SIMON PHIPPS

As the intersection between faith and the environment continues to increase in importance, it becomes more and more important for the Church to take it's environmental responsibility seriously . Church is not a building, and church is much more than a weekly service but the fact remains that most churches are inexplicably linked to a building and utilise services. Much of what we experience and use when we gather as a community has a negative impact on our environment , including our money ; and we can do better . There is also much hope found within the church. This can include churches generating their own electricity , organising beach cleanups , or growing their own food . This infographic provides 11 practical ways that a church can begin to model environmental care to the whole community. I have created a short free e-book that goes into each of the principles in much more detail, with practical ways to implement them. Click here to get your copy .

Last year I really got into the self-help movement . It came off the back of reading “ The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People ”* and realising all the good things that it said. I read many of the greats: Dale Carnegie , James Allan , Chip & Dan Heath , Malcolm Gladwell , David Schwartz , Jen Sincero .*              I took on board what they said. 2017 was going to be my year. It was the year that I was going to be fitter, healthier , and more productive than any time previously. I was going to get up early . I was going to exercise every day and be healthy . I was going to utilise every productivity hack available and build the life I dreamed of . I started off really well. I was doing all of the above. Then in early spring, I got Tonsilitis . Then after that, I got another sickness . And another . Then after that, I started to develop a pain in my foot. Then after that, I was moved from the job that I loved .

Last month I started a new section on my blog called ' What I Learnt This Month '.  It is a great place for me to catalogue what I have learnt. I hope that it is also a great place for you to find great new resources to aid in your learning . This post covers what I learnt in December 2017. *Please note that the book link in this post is an affiliate link. This means that I receive a small percentage of the book cost if you buy it through the link* Course - Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors This course was created by Pennsylvania University and I completed it through Coursera. The type of course is called a MOOC (Massive Online Open Course). This means three things:       1.  A lot of people are taking it at any one time. 2. It is entirely online. 3. It is entirely free. If you have never heard of a MOOC or never taken one then I highly recommend it. The main three MOOC providers are Coursera , Edx and Udemy . The course is th

*Please note that any book links within this post are affiliate links. This means that if you buy a book through the link, I receive a small percentage of the book price.* Each year I create a list of goals that I intend to achieve by the end of that year. I think that it is great for accountability to state these publicly, but I also hope that it helps someone else creating their goals. Why Goals? A lot of my goal setting tips come from the book “ Seven Habits of Highly Effective People ”, which is an incredible book. The first habit in the book is about being proactive . Without goals, we are more likely to wander through life and not achieve any of the things that we want to achieve. I often speak to people about the hopes and dreams that they have. When I ask them what they are doing to help them achieve these dreams the answer is usually nothing . To this end setting goals helps us to create concrete steps that help us move towards the more long-term things