rites. He said goodbye to his family via FaceTime. But Rosaura Quinteros, a hospital cleaner, urged Jason not to lose hope. She said God was not done with him.. More ... From an article on CNN Retraining your brain to stop prejudice We all have unconscious biases - the stuff you don't even know your brain is doing - quick to spot characteristics like age, race, social class and sort into groups that we might be wary of. You can change this. More ... From a video by Nationswell Building resilient, responsible, sustainable businesses in a post-Covid world  How are personal and professional challenges experienced going to impact future? How will this reshape our economy and society? What does that mean for businesses that emerge? More ... From an article by Seth Finegan, UK CEO at Informe On a plate Some folk have perhaps had a helping hand in life while others weren’t given such assistance. You can’t blame people for being given opportunities, but it’s always good to realise how the other half lives and to help those who are not that fortunate. More ... From a comic strip by Toby Morris 10 books for children to read to celebrate racial diversity Could primary school age books such as these help over the long-term to reduce the tensions we have seen in recent times and eventually change the culture? More ... Geoff Knott Is there a case for student mental health days? Allow students to take mental health days off from school the same way you would a physical health day. Keeping track of these catch those struggling before it's too late. Saves lives. More ... From a TEDx talk by Hailey Hardcastle Let's continue to create community - a wellbeing economy Wellbeing is the outcome of a convergence of factors, including good human mental and physical health, greater equity and fairness, good social relationships and a flourishing natural environment. More ... From an article by the The Solutions Journal Community has been strengthened during pandemic  Community cohesion and trust has reached a new high and there has been a flourishing in community volunteering. A striking endorsement of community power. More ... From a report by New Local Government Network (NLG The roots of resilience in children and young people  Two short animations explain what resilience is and how we can nurture the resilience of children and young people, particularly in educational settings. More ... From animations by Juliette Ttofa Becoming a world-changer Why do we hold back from the inner-knowing that we are created for something bigger than ourselves? What keeps us from stepping out into the unknown-yet-thrilling adventure of what God has called us to do? More ... From an article by Heaven in Business Answered prayer - when a nation prays May 24th 2020 was the 80th anniversary of the King calling the nation to pray. Subsequently, something happened which was incredible and it's a story that has impacted us deeply as a country. More ... From a video by The Wall of Answered Prayer Tech for good in the fight against coronavirus  The emergence of technological solutions has been one light at the end of the tunnel. Details about some of the most innovative tech solutions that have sprung up throughout the world. More ... From an article by Business Chief Olderpreneurs needed Entrepreneurship has also never been a route just available to the young. A growing number of people over 50 are joining the start-up community, using skills, experience they have accrued in order to start a successful business. More ... Geoff Knott AI has discovered a new antibiotic to kill bacteria In laboratory tests, the drug killed many of the world’s most problematic disease-causing bacteria, including some strains that are resistant to all known antibiotics. More ... From an article by MIT We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat  It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance - not just looking, actually seeing. We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey. Please realise that and be kind. More ... Author unknown Deeper Learning An education philosophy that says students learn best with real work that resembles what they will likely encounter outside of school. An alternative to presenting students with atomized, decontextualized pieces of a subject. More ... From an article by LA School Report End-of-life priorities within the UK homeless  In the UK, people experiencing homelessness die, on average, 30 years younger than the general population. Their priorities at the end are somewhat different than those of the general population. More ... From a study by Wendy Webb and others, University Stay Alert - know the risks and avoid them We've heard very little about the findings of contact tracing from other nations. From these, can we see commonality of outbreaks of COVID-19? Yes. This knowledge can help us keep safe and lessen risk as we enter a new phase. More ... From an article by Dr Erin Bromage My job is caring for people Jamie was very task focused but now understands he has to lead in a relational way - praying "Lord, break my heart for my team." Result is an incredible workplace where people feel loved and supported. More ... From a video by Kingdom at Work Carbon-neutral church buildings - lighting With the advent of affordable and aesthetic pleasing LED lighting, five churches within the Diocese of Durham have devised new lighting schemes whilst keeping costs to a minimum by using existing lighting wiring. More ... A guest blog by Astley Fenwick, Trinity Energy Man God sent a cleaner Pastor Lee McClelland recently contracted Covid-19 and was in a critical condition in hospital. "I remember really crying to the Lord and asking him to help me and somehow encourage my heart and strengthen me." The next morning a cleaner came in.. More ... Geoff Knott One action can have a big impact How can business support the most vulnerable in value chains and communities in the face of Covid-19? Examples of how businesses around the world are responding. More ... From an article by Business Fights Poverty Healing from sexual abuse can start with one word After Rena Romano gained the courage to speak out about her experience of childhood sexual abuse, she discovered that few victims have the same supportive experience. More ... From a Tedx talk The world after Covid-19 - 2  Pandemics require us to recognise our common humanity - we can only be as healthy as people are elsewhere. Covid-19 is affecting economies, health systems in dramatic ways. It's going to lead to a big reset on many levels. More ... From an online event by How To Academy The world after Covid-19 - 1  How does globalization create systemic risks and what can we do about it? What global responses are necessary now and in future? Will the world deglobalize? Impact on our societies and the world order? More ... From an online event by How To Academy Delivering sanitation services to the poorest urban citizens  In Bangladesh, 30M urban residents lack access to sanitation facilities which enable faecal waste to be safely collected and removed for treatment. SWEEP is starting to create significant change. More ... From an article by Business Fights Poverty The Connected Generation? What values are Millennials, and now Gen Z, bringing with them into adulthood? What kind of world are they already building? What is their relationship to faith? Results from interviews with 15,000 18-35s in 25 countries. More ... From a report by Barna and World Vision Cohabiting families’ disadvantage Many cohabiting couples with children doubt their current relationship will last, especially compared to married parents. And they are less likely to see their relationship as a vital part of their life. More ... From a study by Institute of Family Studies The Making of Us A film created by many, purely to spread a message of positivity and hope. Proof that even apart, we’re in this together. This could be the making of us. More ... A video by The Making of Us Pivoting your business in response to Covid-19  The Covid-19 crisis has made it necessary for many commercial companies to shift their business models quickly. Many are repurposing their assets to create new value, protect the brand and survive. More ... From an article on Business.com Strong families - flourishing children Children living in families with higher levels of resilience and connection are much more likely to flourish. This is true across all levels of income, health status and exposure to adverse childhood experiences. More ... From an article by The Sector (Early Education) Why your child is acting differently right now As the threat of Covid-19 disrupts school, daycare and other activities for children, some parents are noticing changes in behaviour in their children as try to deal with stress and anxiety. More ... From an article by Today.com When I Grow Up  What would happen if the 99.5% of Christians working in the marketplace saw their job as sacred? More ... From a video by Kingdom at Work The beatitudes for today Blessed are the.... How does the most famous sermon in history still apply? The Beatitudes Project film features change-makers from all over world. Hosted by Stu Garrard of Delirious?, the result is a disruptive and surprising journey. More ... From a resource by the Beatitudes Project Setting up a prayer chain for your community  As people in our communities turn to prayer, regardless of whether they attend church, they could be very interested in knowing about prayer support and churches may be interested in setting up prayer chains and publicising this to local households. More ... Geoff Knott Roots of youth anxiety  Today youth must define themselves and the shape of their lives by referencing their own preferences, desires, and choices. This creates a powerful and relentless type of ethical responsibility for their own well-being. More ... From an article by the Institute of Family Studies Bloom An award-winning, touching story of Nadine, depressed and alone. A gift from a neighbour gives Nadine something to live for. Brings us back to the essentials of being human - kindness and thoughtfulness to others. More ... From a video by students at the Animation/Illustra Is Britain a fair country? Wealth inequality has been rising rapidly in Britain for the past 30 years. Is the public aware of the extent of this growth in inequality? Do we think we live in a fairer society than is the reality? More ... From a video by High Pay Centre Protecting your relationship from becoming a Covid-19 victim   Due to lockdown, we are going to have multiple opportunities to share aspects of ourselves with our spouses and loved ones. There will probably be times when we are not at our best. 5 tips to help. More ... From an article by the Institute of Family Studies A theology of disruption Interruption is God’s invitation. God is inviting us to see him all around us, in the lives of others, in our conversations, in our serving those in need. It is one of God’s ways of waking us up to what’s around us. More ... From an article by Desiring God Mind Your Own Business Launching your own business or social enterprise is a big leap of faith. A new free business start up workbook can be used by individuals or a small group working together. More ... From an article by MYOB Space to Breathe - wellbeing for staff “Soulful Wellbeing for School Staff” days take teachers out of the classroom for the day and give them tools for self-care and to establish healthy habits around wellbeing. Measured impact high. More ... Geoff Knott The 100 Day Challenge Allows front-line staff and citizens to collaborate and experiment with new ways of working, testing them for 100 days to see if they make a difference. More ... From a report by Nesta Homeless shelter plus - the Cotton Street Project A centre that gives the guests a home, with a bed and their own clothes behind a lockable door, a community are where they can eat and a joinery and upholstery workshop, that has given them hope. More ... From a video by Cotton Street Project Why are people ignoring expert warnings?—Psychological Reactance  When you tell me what to do, a part of me feels compelled to do the opposite. 5 things we can do about the effect of this resistance. More ... From an article by Behavioral Scientist Frontline Sundays Imagine what would happen if every Christian looked around at the people they spend their days with and asked God: how do you want me to be good news to the people here today? More ... From a resource by LICC Becoming a carbon neutral church There are various sources of information to help you to manage and reduce the carbon footprint of the church i.e. the people and the buildings/events. What actions can you take? More ... From materials by Eco Congregation Trends that should be on your Board’s radar  Governing boards should have various issues as standing items on their agenda apart from operational and financial performance. Here are seven. What would your seven be? More ... Creatively sharing the gospel "Whoever you are, we can all be creative to give God the glory and just display his greatness. Really look at the things which shape culture and society and use those things to explain who Jesus is." More ... From a video by Wycliffe Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) Adults who report more positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are less likely to suffer from depression or poor mental health – and are more likely to have healthy relationships. More ... Geoff Knott Religious Change in Britain -1991 to 2018  Data from British Social Attitudes (BSA) surveys. The questions gauge different aspects of religion in wider society: religious authority, belief in God, other religious beliefs, and religious activity. More ... From an article by British Religion in Numbers Upshift A UNICEF innovation programme, now in 22 countries, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people. A local initiative for self-starting groups of 13-18s to come forward with ideas to address social problems within their community. More ... From a video by UNICEF Digital health projects helping citizens lead healthier lives  Making data available and useful to citizens, to help them lead healthier and more independent lives. Some stories of individuals who are starting to use the technologies. More ... From an article by Nesta Case studies of modern slavery Izna was not paid properly for her work. She was unable to leave because the family she worked for had bought a small house for her family in India. She would had to stay to work for decades in order to pay off the debt. More ... From a guide by Together Free Improving wellbeing in the community Case studies of 9 towns across the UK that are imagining and building new futures for themselves. The stories told show the breadth of responses people have developed to transform their towns. More ... From a report by the Carnegie Trust Creating a world where every child can access education  The key barrier is not a lack of infrastructure, but continuous and rigorous support for teachers. More ... From a keynote by Bridge International Down to Earth - support before a funeral has taken place The Quakers have launched an advisory service to try to ease the stress caused by rising funeral costs. They can support people to plan a meaningful funeral that is more affordable. More ... From an article by Quaker Social Action One person's story of how adverse childhood experiences affected their life  Children who experience stressful childhoods are more likely to; develop health-harming and anti-social behaviours, perform poorly in school, be involved in crime. More ... Geoff Knott How can companies and investors embed purpose authentically into business?  Businesses that embrace a social purpose are contributing towards a better world. Purpose benefits businesses through happier, more engaged employees, increased market share. More ... From research by Business Fights Poverty Taking an opportunity at TEDx to explain the gospel Tyler Ellis conducted 50 interviews with people with different beliefs and backgrounds which turned into unexpected adventures and discoveries. 'That was one of the best conversations I've ever had!' More ... From a talk at TEDx Principles for Purposeful Business  Eight principles aiming to re-organise the corporate sector around purpose and around corporations’ contributions to solving social, political and environmental challenges. More ... From a report by The British Academy Ministry amongst Britain’s poorest  A conversation about some of the unique pressures of ministry to hard places. "How we do evangelism is completely different - it's new and it's good and it's real, real life." More ... From an article by FIEC 2019 Homelessness Hackathon Participants with a wide range of life and professional experience collaborated in teams to come up with innovative suggestions and solutions. The ideas were voted on by the event audience and the winning idea announced... More ... From an article by Chartered Institute of Housing Policy recommendations re Adverse Childhood Experiences - 4  A look at strands of policy in the areas of 'Collecting evidence of the extent of adverse childhood experiences' and 'Innovating new models'. More ... Geoff Knott Norwich Mustard - story of a co-operative  Since 1858, Norwich has been the home of mustard but in Jan 2018, Unilever, which owns Colman’s, announced they were moving production. Local people came up with an idea to start their own cooperative community business. More ... From an article by Power to Change 7 habits of institutional radicals  Imagine a world where every institution, whether within the spheres of commerce, government, or civil society, had an active policy to reduce dependence on their service, by increasing interdependence in community life. More ... From an article by Nuture Development The world’s first 3D-printed neighbourhood A giant 3D printer is creating new homes in rural Mexico. Each takes 24 hours and lets local families upgrade from a shack to a two-bedroom house. Could this be part of the global housing solution? More ... From an article by Fast Company Upbeat - a healthier approach to boys' wellbeing 6-session course gives 13-16s a toolkit to take care of their emotional wellbeing, engage in honest conversations and spot signs when things aren’t going well. More ... From a resource by the Salvation Army and YouthSca Detecting modern slavery in your supply chain Modern slavery is often invisible, hidden in factories, small farms, plantations, etc. It is challenging to detect and hard to eradicate. Two apps are emerging to help detect issues. More ... From an article on Business Fights Poverty Policy recommendations re Adverse Childhood Experiences - 3 A look at six policy strands in the legislative theme of 'Building capability and capacity in services and communities for trauma-informed best practice'. More ... Geoff Knott Beneath the Ink In Zanesville, Ohio, USA, tattoo artist Billy Joe White has started a crusade to "erase the hate" and has offered to cover up swastikas, Nazi images, and other hate-filled ink for free. He's been very busy. More ... From a video by GQ Video The world is more prosperous than it has ever been  Of the 167 countries measured and tracked for prosperity in the Legatum Institute's 2019 index, 148 (88% of the world’s population) have seen an improvement in their prosperity since 2009. More ... From a report by the Legatum Institute Kingdom in the Workplace  "I had overlooked my immediate mission field 8 hours a day, five days a week. I observed that my colleagues, were in fact an unreached people group. And they were my people group." More ... A guest blog by Lyndsey Seale of Transform Work UK 99 good news stories in 2019  Good news stories of conservation, health, rising living standards, tolerance, peace, cleaner energy and environmental stewardship. We need to change the stories we tell ourselves. More ... From an article by Future Crunch Common Good Schools Programme Unique 10-week programme enables young people to put the principles of Common Good thinking into practice-respecting the dignity of each human being, contributing to positive social relationships, demonstrating stewardship and valuing community. More ... Geoff Knott Eight principles for faithful preaching among people experiencing poverty How do I communicate or preach in a housing scheme/estate? Do I have to change things to preach into a non-literate culture? Do I have to dumb things down? Do I have to shorten my sermons? How does someone prepare a sermon? More ... From an article by 20Schemes Aiming to help one billion people reduce food wastage  Olio's app prevents food waste by connecting neighbours with each other and with local businesses so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away. More ... From an article by Digital Agenda Funding stable housing for the homeless - Paul's story  "God, if I didn't have this place, I dread to think where I would be, maybe back on the street. Maybe back drinking, I wouldn't know what I would be. Lost." More ... Geoff Knott Essentials for parenting toddlers and preschoolers  A free, online resource designed for parents of 2 to 4 year olds, Essentials for Parenting addresses common parenting challenges. Help parents build a safe, stable, and nurturing relationship with their child. More ... Geoff Knott Policy recommendations re Adverse Childhood Experiences - 2 A look at policy strands in first legislative theme; Building knowledge and expertise of trauma-informed best practice by creating a cross-government, multi-agency group of practitioners to establish and promote. More ... Geoff Knott Lessons learned from B Inspired  A conference hosted by B Corps attended by over 600 people looking to explore the changing role of business in society. Some insights from a delegate. More ... From an article by Nishita Dewan of CollaboratEQ How British moral attitudes have changed in the last 30 years  Views on moral issues have become increasingly liberal. Today far more tolerant of illegal drug use, homosexuality, abortion, depictions of violence, aspects of sex in popular culture and other issues. More ... From a report by the Policy Institute at King’s Co Good Business: Ethics at Work  Quakers and Business Group have published an updated edition. Acts as a guide and inspiration to running a better and ethical business for the benefit of all its stakeholders. More ... From a publication of Quakers and Business Group Tranquiliti - wellbeing of students at the heart of school strategy Technology generating student-led insights into key drivers of academic success, while directly supporting students’ flourishing. More ... From an article by Tranquiliti Toolkit for setting up a housing project for asylum seekers NACCOM has launched a Housing Toolkit – a comprehensive resource for existing and proposed housing projects that accommodate destitute people who are seeking asylum, refugees and other migrants. More ... Geoff Knott Policy recommendations re Adverse Childhood Experiences - 1 As the UK increasingly becomes ACE-aware through various initiatives, there are policies that have been enacted in USA and Canada since 2014. Analysis of such legislation reveals a great awareness of the effect of ACEs. More ... Geoff Knott Business in the context of a God who has given it all Keep these pivotal things in your mind from scripture - love God, love your neighbour. Am I trusting God? Am I looking outwards to those who are in greater need than me? Is my business in the context of a God who has given it all? More ... From a talk by David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingha A medicine for stress How do you minister to a young man who when younger lost his father, his two uncles, his grandfather, his security, his home and his health in one traumatic episode? More ... From an article by Worktalk Early enterprise education  The UK currently lags behind when it comes to youth enterprise education. The consequence of this is that we risk dampening the country’s future economic prosperity. Some programmes tailored to young people. More ... From a report by Gem Consortium Learning about faith and mental health A couple of training/learning resources to help churches/small groups learn about mental health from a faith context. More ... Geoff Knott Second Shot Coffee  When Julius Ibrahim became increasingly interested in tackling homelessness, backed by social investment, he opened Second Shot Coffee, a social enterprise café in East London. More ... From a case study by Good Finance Presents with purpose A Gift Guide featuring products from 50+ social enterprises - gifts that make a real social or environmental impact. More ... Geoff Knott Fresh expressions - kingdom advance Encouraging news from different denominations regarding how Fresh Expressions of church has flourished over the last 15 years. Up to 25% of attendees in some areas. More ... From a report by Fresh Expressions William Hartley Founder of Hartley's Jams. Looked after his workers and suppliers. Set aside a specific portion of income for religious and philanthropic purposes. This %age was continually increased. More ... From a biography by Arthur Peake The repair of intergenerational trauma - James' story How a childhood of trauma and adversity led James to feel despair, loneliness and rage. Walk with James as he begins to heal and create a new and hopeful future. More ... From an animation by Beacon House Powerhouse - a house which is 100% off-grid A solar powered, ready-to-move-in, eco-friendly, smart home in India. Pre-fitted with electrical and plumbing systems that can be controlled remotely. For £18,000, buyers can have clean energy for their home and e-vehicle, free for life. More ... Geoff Knott Bringing healthcare to the people - the last mile Living Goods-supported community health workers in East Africa reduced under-5 mortality by 27% and stunting by 7%, all for less than $2 per person annually. More ... From articles by Living Goods Last Sunday in month is car free day in 20 cities in Ethiopia Designed to reduce pollution, improve health and encourage socialising, cities are now going car-free on one Sunday a month and running community workouts on newly traffic-free roads. More ... From a BBC report Flourish - a game to increase community wellbeing and wealth Participants can explore how to work towards a more equitable and participatory society; one that moves away from purely financial measures of success to focus instead on how psychologically healthy our communities are. More ... From an article by Nesta Prenatal parental stress linked to behaviour problems in toddlers. Expectant parents’ emotional struggles predict emotional and behavioural problems in 2-year-olds. More ... From research by University of Cambridge’s Centre Self-service We are trying to be masters of the universe while we are not masters of ourselves. Jesus has immeasurable power but channels it into care, kindness and courtesy. More ... From an article by Worktalk Case studies of local regeneration through crowdfunding Examples of crowdfunding models used to fund projects which are owned and run by the communities they serve, enabling community-led regeneration and boosting local resilience. More ... From an article by Nesta Are you willing to give God your diary?  I began to pray over my diary, emails and phone every week and asked God to be my Chief Scheduling Officer. I began to see the goodness of God in how my schedule seemed to align so specifically and detailed each week. More ... From an article by Heaven in Business Capturing more carbon Two initiatives that will help remove carbon from the atmosphere. 500 billion new trees and a bioreactor to capture carbon - 1x1 metre x 2 metres - equivalent to 1 acre of trees. Opportunity to lower carbon for all communities. More ... From articles on Singularity and Good News Network Advancing well-being in an inequitable world - 2 The Thriving Places Index is a new way to look at the strengths and challenges of the place where you live in England or Wales. It shows whether the conditions are in place for people to thrive – in a fair and sustainable way. More ... From The Thriving Places Index How to help children handle grief after the death of a parent  Intense feelings can be particularly hard to process for bereaved children dealing with the loss of an important figure like a parent. What can a parent or family member do to lovingly support a young child? More ... From an article on Huffington Post Advancing well-being in an inequitable world - 1 What can we learn from multiple countries about advancing well-being—a notion of health that extends beyond the absence of disease? Need to radically expand the definition of progress to include well-being as a complement to economic vitality. More ... From a report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundatio When you Buy Social, you’re helping to build a better world  Social enterprises are at the forefront of developing the solutions and fairness that we need. Social enterprises can only create impact if people buy from them and help build a better world. More ... Geoff Knott Changing perceptions of UK refugees  "People did not see the ambition within me. I wanted to be seen as somebody who has got talent, skills and aspirations and, if given the opportunity, can and will contribute to UK society." More ... From an article on Pioneers Post How do you grow your business without losing yourself?  Insights from an event in Nairobi exploring faith and entrepreneurship. Part of building an ecosystem that supports faith driven entrepreneurs, beyond training and networking. More ... From an event by Sinapis Nairobi Reimagining Education Together  If we are to truly prepare young people for life, work and citizenship in the modern world, we need both a broader view of success and a broader view of the learning ecosystem. More ... From a report by Big Change Stopping teen substance abuse in Iceland The %age of 15-16-year-olds who had been drunk in a month fell from 42% in 1998 to 5% in 2016. The %age who have ever used cannabis is down from 17% to 7%. Those smoking cigarettes every day fell from 23% to just 3%. More ... From an article on Mosiac Science Biblical Foundations for Social Reform  Jonathan Tame of Jubilee Centre presents a biblical worldview for public engagement, articulates the importance of Biblical Law and offers some suggested principles for political economy. More ... From a talk by Jubilee Centre Want to be an innovative company? Think neurodiversity. The business world is now recognising that a neurodiverse workforce is more creative, innovative and productive, and one in which people with a range of strengths, backgrounds and viewpoints contribute to success. More ... From an article by Wellbeing Pulse - the blog of t Videos for asylum seekers about the asylum process. Cover four key stages in several languages; An introduction to claiming asylum, The asylum screening interview, The asylum substantive (big) interview and After a refusal of your asylum claim. More ... From an article by Right to Remain Moving to opportunity? Does moving to housing in low-poverty areas increase life chances? Breaking up pockets of poverty by using benefits to encourage low-income families to move to "high opportunity" neighbourhoods? More ... From an article on NPR Ekklesia - 24/7 Church Always people, never buildings. Vibrant, expansive, operating 24/7, unstoppable capacity for growth. A mobile people movement, operating in the marketplace to impact everybody and everything. More ... From a talk by Ed Silvoso about his book Ekklesia Who's job is it to build a better society? Who's job is it to build a better society? What if employers encouraged colleagues to look for marginal gains in society in the roles that they're already paid to do? It's good for motivation, good for business, good for society and needn't be complex. More ... From a TEDx talk by Joanna Finlay Innovation in youthwork The world is changing-and fast-and young people are connecting and gathering in different spaces and places, both real and virtual. Understanding, interest and perceptions about Christian faith are shifting. How affects youthwork? More ... From an article by Youthscape No Isolation robot Enables children with long-term illness to virtually attend school, socialise with classmates and remain connected. It becomes their eyes, ears and voice in the classroom. More ... From an article by Noisolation The decline of empathy For the past 4 decades, psychologists have measured empathy. Empathy has dwindled steadily, especially in the 21stC. The average person in 2009 was less empathic than 75 percent of people in 1979. More ... From an article by Jamil Zaki, assistant professor Open Mic music events - what an opportunity Sunday..the band is great, the songs are amazing-all that creativity + talent up front for 30 mins, helping us focus on God. Is that it though? If God has given such talents + his command is to go, what could you do? More ... Geoff Knott There will soon be more trees than people in Milan  The Italian city revealed plans to plant 3 million trees by the year 2030. If successful, they will absorb an additional 5M tons of CO2 a year, 3000 tons of small particulates over 10 years and lower temperature by 2C. More ... From an article by Green Matters Preparing for a transition How do we help our children with change, whether that's leaving home, a new school, new house or new member of the family? Growing up inevitably involves change but sometimes we don't find it easy to manage. More ... From an article by Parenting for Faith Launched: Journeying Through Uni with God  A group study giving students a vision for whole-life discipleship at uni - the understanding, the tools, and the confidence to live for Christ in every area of uni life. More ... From an article by LICC Homelessness and Community  The issue is not one of house-lessness, rather homelessness. Putting a roof over someone’s head does not provide them with the sense of acceptance and belonging that is needed to find a home. Homelessness and community have to be understood together. More ... From an article by Enterprise Homes The SDGs Game The 2030 SDGs Game participants wake up to the systemic impact they already have. They see ways they can take action to make positive change that they previously had not considered. More ... Geoff Knott 7 surprising trends in global Christianity in 2019  Facts and trends from The Status of Global Christianity, published by The Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. More ... From Facts and Trends Harvard study shows the dangers of early school enrolment  Children haven’t changed, but our expectations of their behaviour have. They are increasingly required to learn academic content at an early age that may be well above their developmental capability. More ... From an article by the Foundation for Economic Edu How to make poverty history?  We need to get rid of some intellectual weeds; the idea of a poverty line, a main cause of poverty is about people and their decisions, we can reduce poverty by focusing on the poor, that redistributive or targeted programmes are key to poverty reduction. More ... From a talk by Dr Lant Pritchett Teaching prisoners coding  "It’s rare to meet so many passionate learners, and their drive is humbling and contagious to be around. Graduates are now working as programmers, product managers..." More ... From the Code 4000 initiative Are marriages becoming stronger everywhere?  UK divorce rates have now fallen to 35 per cent, the lowest levels in fifty years. The hard data say that this is happening almost entirely because fewer wives are filing for divorce during the first decade of married life. More ... From an article by the Marriage Foundation Circle Collective A London social enterprise running skate and streetwear stores. Helps young people break down barriers keeping them from work. 76% find employment. An initial 9 people helped has become 400. More ... From an article in The Big Issue Story of a trauma-informed school Children are coming to school already in a state of anxiety and they do not need anyone adding to that anxiety. We're not punishing children because they are behaving badly, we're trying to understand what has happened to them. More ... From a video by ACE-Aware Scotland Love Thy Neighbour pack The Love Thy Neighbour pack is designed to help and inspire you to reach out to the people around you. Whether you have just moved into your area, are struggling to connect with your neighbours, or have lived in your street for years. More ... Geoff Knott Flourish A wellbeing discovery programme run by Liveability where people learn horticulture, conservation, maintenance and rural craft in a tranquil setting, building confidence, making friends and having fun. More ... From an article by Liveability Two-by-Ten strategy  For 2 mins each day, 10 days in a row, teachers have a personal conversation with a disruptive student about anything the student is interested in. Resulted in 85-percent improvement in student's behaviour and in all the other students' behaviour. More ... From an article by ASCD Kindness in public policy? Talk about kindness and public policy in the same breath and you get one of several reactions including embarrassment, dismissal, irritation. However kindness matters and it makes a huge difference. More ... From a report by Carnegie UK Trust Community empowerment through crowdfunded investment  How investment crowdfunding models can be used to fund projects which are owned and run by the communities they serve, enabling community-led regeneration and boosting local resilience. More ... From a report by Nesta CitizenLab  A citizen engagement platform for local governments. It helps reach more citizens, manage their ideas efficiently, and make decisions based on real-time data. It introduces local democracies to the digital age. More ... From an article by CitizenLab The lasting effects of childhood trauma  Have you ever met a person who woke up one morning and says, "My ambition is to become an addict." When people are in tremendous pain, their range of choices is limited and not only that their brains are affected by those early experiences. More ... From an interview on STV Self-Reliant Groups Small groups of people who come from a shared economic and/or social background to support each other, develop friendships, save, share skills, start small businesses. More ... From an article by Nesta and WEvolution Prayer evangelism - 2 “I kept hearing the word ‘zip codes.’ As I pressed in more, I felt that the Lord wanted us to pray over the 43 zip codes that make up the New Orleans area on a daily basis for one year.” More ... From an article by Transform Our World The positive effects of expressive writing  Expressive writing or journaling has a healing quality, encouraging writers to process and find meaning from a difficult life circumstance, to let it go, and to create a new story for their lives. More ... From The Imagine Project Swords into ploughshares In an event organised by Bonny Downs Baptist Church in East London, 800 Londoners joined forces to chant ‘no to violence’ and melt down knives seized from London’s streets to make new garden tools and sculpture for display in a community garden. More ... From an article by Red Letter Christians UK Prayer evangelism - 1 The team walked the school area weekly, inviting the Lord’s presence. Soon, the shootings stopped and the barriers were removed. The Christian club grew from 4 students to 70... More ... From an article by Transform Our World Childlike faith… in business?  How does being childlike work out in the context of work? Being childlike in a business environment is surely exactly what we don’t want to be? Being childlike, worry free and totally dependent on someone bigger and stronger than yourself. More ... From a blog by Heaven In Business What makes your neighbourhood work?  Finding and mobilizing a neighbourhood’s assets. An overview of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) and its four essential elements. More ... From information by ABCD Purple Shoots A not-for-profit microfinance organisation, set up to tackle unemployment and economic problems in communities. Helps people on benefits or a low income to start their own businesses, lending to people who are excluded by the traditional lenders. More ... From an article by BusinessNews Wales 9 useful apps for people who are deaf or have hearing loss  In the last five years, advances in automatic speech recognition have opened up communication options for people who have hearing loss. Here are some of the latest tech options available. More ... From a blog by AbilityNet 4 million micro churches planted in less than 30 years "We're having over a million baptisms reported, and around 150,000 simple churches started every year. And that's starting from a house church on our back porch. These churches are having babies. The longest I know, of since March 2013, is 38 generations. More ... From a podcast by 100 Movements Can being in nature speed up healing? At Oslo University Hospital, sick kids aren’t confined to bed. They fish, chop wood, shoot arrows and paint pictures, all in a woodland cabin 650 feet from the building. More ... From various articles One in five Britons have nobody to open up to about problems  Men are more likely than women to feel they don’t have someone they can confide in: a quarter (24%) say they have no one to turn to, compared to 17% of women. More ... From an article by YouGov Opening Doors - creating a trauma informed workforce A video to open discussion on knowing how to adapt the way companies work to make a positive difference to people affected by trauma and adversity. Trauma is everybody’s business. More ... From a video by NHS Scotland Friendship "Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit”. With true friendship, friends love each other for their own sake, and they wish good things for each other. Other forms of friendship are based on either utility or pleasure. More ... From a blog by Public Discourse Community fridges More than 50 Community Fridges have popped up across the UK helping thousands connect to their communities, access nutritious food, save money and reduce waste. More ... Geoff Knott More than eight in ten men in prison suffered childhood adversity  Children who experience ACEs are more likely to adopt health-harming and anti-social behaviours as adults, are at much greater risk of poor health throughout life, and may have greater needs for support from healthcare and other public services. More ... From an article by Public Health Wales Ethics and artificial intelligence  AI systems learn by looking at data from millions of examples. It is difficult to predict how they’ll behave in new scenarios outside these examples. How can we get artificial intelligence systems to behave ethically? More ... From an article on Digital Insurance Thought for the day Kelly Stewart is an employee at Taco Bell in Camillus, New York. She always tries to include an extra serving of inspiration with her customer orders by taking the time to write inspiring quotes and encouraging anecdotes on the back of customer receipts. More ... From an article by Good News Network Bible-based trauma healing Trauma is part of the human experience in the broken world. How do people recover from trauma? Can the Bible help? What can the Church do? The Healing the Wounds of Trauma model can be used in any context. More ... From resources from the Trauma Healing Institute Recipes rebuilding lives  What started as a pilot in a home, has now developed into a charity with chefs who are refugees from all corners of the globe facilitating cookery classes for thousands of participants. More ... From a blog by Migrateful How to deal with debt - a 3-step guide  A new guide which uses behavioural insight techniques and has gone through extensive user-testing to maximise the chances of people using it taking the steps they need to deal with their debts. More ... A resource from The Money Advice Trust The Little Book of Adverse Childhood Experiences  Over half of the people you will meet today have lived with and been affected by ACEs. How would it alter the way you interact with them and your expectations of them, if you saw them through this lens? More ... Geoff Knott Reducing the cost of the school day for disadvantaged families A project aimed at reducing the disadvantage poorer families experience in meeting the cost of the school day has seen high levels of participation from children, their families, parent council members and school staff. More ... From an article from PB Scotland Identity Dwyane Wade is a US, 13-time All-Star basketball player who has just retired. His success belies his upbringing. To celebrate his final season, he has been swapping jerseys with NBA legends. Before he said goodbye, he was presented with 5 more. More ... Geoff Knott Pitching the Bible to the online generation For 2,000 years, the Bible has been communicated in reimagined ways to reach new audiences. Today's pioneers are making the Bible more accessible and attractive to those shaped by a world of visual content. More ... Geoff Knott The Ice Academy A programme from Ben and Jerry's to support people who have refugee status get back into business and remove barriers they face entering the job market. More ... Geoff Knott Places where younger and older people thrive together  Bringing diverse age groups together to fend off loneliness, share skills or talents that can help address a child’s/youth’s needs and vice-versa. More ... From a report by Generations United and The Eisner SENT: grow transformational leaders  SENT is a new small group course from the Evangelical Alliance to help churches equip public leaders in their congregations to be transformational in the workplace. More ... A small group course from the Evangelical Alliance Building the Common Good The Here: Now: Us People Common Good Training Workshop is a one-day introduction to the Common Good, designed to empower and equip people from across the Christian traditions to help strengthen civil society and build community. More ... From a resource from Together for the Common Good How compassion can triumph over toxic childhood trauma   Supportive relationships are a key ingredient for change. Support from friends, family, spouses or neighbours or involvement in community can boost the quality and security of life for people. More ... From an article by The Conversation Estates evangelism In February 2019, the Bishop of Burnley, Philip North, spoke on a motion to have a church community on every significant social housing estate in the nation. More ... From the Synod address by Bishop Philip North UK employers' guide to hiring refugees Hiring refugees is an impactful way for companies to drive their business forward while addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time - the global refugee crisis. More ... A guide published by Breaking Barriers and Tent Transforming Poverty - small group course Six sessions for churches and house groups using the film 'I, Daniel Blake' to engage with God’s heart for poverty in your community. More ... A course from Church Action on Poverty God is there and enough Sonny Vu and Christy Trang Le, co-founders of Misfit Wearables, have had their faith tested as entrepreneurs. But relying on their faith, they helped build up a company founded on servant leadership. More ... From a video by Faith & Co Denver Day Works Pays homeless residents to perform public service work for the city. More than 300 people have participated, and 145 found permanent employment. More ... Geoff Knott Vroom - boosting a child's learning An app for parents and educators containing over 1,000 brain-building interactions you can do with your children. More ... Geoff Knott Supporting young carers: a guide  There are around 700,000 young carers in the UK. 80% miss out on childhood experiences, as they need to spend time caring for family or friends. A guide as to how you can help them. More ... From an article by High Speed Training Dad - a girl’s first and most influential love  Evidence demonstrating the remarkable potential of the father-daughter relationship and the disastrous consequences for all when it is ignored. More ... From a blog by the Institute of Family Studies The feeling of “charity” turns into spontaneous, personal solidarity  You meet refugees who are mums, dads, students, sons, fellow lovers of coffee or old movies… you stop seeing them as refugees and start seeing them as individuals. More ... From an article by NACCOM Rethinking the idea of a company B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. More ... Geoff Knott Ten ways to keep your church focused on evangelism  Evangelism is meant to be a normal part of the life of a church. We need to recognise that this activity is not an occasional set of actions but remains in the DNA of a church’s life. More ... From an article by Great Commission Little forest folk Spending time in nature allows for a deep connection to the natural world and exposure to a learning environment full of imagination, challenge, inspiration, awe and wonder. Why and how to use forests instead of classrooms for learning environments. More ... From a video on TED-Ed Neighbourhood soup  Why not hold the occasional micro-granting event to help highlight and fund local projects in your community? A collaboration, a meal together, a platform for connection, a safe space, community helping fund its own people and a forum. More ... Geoff Knott Childhood trauma could affect the next generation  For every type of “adverse childhood event” (ACE) a parent went through, their children had 19% higher odds of poorer health and 17% higher odds of having asthma. More ... From an article by Quartz Giving a homeless person a chance In the summer of 2017, some roofing contractors in north London spotted a homeless man sleeping on a bench close to their latest job. The man asked if they might need some help with their roofing job one morning.. More ... Geoff Knott Lean Impact - 2 Helping us figure out how to adapt best practises of innovation to the realm of social good. A lot of challenges have answers that are not clear and need different approaches that emphasise the speed of learning - what innovation is all about. More ... From a talk by Ann Mei Chang The power of prayer for families A practice that is beneficial to individual and family well-being. Strengthens marriages, unites family members, and boosts adolescent decision-making and health. More ... From a blog by Institute for Family Studies Lean Impact - 1 Helping us figure out how to adapt best practises of innovation to the realm of social good. A lot of challenges have answers that are not clear and need different approaches that emphasise the speed of learning - what innovation is all about. More ... From a talk by Ann Mei Chang Roving listening Spending time with the neighbours in community, not to gauge their needs but to understand the talents. Hundreds of people now pass under the church's roof each week. More ... From an article by Ministry with the Poor Ways to reduce compulsive spending   An update on a trial of an online tool which provided people with the ability to close online shops at times of their choosing and limit temptation to spend. Some good recommendations. More ... From an article by Money and Mental Health Insights into cultural renewal Everything Conference report - example after example of Christians who are very clearly renewing the cultures they find themselves in, and doing so in effective, winsome and undeniably Christ like ways. More ... From a blog by Jonny Mellor Sputnik - a network of Repositioning the Church to reach the lost It's easier to attend a church that gathers lost people than become a people who alter communities. Yet God is not sending lost people into church; He sends the Church out into the world. More ... From Scattered Servants by Alan Scott Preaching to middle-class can hurt the poor A good deal of the sermon applications are aimed at the middle class and this can be especially damaging for Christians who come from lower-income situations. Some nuggets. More ... From a series of tweets by Timothy Isaiah Cho @tis The value of real-world learning experiences Real-world learning experiences, like summer camps, can significantly improve children’s knowledge in a matter of just days, a new study suggests. More ... From an article by Ohio State University The 99 best things that happened in 2018 Reading the media can be very depressing - it does not give a holistic view of what is happening in the world - and some great things happened in 2018. More ... From a blog by Angus Hervey, Future Crunch A behavioural bank A new digital-only bank aims to address financial risk by incenting five controllable behaviours - not spending more than we earn, not saving regularly, not having insurance in place, not paying off property and not investing for the long term. More ... Geoff Knott First Star Academy Placing young people who are in care into academies on university campuses to support, inspire and belong. The results are startling – over 90% who attend in the USA go on to study at university versus national average of 3%. More ... Geoff Knott Hidden in plain sight How one church found abundance in a community of material poverty. Viewing people - not programmes, finances, etc - as their most valuable resource moved church members beyond their own walls and out into the streets, where they discovered.. More ... Executive Toolbox Executive Toolbox run by LICC is a programme for Christian workplace leaders, which is uniquely structured to help you have a significant impact on the way you work, the people you work with and the organisations you work in. More ... A Bigger Difference:  Social Action and Church Growth in Liverpool  A report about Christians in the Diocese of Liverpool who are undertaking social action, enabling more people to know Jesus and pursuing more justice in the world. More ... From a report by Church Army Modular housing Products that could be used in small sites locally for rapid housing development. Quality housing, manufactured offsite to minimise on site disruption, whilst keeping the price well below the market average. More ... Geoff Knott Mental Health Access Pack A partnership of three organisations - Livability, The Mind and Soul Foundation and Premier Life - has recently completely updated a free resource pack about mental health. More ... Mental Health Access Pack Realising the potential of early intervention  Early intervention is as pertinent to societal concerns today as it ever was. A report by the Early Intervention Foundation gives some insights into the latest state of play. More ... From a report by Early Intervention Foundation God's healing for businesses Can the activities of businesses be affected by spiritual factors just as individuals are? Are there spiritual issues in your company that should be addressed and change brought to those areas? More ... From a book by David Shadbolt The friendship bench Zimbabwe has been pioneering a groundbreaking mental health programme with stunning results. It uses public benches and a team of grandmothers to tackle depression. More ... From an article by the BBC One school’s story of building resilience  Steps that staff have been taking as they work to put relationships and well-being at the heart of every single learning opportunity they offer to the 500 children in their care. More ... From a video by ACE-Aware Scotland Online suicide prevention training Free 20 minute training on how to recognise the warning signs and safeguard someone that could be contemplating suicide. More ... From an article by the Zero Suicide Alliance Divorce rate falls by 28% after relationship education programme Can we scale up Relationship Education services to saturate a community? Could Relationship Education make a larger impact than for just a few couples? More ... From a blog by The Institute of Family Studies The Church and estates If we’re serious about the renewal of Christian life in our nation we need to do what Jesus did. It’s in the edges amongst the marginalised that renewal will come. More ... From video by the Church of England A stepping stone between renting and owning Launching in early 2019, we will see an innovative approach called Unmortgage which will help people progress towards home ownership as they rent. More ... Geoff Knott The effect of 'community' on health The death rate from all causes was 30% lower than expected. There was no suicide, no alcoholism, no drug addiction. People were dying of old age - that’s all. More ... From Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell In our efforts to protect, are we increasing children's anxiety? To become a confident, competent adult, should children go outside more, make their own mistakes and figure things out? Putting children in control helps them learn to solve problems, and cope better in new environments. More ... Geoff Knott Pathways out of destitution Stories of destitute asylum seekers and organisations and people helping them. "Over the course of the first week that someone stays with you the person literally transforms." More ... From a video by NACCOM Focusing on the 1% "We've got employees that have a label of 'ex-offender' but here they're producing product rated in the top 1% of coffees. We're doing that so that the quality of their work will change the perception of the public." More ... Geoff Knott Marriage preparation paradoxes Current promoted behaviours that are meant to deliver later marital quality and stability produce the opposite of what they intend. More ... From an article by the Institute for Family Studie Cooking on a bootstrap Simple recipes carefully costed for people to cook at home and incorporate more veg and plant-based foods on a budget. More ... Geoff Knott What to say to parents of a child with cancer It can be hard to know what to say, what to do or how to be a friend. Tips on what to say to avoid difficult social situations and how to practically help the people close to you. More ... From an article by Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Refugee football Each week on a Thursday night 7-8pm at a local Leisure Centre, Emmanuel Church volunteers gather up to 25 teenagers from almost as many different countries to play football. More ... From an article by Emmanuel Church Oxford 3D printed low-cost housing  Housing non-profit New Story and construction tech firm Icon debuted a 3D printed home for a project focused on providing low cost homes to house the homeless. More ... From an article by ICON/New Story The Heckman Equation Early nurturing, learning experiences and physical health from ages 0-5 greatly impact success or failure in society. The best time to develop skills, social abilities is in the very early years when developmental support is most effective. More ... From research by Professor James Heckman Creating a full circle solution to homelessness  The Social Bite Village will create an innovative, low cost, safe living environment for up to 20 people for around 12 -18 months. During this time the residents will receive extensive support. More ... Geoff Knott Give managers basic training in mental health  Training managers to help care for employees' mental health would turn a contributing factor of mental illness—the workplace—into a protective one. More ... From a blog by Quartz Life in 6 words Jason "Propaganda" Petty, a rap artist reflects on Life in 6 words - that spell G.O.S.P.E.L. More ... From a video by Dare2Share Teenage mental health and family life It should be fairly self-evident that the main way we cope with life depends in large part on the security we get from what is going on at home. Research shows two key factors.. More ... From an article by the Marriage Foundation why on earth...?  A lively collection of sessions that opens up some of life’s hardest questions in an accessible way. Each session offers simple first steps in exploring a difficult subject. More ... Resources from Church Army and SPCK The spirituality of professional skills and business   Of Jesus’ 132 public appearances, 122 were in the marketplace. Of 52 parables Jesus told, 45 had a workplace context. Jesus spent his adult life as a carpenter until age 30 before he went into a preaching ministry in the workplace. More ... From an article by Business as Mission Detached youthwork - threats and opportunities SU suggests the Church only reaches 5% of young people in UK. Why not try detached youthwork? Here's 10 aspects of detached youthwork that could be viewed either as threats to or opportunities for the Church. More ... From a blog by Learning from the Streets 'Just Breathe' A film made after a 5-year-old talked with his friend about learning how emotions affect different parts of the brain, and how to calm down by taking deep breaths. More ... From a video by Wavecrest Films Hey Papa, got a minute?  “If Papa had a physical office in our company, how many decisions would you make without Him and what decisions would you consult Him on?" More ... From a blog by Co-Labor Ministries Raising aspirations Why are positive role models considered powerful? An experiment in Uganda goes some way towards answering this question. More ... From an article by the World Bank The effects of pro-family policies in Hungary  "Hungary's ever increasing support for families by the government is creating an environment where marriages and families are flourishing and abortion numbers are dropping" More ... From an article by LifeSite News Where can I get a bag like that? Saddleback Leather is a business that supports ministry/missions, but also has a mission all its own — loving people, especially customers and employees. More ... From a video by Faith and Co Shelter design can help people recover from homelessness   The interior design of homeless shelters or transitional accommodation can either support or hinder people’s ability to assert control over their future and their self-esteem. More ... Geoff Knott Luminary Bakery plans next steps Luminary is a social enterprise designed to offer opportunities for women to build a future for themselves. They use baking as a tool to take women on a journey to employability and entrepreneurship, equipping them with transferrable skills. More ... Geoff Knott Employment reduces re-offending but not just any job  Individuals are less likely to reoffend if they happen to be released at a time when the local low-skilled labour market is strong and when well-paying entry-level jobs are available. More ... From an article by Econofact Micro-society schools  With MicroSociety, school is society, a thriving, modern-day, mini-metropolis—complete with a government centre, entrepreneurial hub, non-profit organizations, consumer marketplace and community gathering spaces. More ... Geoff Knott How come you guys don't give up on us? There is something very persistent and consistent about the activity of a Christian community, committed to serve and committed to remain. More ... From an article by The Journal of Missional Practi Connecting talented young refugees with business leaders  Embark is a reverse mentoring scheme that connects Turkish business leaders with young Syrians to exchange ideas, develops understanding and builds meaningful connections. More ... From a video by Unilever Stories of resilience  Over the past 18 months, some charities in Scotland working in partnership with churches have been running a remarkable campaign to help make Scotland the first Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Aware nation in the world. More ... Geoff Knott What is your vocation? Remember when you were a child, and everyone always asked you "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Now that you are an adult, does that question seem easier, or harder, to answer? More ... From a video by Kuneo Worship Gathering Lessons learned in an estate context Estate ministry is like no other that I've experienced. It is attritional and costly, you need endurance and a wide ranging set of skills, especially adaptability. More ... From a series of tweets by Ray Driscoll Illuminate your city Illuminate is a mission to young people in the UK and beyond. They do this nationwide, through music, mainstream presence, schools tours, using music to connect with young people and effective follow up. More ... From an article by Illuminate Monastery 2.0 In the past, some monasteries, communities of Christians, have focused on interacting with local communities to provide services, supporting themselves through work. What would that look like today? An example. More ... From a film by Seattle Pacific University Behind on the basics   For some people, just keeping up with basic household costs can be a real struggle. In 2017, 140,000 people who received debt advice from StepChange were behind on at least one of their essential household bills. More ... From a report by StepChange A gratitude journal "After one year of keeping a gratitude journal, I took the time to total up all the mentions..... " Who and what were the top mentions? More ... From an article from The Wisdom Project Breaking the silence on child abuse Nobody really knows how many adults were abused as children, either sexually, physically or emotionally. The devastating long-term impact of child abuse is only beginning to be widely understood. More ... From a guest blog by Tony Thompson Being a witness for God in the marketplace "We're always on display and I think that's the way God intended it. So many times whenever we interact with people, people are watching us." More ... From a video by Workmatters Why Rev. Chad Varah started The Samaritans  The Samaritans in the UK now have have 21,200 volunteers, 201 branches and receive around 5,100,000 calls for help per year. But how did it start? More ... From an article by The Samaritans Fair pay for fair work  A look at executive compensation by St Pauls Institute. Companies need to balance justice and self-interest in a way that society perceives as fair and supporting the common good. More ... From a report by St Pauls Institute Are you a gardener or a carpenter? Caring deeply about our children is part of what makes us human. Do we shape them like a carpenter or create a protected and nurturing space for them to flourish as in a garden? More ... From a book review of The Gardener and the Carpent Lausanne Global Classroom: Wealth Creation  Highlights the importance of wealth creation for global Christianity and the church in order to inspire young leaders, established leaders, churches, organizations, and individuals. More ... Geoff Knott Navigating the asylum system The Refugee Resource Centre for Churches (R2C2) was set up at the request of many Christian groups working with refugees in Britain, bringing together the expertise and experience of those involved in this vital work. More ... From and article by R2C2 Fostering meaningful romantic relationships  Dating takes social courage and we need to teach our young people the virtue of social courage. More ... From a blog by Institute of Family Studies You won't save places you don't love The homes, the classroom, the workplace or the marketplace can become sanctuaries as we learn how to love those places and all who share them with us. More ... From a video at a Faith@Work event How to be a resilient parent  Numerous researchers have concluded that how parents respond to stressors is much more important than the stressor itself in determining the outcomes for themselves and their children. More ... From a study by Center of the Study of Social Poli Financing a house  If you are a church or a church worker, finding finance is daunting but there could be help.. More ... From an article by Kingdom Bank Joy and disappointment in mission  We tend to share about positive responses to outreach but we don't hear about the disappointments. What happened when a Mission Community in Sheffield got out onto the streets to share the love of Jesus. More ... From a blog by Fresh Expressions Beauty out of brokenness "There's hope in broken people. There's beauty in broken things. That's not just what happened to us but what also God wanted to do through us - bring hope, expose beauty." More ... From a film by Seattle Pacific University Grieving  Grief is escorting up an even deeper feeling, a truth about your life, what you value and what you need. More ... From a blog by Thrive Global Six things about resilience and wellbeing  Lessons learned in improving resilience and emotional wellbeing in answer to the question, "Could life be more than just a struggle to keep my head above water?". More ... From a blog by Mind and Soul Foundation Grace Enterprises  A network of businesses, big and small, aiming to provide meaningful employment opportunities for a whole range of people who might otherwise struggle to find work. More ... Geoff Knott ReThink  In the West, the church is less and less effective at reaching a changing world but many in the church continue to believe the church maintains a central role in the life of culture. Time to ReThink. More ... From an e-book by Send Institute The benefits of admitting that you don't know  How much is intellectual humility associated with learning outcomes? More ... From a blog by Behavioral Scientist Being truly present with our families  Constitutive of a happy and satisfied life is living in the presence of those we love. Consistently. More ... From a blog by Bacon from Acorns Bringing Jesus to work  If you use the gifts He has given you to serve others and declare Him as the ultimate source of your motivation, you have a platform to speak about the saviour who calls us. More ... From an article by the Evangelical Alliance 9 key findings on impact of volunteering on volunteers  The impact of volunteering across four main areas: mental health and wellbeing, physical health, social connections, and employability and skills. More ... From a blog by NCVO Empathy not Sympathy   Empathy binds us together. Sympathy divides us and turns us into consumers. More ... From a blog by Nuture Development Unilever/DFID Transform programme  Calling on social enterprises in developing countries to apply to TRANSFORM, so they can help scale up their bold ideas. More ... From a blog by Unilever The value to a family of reading Reading aloud has been found to be significantly beneficial to both children and their parents. More ... From an article by CNN Culture Makers  A call to Christians not to forget the rest of life and ask the question: ‘What should I be doing in my world to bring God’s redemptive love and power into it?’ More ... Geoff Knott What do I use today to make a difference for Christ?  The Mayor recently became a believer, and exclaimed, “Every town should have a Father’s House!” She advocates a video about the transformation of the city. More ... From an article by Transform Our World Becoming a trauma sensitive school  Beacon House have a great list of resources on their website as recommended to them by teachers, parents and mental health professionals. More ... Geoff Knott Transforming lives of resettled refugees through entrepreneurship  How can we best help them start afresh? We can offer refugees the opportunity and the means to shape their own through entrepreneurship. More ... From a report by The Centre for Entrepreneurs For the last, for the least, for the lost A church began to attract people who through illness, poverty and disability were on the margins of society. The church grew and changed through this new life. More ... Geoff Knott What MPs say are best ways to lobby  Charities face the constant challenge of how to best use funds to get their message heard by politicians. Which approach is best? More ... From a blog by nfpSynergy Fostering empathy in children  It’s easy to ask children of any age to apologise, and preparing children to understand why apologies matter is a crucial part of their development. More ... From a blog by Famly Speak life to your surroundings  The Police Chief recently reported that ‘We are one of the few cities in where crime has gone down instead of up!’ More ... From an article by Transform Our World What George Mueller can teach us about prayer  He often struggled to get into the spirit of prayer - to really feel like praying. Until, that is, he made one slight alteration in his method. More ... From an article on Crossway The Church of the Table  Every day, anybody who wishes to join for lunch can knock at our door. It is a “family table”, everyone is asked to help in some task, like in every family. More ... From a blog by Together for the Common Good Year Here  A year to test and build solutions to some of society's toughest problems. More ... Geoff Knott Children’s well-being and social relationships, UK: 2018  Children’s well-being is an important part of the nation’s well-being. Childhood sets the foundation for a well-functioning and healthy adulthood. More ... From an article by ONS A ministry of loitering  Jesus was hanging around healing pools, busy street intersections, and wells and revealed to those around him their sacred worth. More ... From a blog by Fresh Expressions USA Freed from Shame  Real-life stories from Christians struggling with various mental health issues and suggestions for churches and individuals supporting people. More ... From a blog by Dawn Holmes Going against the current  "You don't drift toward holiness because the currents that we live in are all drifting toward the values of a broken world, the easy path, a lukewarmness that Jesus spat out." More ... Froma vlog by WorkMatters No Questions Asked  Youthscape study discovers a profound lack of questioning around God, faith and religion among the young people they spoke to. More ... From a report by Youthscape Prayer signs  Barry Schoder broke the Lord's Prayer down, part by part, posting it onto ten red and white signs that could be read progressively as one drove down the main avenue of his town.. More ... From a blog by Transform our World Participatory Budgeting - an example  The Government of Ontario recently requested ideas from the public to help problems in one of 5 focus areas. These ideas were shortlisted and voted on by the public. The Government will now spend CAN$5M on 5 of them. More ... Geoff Knott Spear The Spear programme helps 16-24-year-olds,who are not in education, employment or training, into work or training in partnership with employers. More ... Geoff Knott Empty-handed ministers - 2 Are You a Good Neighbour? is an online course designed to help you apply the principles of helping without hurting in everyday life—and take the first steps toward building personal relationships with people in poverty. More ... Geoff Knott The Barber helping men with dementia  Lenny takes his pop-up barbershop to dementia care homes, providing a much-needed service to the men who reside there. But Lenny does more than cut their hair.. More ... From a video by BBC3 Marriage is best for long-term happiness  Those who marry are more satisfied than those who remain single. The benefits of marriage persist in the long-term. Marriage seems to be most important in middle age. Those who are best friends with their partners have the largest well-being benefits. More ... From an article in the Journal of Happiness Studie The effect of a dog in school  A comfort dog is a counselling support. They possess the two most important qualities of an effective social worker or counsellor--unconditional acceptance and warmth. More ... Geoff Knott Recovery space  Policy recommendations to ensure that people receiving medical support for a mental health crisis are protected from financial harm, and given space to recover More ... From a report by the Money and Mental Health Polic Empty-handed ministers - 1  In stripping your team of their basic resources, Jesus is forcing you to rely completely on the local resources of those you visit due to your posture of dependence. More ... From a blog by Fresh Expressions USA Compassionate Communities A “compassionate community” scheme in Frome aimed at tackling loneliness and associated ill health has helped cut emergency hospital admissions by 17%. More ... From an article in Resurgence magazine Discerning God in the local economy  A ‘Retreat on the Street’ practice leads to an unexpected approach from some local businesses. More ... From an article in Journal of Missional Practice Community mothers  How do you reach migrant families that stretched social services do not have time to relate to? Berlin trains unemployed mothers that are long-established in Germany but are themselves from immigrant backgrounds. More ... From a blog by Apolitical Trust in the Church  The Charity Awareness Monitor includes a regular module on trust in public bodies and institutions. How is the Church perceived? More ... From a report by nfpSynergy Invisible Walls Wales  Results of an initiative focused on supporting prisoners in maintaining strong bonds with their families, particularly their children and partners More ... From a blog by Lemos&Crane U-Turn - a sustainable way to address the needs of the homeless  A pathway out of homelessness which engages the community, links with specialist support services, develops life skills and gets people into employment whilst generating income from social enterprise. More ... Geoff Knott Relationship red flags  Six warning signs that indicate a relationship is in trouble and that are particularly important to root out before they do permanent damage. More ... From a blog by The Institute of Family Studies How can Christians effectively speak out through local and national media?  The top ten tips based on advice given by journalists and those who engage with the media. More ... From a blog by the Public Leader Time to Change Around 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem this year yet the shame and silence can be as bad as the mental health problem itself. More ... Geoff Knott Who have we helped today?  The practice of generosity. Watch this inspiring short video. More ... An advert by a mobile phone company 2018 Modern Families Index  A significant proportion of UK’s working parents are struggling to cope with long work hours – and stalling and downshifting their careers for family life. More ... From a report by Working Families and Bright Horiz Anglican church-based social action  Responding to social issues and building community. Report on Church in Action 2017: A National Survey of Church Based Social Action. More ... From a report by Church Urban Fund Insights into poverty and inequality - 4  Since the early 1990s, inequality, as shown by the Gini coefficient, has stayed relatively level. In other words, although there is inequality there has not been a large increase in recent years. More ... Geoff Knott Bullying insights Early childhood settings provide an opportunity for educators to effectively prevent and stop the emergence of bullying behaviour and to foster the development of positive social interactions. More ... From a report by PromotePrevent Community-led housing - policy and case studies  Why and how Councils are enabling and supporting community-led housing (CLH), together with case studies. More ... From a report by The Commission on Community-Led H Insights into poverty and inequality - 3 Pay is not a strong satisfier but an employees’ perceived lack of pay or unfairly administered pay is a serious dissatisfier. More ... Geoff Knott Lifting spirits of those with dementia  While music is known for lifting moods, rising evidence shows profound responses when favourite tunes are played to those with dementia. More ... Geoff Knott Yondr - helping to live phone-free  The effect on school campuses has been dramatic; increased attention, more socialising, better grades and lower number of discipline issues. More ... Geoff Knott Global Alliance for Banking on Values  A network of banks, credit unions, microfinance institutions, etc from around the world committed to advancing positive change in the banking sector and society More ... Geoff Knott Why beauty matters  “At every level of the human experience, we are looking for the beautiful, something that gives priority to our souls, not just our physical needs.” More ... From a TED talk Insights into poverty and inequality - 2 What measures give a better indication of poverty and help focus attention on areas needing improvement as well as showing us what is working well? More ... Geoff Knott When you feel like you don't fit in because of your faith  We know how to make our faith deeply personal. But we struggle to make it massively public. At times, we feel like we don’t really belong or fit in with our surroundings. How do we navigate this difficult tension? More ... From a blog by Workmatters Children’s or Youth Work Apprenticeships  An option for children and youth workers? The Government part-fund costs and the apprentice must receive training towards vocational qualifications. More ... Insights into poverty and inequality - 1 The amount of money you have is not the main determinant of well-being; what matters is how you feel about it. People who feel relatively poor have behaviours which lead to poverty. More ... From an article in the New Yorker magazine Supporting those serving on the margins  A report exploring how churches can support and equip their members whose work or ministry with those ‘on the margins’ takes place primarily outside of church walls. More ... From a report by The Centre of Theology and Commun Reasons to prioritise Early Years Early Years development is at the heart of social mobility. The reasons underscore the importance of focusing on ideas and interventions that can impact child outcomes as soon as possible. More ... From a blog by Nesta Neighbourhood economics  Why do we need to wait for government or authorities to steer money to local projects? Here's some ideas about getting the local community involved in action and funding. More ... Geoff Knott Mission with young adults  Not as difficult as you think. Research on successful, unsuccessful, and unproven mission with young adults (aged 18 to 30) in various church groups. More ... From research by Church Army Pressed for time?  Is time scarcity because people simply have less free time today? There is little evidence for this. Instead, it may come from a surprising culprit.. More ... From a blog by Behavioural Scientist Window of tolerance  An insightful video by Beacon House which explains how a child with many adverse childhood experiences swings from fight/flight to freeze/collapse; and what adults can do to help More ... A video from Beacon House Beyond CSR - personal social responsibility  With the PSR model, employees drive their own social good footprint and the employer follows their lead. More ... Geoff Knott The 99 best things that happened in 2017  An incredible year for global health. Stunning victories for global conservation. Rising living standards for billions of people. An amazing year for clean energy. Breakthroughs in justice. The world got less violent. Hope for a living planet. More ... From a blog by Angus Hervey Lifting the Lid  Livability has launched a new, free church Bible study resource regarding mental health. ‘Lifting the Lid’ helps churches engage with the mental health challenges faced by those in their communities. More ... From a blog by Livability 2017 - breakthrough year for renewable energy 9 milestones seen for renewable energy in 2017. Cost, capacity, phasing out of old ways. More ... With thanks to Bulb Energy Can kindness be taught?  Teaching kindness really does make a difference. Better behaviour, discipline rates down, inclusiveness up, grades up, student conflicts down, teacher-student relationship stronger. More ... Geoff Knott Emergency Use Only: Update 2017   Foodbank use update - what more had been learned, what initiatives were working locally, what policies had been changed and what still needs to be done. More ... From a report by CPAG Don't let facts get in the way People have a tendency to seek information that confirms their existing beliefs. Providing people with accurate information doesn’t seem to help; they simply discount it. More ... Geoff Knott Local Pantry social franchise launched  Churches and organisations across the UK can now get tools and support to set up a 'Local Pantry' community food store. More ... The power of touch Touch sends a powerful message – it can do and say much more than words ever could. More ... Geoff Knott What happens when we can't use our phones? When we can’t access our devices, we learn what they provide for us and our social life. More ... Geoff Knott Where is the UK Church going?  Latest research into UK Church trends. An overview of church life in the UK covering individual years between 2012-2017 and a forecast to 2022. More ... From UK Church Stats 2018 Three changes for 2018  Relatively easy changes that businesses can make in 2018 that help people either avoid poverty or help them get out of poverty. More ... Alike  The example we set for our children - how we choose to lead our lives - is much, much more important than what we say. More ... From a video by Daniel Lara and Rafa Mendes Interdependence Individualism says that it is someone else’s job to make the world better, and it’s my job to put some coins in their bucket. Interdependence says that it’s my job to make the world better. More ... From a blog by James Perry A life of impossibilities We desire for transformation to come to those around us and the places we occupy. But what role do we really play in those results? How does God’s power intersect with our passion? More ... From a talk by Banning Liebscher, founder of Jesus Food security and jobs for unemployed  On the rooftops of the tall buildings in Johannesburg, a green revolution is happening - an initiative to create urban gardening businesses on vacant roofs aimed at creating jobs for the unemployed whilst at the same time providing food. More ... From a report by the Thomson Reuters Foundation Parents now spend twice as much time with their children as 50 years ago  With the exception of France, parents these days spend a lot more time with their offspring - especially fathers. Britain is one of the leading countries. More ... From an article in the Economist Presence is better than presents  A recent study suggests that small acts of kindness, not grand overtures, make people feel most loved and supported. More ... From a study in the Journal of Social and Personal The Church and the World Christians around the world today find themselves in very different contexts than they did 40 years ago - need to think differently about the people among whom they live and work. More ... From a report by Lausanne Movement #Balanceitup  Practical action for employers minded by the common good to help address the widening gap between top earners and lowest paid workers. More ... Geoff Knott What makes families resilient?  Children who know a lot about their family tend to be more resilient and therefore have better chances for good outcomes when faced with challenges. More ... From research by Dr Marshall Duke In Too Deep: an investigation into debt and relationships  Struggling with problem debt can lead to relationship distress, increased conflict, decreased positive communication, mistrust and relationship breakdown. More ... From a report by Relate The banquet  There was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, ‘Come on in; the food’s on the table.’ More ... A mural by Hyatt Moore Today's leaders need to commit to a purpose  Paul Polman, the CEO of Unilever, talks about his personal mission to be a force for good instead of just making a profit. More ... From an article on Forbes Family breakdown - a major influence on teen mental health  More than a third of children whose parents had split up reported poor mental health, compared to only a fifth with parents who were still together. More ... From a report by The Marriage Foundation If you give a little love  Little acts of kindness multiply... More ... Geoff Knott Society's excluded people ten times more likely to die early  Research highlights the extreme rates of death and disease faced by excluded people and lays out clear evidence for interventions that can help save lives. More ... From research by Pathway and UCL StART Haringey  A community group In North London aims to build 800 homes on a former hospital site, 75% of which will be genuinely affordable to local residents. More ... From a blog by New Economics Foundation Making the case for new school designs  Our model of schooling is more than 100 years old and has barely changed in that time. 10 questions to help thinking. More ... From a blog by The Innovation Unit City transformation - Liverpool  15 years ago, a prayer group started firstly to meet with the police and pray about the city. They began to release the blessing of God. More ... From a video from the World Prayer Centre How to help homeless people  Church Housing Trust practical step by step guide for churches. Information on helping people at different stages of homelessness. More ... From a booklet by Church Housing Trust Teachers - born to make a difference Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be. More ... From a Tedx talk by Rita Pearson Wealth creation and the Church What is the role of the Church and its leaders in enlightening, educating, equipping, and empowering God’s people for the service of wealth creation? More ... From a report by the Lausanne Movement and BAM Glo Stop the knock  The use of bailiffs to collect council tax and other debts has risen 14% in two years. They should only ever be used as a last resort. More ... From a report by Money Advice Trust Café Church  Two examples of church communities using high street cafés and the relationships that are formed. More ... From material from Church of Scotland and Kahaila Legislating to become trauma-informed Information on policies aimed at reducing trauma and toxic stress and promoting resiliency and trauma-informed practices in institutions. More ... Geoff Knott GB is one of the least religious nations in the world  23% claimed their religion defined them as a person, while 62% agreed that religion did more harm than good More ... From a global survey by Ipsos Mori What bubble have you built around you? People have a bias to hang out with people like themselves and keep separate from others. More ... From a Tedx talk by Jon Yates John Lewis Partnership  The Partnership's ultimate purpose is the happiness of all its members, through their worthwhile and satisfying employment in a successful business. More ... Geoff Knott Bullying Junior  Each year approximately 30% of students worldwide are the target of bullying.  Lives are lost or forever changed. How can we challenge such behaviour? More ... From material by No Bully We need to talk  What's most enjoyable - striking up conversations on a commute or just remaining solitary, alone with your smartphone? More ... From a blog by Behavioural Scientist Generation rising  In an age of globalisation, rapid change and hyper-connectivity, what do aspiring young leaders want the future to look like? More ... From a blog by Common Vision How entrepreneurial is your area?  A report and mapping website which examines performance of small and medium-sized businesses across the UK by local authority. More ... From a report by Nesta and Sage Far beyond the waves  Charlotte and Gavin wait in hope to be parents, but are also aware that it might not happen. They trust God regardless of their disappointments.  More ... From a video by CV A hidden history of women in the East End tour Beyond the Streets have organised a walking tour of London's East End in connection with the East End Women: The Real Story Exhibition to raise awareness of sexual exploitation. More ... From Beyond the Streets Christians in Practice  Research exploring how Christians connect their discipleship to their engagement in communities. Activities, motivation, connections to calling, growth, support. More ... From a report by the Saltley Trust School and community needs as real-world catalysts for learning By using real-world problems as projects for children to solve, a primary school empowers, engages, and excites students. More ... From an article by Edutopia Leading for mutual value  Joe Garner, CEO Nationwide talks on how mutuality in business - an inclusive, self-reliant form of capitalism where people help one another, is more relevant than ever today. More ... From talk by Joe Garner, CEO Nationwide Piggy Bank Friday  An initiative in primary schools with 10-11 year olds to develop financial literacy. At one school. pupils saved over £24,000 in one year. More ... From an article by Edutopia Is the social role of churches invisible?  75% of UK adults cannot name any of the activities that take place inside their local church other than regular services and religious festivals. More ... From research by Ecclesiastical Reducing reoffending by keeping mothers and children together  Diverting women from prison and keeping families together can save money and help break the intergenerational cycle of incarceration. More ... From a blog by Pew Research Will your community be going off-grid?  There's a global shift away from old utility models toward self-reliant, local generation and transmission. More ... Geoff Knott The success sequence  Divergent paths toward adulthood are associated with markedly different economic fortunes among Millennials. More ... From a report by AEI and IFS For the least of these  Jesus calls on us to care for the poor. How do we do that when we live in a modern industrial society? More ... 12 contributors look at Biblical+economic answers Language as a child wellbeing indicator  A report on how language development in early years links to social, emotional and learning outcomes in later years. More ... Early Years Foundation Community-Led Development A look at community involvement in local planning which can then lead to self-build schemes as well as neighbourhood improvement. More ... Geoff Knott Justification and justice are joined at the hip  Tim Keller speaks into possible polarisation between 'justification people' and 'justice people'. More ... From a talk by Tim Keller at QIdeas The dignity of work  Inherent in who we are as humans is the need for a person to contribute to his or her family or neighbourhood or culture in a discernible way. More ... Geoff Knott Completing capitalism  A different way of doing business following research from Mars Inc on 'What is the right level of profit for its business activities?' More ... Geoff Knott Creating a love of reading  Research into role of mothers and fathers - different impact on development? More ... From a blog by the University of Wollongong, NSW, Lessons from churches in deprived areas  Flourishing estate churches are right at the heart of what the gospel means, and if things work on an estate, then they can work anywhere. More ... Geoff Knott Factors which contribute to thriving  Research has identified two lists of key factors, internal and external, that facilitate thriving. More ... From a study by Dr Daniel Brown and others A Therapeutic Treasure Box  A book packed with tools, methods and suggestions that will be indispensable to therapists, parents and anyone working with traumatised kids. More ... Geoff Knott Always with us?   Dr Liz Theoharis issues a strong theological call for ending systemic poverty in her book,  'Always with Us? What Jesus Really Said about the Poor'. More ... From a book by Dr Liz Theoharis Nudging tools for money advisers  A toolkit, which uses behavioural science to better engage and support people with unmanageable debt. More ... Geoff Knott Participatory Budgeting - 2   Four Church of Scotland congregations had £5,000 each to distribute and a total of 28 community projects were funded. More ... Geoff Knott Restorative justice in schools  Restorative justice programmes have had a measurable impact on school behaviour and educational outcomes. More ... Geoff Knott Helping us to be human?  The Light Phone is a very simple, credit card-sized cell phone designed to be used as little as possible. More ... Geoff Knott Insights into community life Results of the 2016-17 Community Life Survey exploring levels of community cohesion and engagement. More ... From research Department of Digital, Culture, Medi How the rich differ from the poor - 2  The poor earn less, not out of incompetency, but because they must allocate mental capacity to problems that are more pressing to them than to the rich. More ... From a blog by Adam Turville Increasing the time parents read to their children  Nudges increased parental engagement, doubling reading time and benefiting children. More ... Geoff Knott Prison entrepreneurship programme  Groundbreaking results among graduates including an under 7% three-year recidivism rate vs national average of nearly 50%. More ... Geoff Knott How the rich differ from the poor - 1 How does the division between the wealthy and the poor affect the social aspects of our society? Are the wealthy truly invested in the poor and do they care? More ... From a blog by Adam Turville The Church as a therapeutic community  Overcoming social isolation is really important to help people recover from addiction. Therapeutic communities are very powerful because of the interactions between people More ... Geoff Knott Becoming a trauma informed environment Research into Adverse Childhood Experiences has meant trauma-informed practices are rising globally in schools, prisons, etc. More ... Geoff Knott How to start your social enterprise  If you are considering starting a social enterprise, there is an updated guide to help you consider all the steps. More ... From a guide by SEUK and NatWest Adult children of divorce speak about their experiences  Not only does the pain of divorce continue into adulthood, but the suffering is not lessened even if the child experienced a 'good divorce'. More ... From a blog by Leila Miller 4 lessons from the longest-running study on happiness  The Harvard Study of Adult Development has tracked the lives of 724 men for 78 years - one of the longest studies of adult life ever done. Some findings.. More ... From a TED talk by psychiatrist Robert J. Waldinge Self-build housing - a win, win, win?  With the housing shortage increasingly acute, groups and LAs around the UK are looking to community self-build as a potential solution. More ... Geoff Knott What do parents hope and fear for their children?  The Parent Report from Spurgeons Childrens Charity looks at parents’ hopes and concerns for their children and where they turn for help. More ... Geoff Knott Improving health and wellbeing through the Arts  Arts therapies have been found to alleviate anxiety, depression and stress while increasing resilience and wellbeing. More ... From a report by the APPG on Arts, Health and Well Living in Limbo - the life of a refused asylum seeker  What is day-to-day life really like for refused asylum seekers? They tell their stories and voice their opinions on the way they are treated. More ... From a report by NICRAS Opportunities and challenges in the debt advice sector  Some highlights from a July 2017 report on research on the debt advice sector commissioned by the Money Advice Service. More ... From a report commissioned by the Money Advice Ser Doing our common business for the love of God  An event called 'Start:Stop' -enabling working people to start their day by stopping to reflect for 10 minutes. More ... From a blog by Jonathan Evens, Priest-in-Charge of Commission on Inequality in Education  As well as factors including location, income, etc., the importance of parental engagement in education was assessed. More ... Geoff Knott 7 steps to become a church of and for the poor  In his talk at New Wine, Philip North, Bishop of Burnley, suggests the answer to Church decline is a straightforward one. It’s because we have forgotten the poor. More ... From a talk by Philip North, Bishop of Burnley at  Participatory Budgeting - 1 Expanding the imagination about democracy could help to focus resources on the projects that are most meaningful to local communities. More ... From an article by Jake Carlson, Participatory Bud NUJ guidelines on reporting poverty  A film emphasises guidelines for journalists to use when reporting poverty. This builds on a pack launched in April 2016 More ... From a pack and a film produced by National Union Reimagining senior school  In the USA, 13 schools in 11 cities are exploring new, innovative ways to engage students and prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow. More ... Geoff Knott Everybody's Business  How do we as Christians approach the whole business of economic development? (Lord) Rowan Williams reflects on ethics and enterprise. More ... From a talk by Rowan Williams Hosting Toolkit - migrants experiencing destitution  A how-to guide helping members of the public provide spare rooms to migrants experiencing destitution. More ... From an announcement by NACCOM A Church for the Poor  A new book presents a vision for and practicalities of becoming a church where people from all sections of society can find a home and play a part. More ... Geoff Knott Working with young women in prison  Young female offenders and ex-offenders in particular are in desperate need of positive role models, new skills, new opportunities and new aspirations. More ... Geoff Knott Transformation Rosario Argentina  In 2011, Barrio Las Flores in Rosario, Argentina, was overrun by battling drug cartels. Then Gregorio Avalos, a Christian, ran for president of the neighbourhood association and won by four votes. More ... From a book Ekklesia by Ed Silvoso Letting go of a megachurch - taking on a new adventure I now want to gather people. Gatherings where they can actually use their gifts. Starting with just leading a small group, maybe I can just start multiplying that, teaching other people to lead and shepherd these groups. More ... From a talk by Francis Chan Counting your blessings improves mental health   Recent evidence suggests if the practice of gratitude is added to counselling, it shows great psychological benefits. More ... From research by Joel Wong and Joshua Brown, India Change the World Course  The Evangelical Alliance have created a 4 week 'Change the World' course for small groups. This course is intended for anyone who is interested in playing a role in transforming society, More ... A small group course from the Evangelical Alliance Learning to Thrive - Beyond Inequality + Poverty  Poverty is simply a symptom of what is going wrong. Rather than fixing what is going wrong, we have to imagine what we would want. More ... From a talk by Barry Wright, Principal, Webb Memor British Social Attitudes Survey 34  Every BSA survey seeks to look beyond the headlines to uncover the deeper attitudes and trends that shape our country. This year is no different. More ... From Key Findings BSA 34 Beacons of light across the nation  At a recent prayer day in Westminster Chapel, Terry Virgo was asked to talk about revival. These are some edited notes of his short talk. More ... From a talk by Terry Virgo at a prayer day July 20 Marketplace vocation How do we labour? Through the practise of vocation - using our gifts and our talents to contribute, to not only the flourishing for our own lives, but for the world around us. More ... From a talk by Greg Thompson and Gabe Lyons Street Play - communities brought together by kids playing in the road  Closing a street for several hours, several times per year so that kids can play in the street and through that neighbours can meet each other. More ... Geoff Knott Summer in the Forest  This poetic film follows the life of the L’Arche community in France, where people have found what it truly means to be human. More ... Geoff Knott Credit Cards - the minimum payment trap  In April 2017 the FCA estimated that there are four million credit card accounts in what they call long-term, persistent debt. More ... Geoff Knott Thank God It's Monday  How do you take a church focused on the few leaders to a church of the many helping people in the marketplace know Jesus? A pastor's story. More ... Geoff Knott Within My/Our Reach - an opportunity to improve relationships  Workshops birthed out of 30 years of research in the field of relationship health given to over 300,000 people. Results; lower divorce rates, better communication skills, reduction in violence. More ... Geoff Knott Healing on the Streets  The story of the church powerfully expressing God’s love in the market place in Husby, Stockholm as they reached out to the lost and hurting on the streets. More ... From a blog by Mark Marx, leader HOTS Global poverty 2 - Poverty Inc.  When a film wins 30 worldwide Film Festival honours and 11+ awards and it's about poverty, we should sit up and take notice. Such a film is Poverty Inc., drawn from over 200 interviews filmed in 20 countries. More ... Geoff Knott Buy Social Corporate Challenge  A Challenge with an aim of getting businesses to spend £1 billion with social enterprises by 2020. Could your company participate? More ... Geoff Knott Dads want to succeed as fathers but parent relationship needs to be strong There is a narrative of absent fathers who had multiple children with different women and abandoned them. However, research on those fathers offers another, more uplifting story. More ... Geoff Knott Global poverty 1 - a test How informed are you about global poverty? Answer 3 multi-choice questions and see how much you know. More ... Geoff Knott Actions speak louder than words  A study shows that the more that people were exposed to faith-based actions, the higher their religiosity and the more certain they were of God’s existence. More ... Geoff Knott What is the purpose of business?  Is it to 'maximise shareholder value' or something else? More ... From a blog by Hugh Whelchel, Executive Director o Voice for the voiceless  What you won’t find in the news each day Is that five hundred babies were aborted in the UK Their silence in death matches our silence in life An inconvenience kept out of sight More ... Geoff Knott The Race  An encouraging and inspiring reminder of the race we are running as portrayed in Hebrews 12v1-3. More ... From a video by Simon Guillebaud Church for the poor - William Booth  William Booth 1829-1912, revivalist, champion of social reform and friend of the poor and downtrodden, speaking on the importance of practical Christian action. More ... A rare recording of William Booth, founder of the A community powered by its own renewable energy  A small town in Austria became a net energy producer—generating more energy from renewables than it uses and this has brought prosperity. More ... Geoff Knott A theology of mental health A theology of mental health is an integrated biopsychosocial one. One that integrates mind, body, spirit, community, and family. More ... From a talk at a CapitalMass event by Rev Will van Calling People of Goodwill  A compact, pocket-sized booklet helping thoughtful Christians of all traditions to explore the common good in the Bible. More ... Geoff Knott UK in top 10 countries in world for social progress The Index of Social Progress measures 160 countries on; Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing and Opportunity. More ... Geoff Knott 10 myths about parenthood and mental health NCT have debunked popular myths and misconceptions about mental health as related to pregnancy and early years parenting. More ... From an article by NCT The largest part of the Church in the UK We have been living through a period of exceptional change and transition in the Church in the UK resulting in a large invisible church. More ... Geoff Knott Top hits playlist God seems to be at work through popular songs that either tap into the desire to worship that is in each of us or show something of God's love for us. More ... Geoff Knott Gen Z: Rethinking Culture  Research on youth culture to help to understand how to connect effectively with today’s young people and share the good news of Jesus. More ... From research by Youth for Christ