Some of us here at SGM Lifewords have read Bishop of Reading Stephen Cottrell’s winsome little book Do Nothing to Change Your Life, and found it quite inspiring, so I was interested to see he has taken on the monster of the consumerist Christmas in his latest book.

Do Nothing - Christmas is Coming is ‘an advent calendar with a difference’, a series of reflections for each day of advent. Christmas is a time of joy, but also a time when “all the conflicting demands and expectations that we experience every day in our dispersed and fragmented lives seem at their worst”, says Cottrell. What we need is to take a deep breath, and gain some perspective. 

The reflections here address topics such as debt, in-laws, Christmas card lists, Santa, all in a low-key, humourous way that will be accessible to both Christians and non-Christians. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that you should really start reading it 25 days before the day, it would make a good Christmas present. Perhaps you could give a copy to friends and family earlier, and read it together through advent. (You can order it here.)

We’re running some advent journeys of our own, of course. After the success of our Advent A-Z last year, the family devotionals by email will run again this year. We’re also hosting an Advent Journey through our Life Changing Words service. For more on both of these, and to take part, visit our Christmas site.

We have a whole range of resources ready to download from our Christmas site, from PowerPoints to printable posters and invites, school assemblies and liturgy. Whatever events you’re planning for your church or community, we’ve got something to inspire you. 

Let us know how you’re planning to re-tell the story where you are. Just leave a comment below to share your best Christmas ideas.

Today is Blog Action Day, which is an effort to get as many bloggers as possible to address the same topic on the same day. In doing so, says the official website, “the blogging community effectively changes the conversation on the web and focuses audiences around the globe on that issue.”

Changing the conversation is something we seek to do at SGM Lifewords too. 21st century life is noisy, and into its maelstrom of news and advertising, scandal and gossip, we exist to speak life words, words of life and of hope. Blog Action Day is based around a similar idea, and we’re pleased to be taking part today.

The theme for the day is poverty. For our contribution I offer the words of Jesus, the ones he used to launch his ministry, as a reminder of God’s concern for the poor:

“The spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.”
Luke 4:18-19

St Peter’s Church in Congleton opened up their building recently as part of a National Heritage Day. To help them understand the symbolism of the architecture, visitors were given copies of Look Around You, SGM Lifewords‘ reflective tour of a church building. The words of the booklet were also re-printed on posters around the building. “People appreciated the meditative walk around the church,” said DCC secretary Pauline Drew, “many thanks for your help and the very attractive way in which the gospel is presented.”

Have you seen our new online ordering system?

It’s been several months in the making, and should make ordering materials from us easier, clearer, and more user-friendly. Have a browse, and let us know what you think!

We often get asked about Halloween resources at this time of year. We don’t have anything in our range about Halloween, because there are plenty of other organisations producing materials on those themes. If you’re looking for resources or are planning to run an alternative event in your church, here are a couple of ideas:

The Church of England has teamed up with The Children’s Society to produce Halloween Choice. Drawing on the legacy of All Saints’ Day, the initiative has launched a National Hero Hunt. Ideas, posters and flyers, and school and church resources are available from the dedicated website at Halloweenchoice.org. 

Another popular alternative to Halloween events is the ‘Light Party’. CPO produce posters and resources for these. You can also register your Light Party with the New Zealand-based Light Party trust, and download resources from their site.

Our new Christmas booklet for this year is Real Christmas, a stylish silver title for adults. Order online, or call us to order now on 020 7730 2155 (UK), and download the matching invites, posters and powerpoints from our Chrismas site.

Thanks to everyone who took part in our little feedback session on Life Changing Words. It’s great to hear your stories of how the Bible’s life words are part of your every day lives. Here is just a small sample of the responses we’ve been receiving: 

“Fantastic. Just the sort of prompt I need to focus the day on God when getting to work in the morning!”

“I love opening my mail and reading the word when I get into work…It is the perfect way to start the working day!”

“Since having to face a progressive neurological disease I have felt out of control and frightened.
God’s Word has given me the strength to go on, and I have found the Bible promises true and extremely helpful. Thank God.”

Don’t forget you can join in the conversation anytime on this blog!

Colin Greene, theologian in residence at SGM Lifewords and co-author of ‘Metavista: Bible, Church and Mission in an age of Imagination‘, was recently interviewed by Paul Fromont. The conversation takes in the place of the Bible, the role of the church, and the nature of mission. All fascinating stuff, and here to read and discuss on the Metavista blog.

If you haven’t read Metavista yet, you can order a copy from Authentic Media or from Amazon.