Toolkit and quiz for World Fair Trade Day (May 9th)

To celebrate World Fair Trade Day on May 9th, Cafédirect have created a short quiz that you can hold over a cup of delicious Cafédirect coffee, tea or hot chocolate at home with friends or in your work canteen. You can download the quiz, and get in touch to receive a Toolkit packed full of resources and delicious samples to make more of a bang!

• Download the quiz
• Order a Toolkit

Making the perfect cup of coffee

In Who needs an espresso machine?, coffee obsessive Tim Hayward describes his journey of discovery after his prized espresso machine broke down. In his search for alternatives he learned that there are good cups of coffee to be had without the huge investment of a temperamental, steam-spitting appliance. He discusses the use of the Cafetiere, Moka pot (caffetiera), Syphon pots, and the Handpresso.

See also: Espresso: the ideal beverage for a recession

Square Mile

The Evangelical Alliance are asking "Would anyone notice if your church ceased to exist?" as they introduce a new resource called Square Mile. Square Mile is a website and a DVD-based course for churches and small groups, aimed at 'grassroots' church members.

The 'Mile' in Square Mile' very conveniently stands for:

• Mercy: demonstrating God's compassion to the poor
• Influence: being salt and light in the public life of the community
• Life Discipleship: equipping Christians for missional living as workers and neighbours
• Evangelism: faithful and relevant communication of the gospel

Coffee taster's tongue worth £10m

The BBC reported that Costa Coffee have insured the tongue of their chief coffee taster for £10m. Gennaro Pelliccia personally tastes a sample of each batch of raw coffee beans at Costa Coffee's London plant before they are roasted and shipped to its stores.

The insurance policy was taken out with Lloyds of London. "The taste buds of a Master of Coffee are as important as the vocal cords of a singer or the legs of a top model, and this is one of the biggest single insurance policies taken out for one person," said a spokesman for the insurance brokers.

Online Bible verses give hope in credit crunch

Words of hope and specially selected Bible verses have been added to the Church of England’s Matter of Life and Debt online initiative to help those suffering from the agony of hopelessness in the current financial situation. Finding hope when struggling with debt complements practical advice and resources for escaping problem debt with simple ways to develop a sense of hope for the future.

The new pages advise website visitors to look beyond the here and now, to count their blessings, and to remember that they are valuable to God, even if they lose the ‘status’ that comes with jobs and money. They will also find encouragement to pray to God about financial worries, with Psalms 42 and 130 offered as words of prayer.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope” (Psalm 130)

Walk to Work Week (27 April - 1 May)

Between 27 April to 1 May, thousands of employees across the nation will be trying to fit more walking into their working day as part of Walk to Work Week 2009, organised by the Living Streets campaign. You can set up a quick and easy profile on the brand new Walk to Work Week micro-site, and take the Walk to Work Week challenges with your friends and colleagues.

The mathematical formula for happiness‏

Ben Pfahlert, a Christian commentator in Australia, has pondered the mathematical formula for happiness‏. He noted that a murder mystery novel, Numbered Account written by Christopher Reicht, includes the statement “Happiness is equal to reality divided by expectations”. Pfahlert thinks this is a helpful observation or formula because it assists us in working out what either increases or diminishes our happiness or joy. According to the formula, happiness can decrease because either reality gets worse or our expectations are unrealistic.Pfahlert encourages us to filter our expectations through the word of God, and avoid losing heart (i.e. succumbing to helplessness) or losing our mind (i.e. succumbing to hopelessness) by obeying Philippians 4:4-7.

Frugal food from the sea

In If you go down to the sea today, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall introduces a wealth of food to be found for free on the beach, including leafy greens, seaweeds, herbs and shellfish. The article includes top tips and inspiring recipes from John Wright, and concludes with six tips for safe eating!

Cafédirect competition

This month Cafédirect celebrate a new look (and a new milestone in their history) and are giving away ten fantastic prizes! Each prize contains a Cafédirect tea caddy and some delicious Gold Tea. Three lucky winners will also receive a new look pack of Everyday Teadirect and a classic Cafédirect tea towel.

To enter all you have to do is answer a simple question.

Memorise more Bible

Eighteen tips to help you memorise more Scripture. These include:

• Read it repeatedly
• Visualize what you are reading
• Recognize patterns
• Start with the easy
• Build memorable associations
• Sing it
• Try mnemonic devices
• Type it
• Listen to it

Going into ecological debt

A study from the New Economics Foundation (Nef) think tank reveals that Britain is living beyond its environmental means and is increasingly dependent on the rest of the world for its natural resources. Although the recession may have slowed consumption, we still make extensive use of the natural resources of other countries.

The research also shows that by Easter Sunday this year Britain had used the levels of resources it should consume in an entire year if it were to be ecologically self-sufficient. As our ecosystems become more stressed the day in the year on which we effectively go beyond our environmental means, and move into ecological debt, is moving ever earlier in the year. In 1961 the date was 9 July, but in 2009 it fell on 12 April (Easter Sunday).

The Narnia Code

I missed The Narnia Code on BBC1 last night but am pleased I will be able to watch it on BBC iPlayer. In it CS Lewis expert Dr Michael Ward explains the hidden meaning behind the Narnia Chronicles.

See Narnia in the News for a link to a review of Ward's book, Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis.

Hymns in decline at funerals

Last year Co-operative Funeralcare conducted a survey of 242 funeral homes and 30,000 services which showed 58% of people in England and Wales chose pop music to be played / sung at their funeral services and only 35% included hymns. However, the Scots are bucking this trend as more people are choosing traditional hymns: the number of funerals with hymns rose from 54% to 56% last year. The story on the BBC website also lists the top ten pop songs and hymns sung at funerals, and notes that the study also revealed that around 10% of requests for pieces of music were rejected as the clergy conducting the funeral felt the choice was inappropriate.

Practical poetry

Noting that sales of poetry books are down, the BBC website suggests that one way to reinvigorate interest in poetry could be to make it functional. They invited poets to reinterpret the familiar, humdrum procedures of daily life, in verse form. The poems relate to changing a plug and using an ATM.

Walking the Charnwood Peaks

On Saturday a reduced group of four tackled the Charnwood Peaks walk. This 15-mile walk takes in the four peaks that define Charnwood Forest. We varied the route by starting at Woodhouse Eaves, so that we reached Bradgate Park at an appropriate time for a tea shop!

The Charnwood Peaks route can be downloaded from the National Forest website; and PDFs of other National Forest walks are also available for download.

GCR Walking Festival

The Great Central Railway is running a Walking Festival over the Easter Weekend (10-14 April), offering a selection of self guided treasure hunt walks running alongside the line. Walkers join the railway at Loughborough, Quorn or Rothley station, and pick up a leaflet with a walk. They spot the clues on the way and get to the next station - then take the train back! Enthusiasts can walk full circle.

Anyone who completes a walk will get a complimentary cup of tea and one walker with the right answers will be drawn out of the hat to win a pair of Saturday lunchtime dining tickets. There are eight walks to chose from of different lengths. You must buy a travel ticket to receive a walks sheet. Walks will be available from Loughborough, Quorn and Rothley booking offices from Friday morning. Some of the paths on the walks might be muddy, so proper footwear is advised.

The GCR also offers more walks in a dedicated guide, on sale at all stations for £2.99.

Remembering the Bigger Picture

Were you in Loughborough on Easter Monday last year to watch or help with the Bigger Picture? The churches in Loughborough worked together to create a world record breaking community picture and reach out to the town.

Easter Sunday: Jesus Christ is risen today

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once, upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia!

Christ in the Centre 2009

Over the past six years, the Christ in the Centre production has reached out to the people of Leicester. The 2009 event starts at 10.30am in St. Peter's Square in the new Highcross Centre. The theme this year is The Cross, and this first section includes short scenes showing the lives of Christians who have followed Jesus - some with connections to Leicester like William Wilberforce and Lady Jane Grey.

These will be followed by a procession following the cross, along the pedestrianised High Street to Humberstone Gate, where the remaining events of this year's production will unfold on the main stage after about 11.15am. After several scenes of Jesus' ministry, linked to his words from the cross, the passion story will tell of Jesus' final hours from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem , the Last Supper, his arrest, trial and death on the cross, before we see his glorious resurrection and appearance to his followers.

• Timetable and route map
• Photos from 2008

Get your hands dirty!

Spring is here and the time is right to start growing your own herb and veg - here are some links on self-sufficiency from the Guardian:

• Get your hands dirty! (spring gardening advice for beginners)
• Jane Perrone's 10 tips for growing your own
• The four veg everyone should grow

The rules of pizza‏

First we are told that pizza is the ideal credit crunch food, now Bishop Nick Baines blogs on the rules of pizza and offers a case study on pizza eating.

Palm Sunday

Outside the Holy City
Unnumbered footsteps throng,
And crowded mart and streets of trade
Fling back a swelling song.
The voices echo nearer,
In flaming hope they sing:
“Throw down your branches at His feet!
Hosanna to the King!”

Once more beside a city
The Son of David waits,
Once more the children throng to bring
A welcome at the gates.
Within are hearts sore burdened
And feet that go astray;
O Christ of God, come near and walk
Our city streets today!

The branches that we offer
Are no unmeaning sign;
Take Thou the hands we lift on high
And make them wholly Thine.
No songs of shallow welcome
Are these we raise to Thee;
O give us faith to face the cross
And set Thy city free!

A distant music mingles
With all our songs today,
The chorale from a city fair
Where sin has passed away.
There rides the Christ triumphant
And victor songs ring clear;
O God, give us the strength to build
With Christ that city here!

(Outside the Holy City, James G. Gilkey)

Students swear off Facebook for Lent

From an academic blog comes the news that some students have given up Facebook for Lent. Students nonplussed by the absence of certain friends from their Facebook news feeds in the last month may have the church calendar to blame. During the season of Lent some students at Texas Tech and elsewhere have reportedly sworn off social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.
The pope has lauded such Web sites in the past for helping to strengthen friendship and understanding, but many students acknowledge that they offer hazardously convenient ways to waste time.

Reading for Holy Week

Last year I blogged about the e-book Lenten Lights - a collection of readings that can to be used daily during Holy Week.

Another e-book appropriate for meditation during Lent is Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die by John Piper. It is a book of fifty short readings about the meaning of Jesus' death, and can be downloaded for free here.

Big Garden Birdwatch: results

Over the Big Garden Birdwatch 2009 weekend 73 different species were recorded. Well over half a million people took part in the 30th year of the Birdwatch, making this the biggest bird survey in the world. This year's survey took place on a chilly weekend and garden birds are heavily reliant on our supplementary feeding in the cold - it seems we were suitably paid back for our efforts. See the full results on the RSPB website.

Many of the birds that we're seeing will visit any habitat that provides food. Gardens will actually become even more important for wildlife if some areas of the countryside become poorer sources of food. This year's survey took place on a chilly weekend and garden birds are heavily reliant on our supplementary feeding in the cold - it seems we were suitably paid back for our efforts.

Carbon Fast Day 36: travelling light

Today's Carbon Fast action is to travel light. We are encouraged to think before we drive and seek to cycle, share lifts with colleagues, or use public transport. Find out more about cycle routes in the UK at http://www.sustrans.org.uk/

We are further challenged to travel light with our possessions and the value we give them. Where may we have more than we need? How can we bless others in need through our abundance? And where we may have need, we should remember God's faithfulness and ask him to be our provider.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matthew 6:19-21