To increase the size of the pie or share the pie more equally?
a Guest Post by Nigel Branken of Hillbrow, South Africa [Nigel and Trish Branken live together with their 6 children in the inner-city suburb, Hillbrow, in Johannesburg, South Africa.] A friend of mine once did a study which found that your income level is the greatest predictor of your economic view. He found that people who earn over a certain amount per month almost exclusively believed the key to dealing with poverty is to increase the size of the pie, while people who earned under a certain amount almost exclusively believed that in order to address poverty, the pie needs to be more equally divided. In other words, our view of solutions to the economic challenges we face is more likely determined by self-interest than hard facts. I have found this very interesting in my informal conversations with friends from the suburbs. They keep telling me that the key to dealing with poverty is to create economic growth. My friends on the margins, however, are often quick to complain about how much bosses earn and wonder why they can’t just share some of their wealth. Theologian Robert McAfee Brown once said “where you stand will determine what you will see; whom you stand with will determine what you hear; and what you see and hear will determine what you...
Common Change Stories: Meet Emiel and Philippa and family.
The way Common Change works is that you sign up and join a group and commit to giving a regular amount to a common group fund. At any point if anyone in the group knows someone [one degree of separation] with a need, you can present the need to the group and together hopefully come up with the best way of meeting that need. Our group tries to follow the code that‘It’s not IF we will meet a need, but HOW we will meet that need.’ Emiel and Philippa and their children are friends of ours who, when suddenly faced with a crisis, gave us an opportunity to get involved in helping out and being an encouragement to them. Here Emiel and Philippa share a brief glimpse into their story: When God first sent us to Japan nothing could have been more exciting. As a young couple in ministry we had been waiting for years for God to send us, and knowing we would be on this adventure with our gorgeous children, 18months and nearly 3yrs old, made it all the more amazing. From the moment we were given the opportunity until we stepped onto the plane was 3months! We both taught at an international school attached to a church. It definitely took us a while to get settled but...Some of the Stories of Common Change
Common Change is all about connecting resources to needs through relationships and it is these relationships that form the backdrop to numerous incredible stories of life transformation or simpler acts of encouragement or assistance in a tough time. As we continue to grow, so will the stories – have a read or take a listen to some of these to get a glimpse of the heart of Common Change and what we get to see happen on a regular basis: Meet Abi Ornellis and hear a little bit about her trip to go and work in an orphanage in Tanzania and the exciting things that transpired there. Meet Emiel, Philippa and their family who faced a bit of a crisis while working in Japan, giving a Common Change group the opportunity to be a part of the solution. Meet Brett “Fish” Anderson and hear how his being part of CC suddenly took on new life as he was able to help out some friends of his. Plus we have a whole collection of other stories being built up on the Common Change site blog. And we look forward to adding your story someday… To get involved or find out more, head across to https://commonchange.com and sign up. Also join and like the ‘Common Change’ group on Facebook or follow us on Twitter...What stands out for me in my involvement with Common Change – Relationships [Ben Younan]
Ben has been involved with Common Change since the early days of the Relational Tithe experiment which was the forerunner to this Collaborative Giving tool that is now available for everyone to experience. In this short clip, Ben explains how for him it is the relationship aspect that really makes Common Change such a significant thing for his family to be a part of. [youtube=http://youtu.be/tf2DbRv3jpY] For more information on how Common Change works or to sign up and get started head to the Common Change website and get connected. Also join and like ‘Common Change’ on Facebook or follow us @4CommonChange on Twitter....One reason I enjoy being part of Common Change – Brett “Fish” Anderson
Brett “Fish” Anderson has been part of the Common Change collaborative giving process for more than a year and a half and loves how the giving process is so closely linked to the relationship process. In this short clip he explains how Common Change suddenly became more real and alive to him when he saw it impact friends that he was connected to: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nBqu75Ueao] For more information on how Common Change works or to sign up and get started head to the Common Change website and get connected. Also join and like Common Change on Facebook or follow us @4CommonChange on...Brought to You By:
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