Dr Who - Childish
There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes. - Doctor Who
CS Lewis - Safety and Happiness
"Safety and happiness can only come from individuals, classes, and nations being honest and fair and kind to each other."
CS Lewis
Matthew - Rest
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
Table Top Sale - Saturday 14th February 2009 - Valentines
TABLE TOP SALE - Saturday 14th February 2009
Church of the Nazarene, Broadwalk, Knowle Park, Bristol BS4 1BZ. Opposite Redcatch Park!
Time: 9 to 12 am
Location: Church Hall
Atmosphere: Very Friendly (sometimes silly)
Tea and Coffee: Excellent (and free!)
Time to do a bit of first minute Christmas shopping!!! Credit crunch friendly! Donations of goods, time or baked items always welcome. Come by for a free cup of tea or coffee and a natter. This is also a good opportunity to come and ask someone about the church and upcoming events you might be interested in, such as Friday Friendship or Children's Clubs.
| From Table Top Sales |
CAP - Christians Against Poverty
More than half of UK adults feel ill-equipped to handle their finances, new research commissioned by Christians Against Poverty has revealed.
The YouGov poll of more than 2,000 adults also revealed that younger generations are the least prepared to cope with the effect of the credit crunch.
Women, meanwhile, are more likely to feel they have not been properly prepared to handle their finances. In the survey, 58 per cent said they felt they had not received adequate financial education, compared to just 47 per cent of men.
CAP, which has 95 debt counselling centres, is calling on churches across the UK to open their doors to people feeling under pressure from the present crisis by becoming CAP ‘Money Coaches’ and training to run its free money management course, CAP Money.
Matt Barlow, CAP’s UK Chief Executive, said: “The results of our research send out a clear message to churches across the UK: people in your local communities are struggling with their finances and desperately need your help. There has never been a more important time for churches to engage with the issue of debt and poverty on their doorstep.”
After a successful first year, CAP Money will be launched in the coming months in Manchester, Bristol, Bradford and Bracknell in a bid to train at least 1,000 new Money Coaches “to start to tackle the ‘Goliath’ issue of personal debt”.
“Our CAP Money course is free for anyone in the local community to attend and has a proven track record of attracting un-churched people, in need of extra help and support to manage their finances,” said Mr Barlow.
“In CAP Money we have an effective tool for churches to reach out to residents with a practical demonstration of Jesus’ love. Please do not miss the opportunity to help those in your local community who are simply crying out for help.”
CAP's debt counselling centres are run in partnership with churches and have been know to bring people to Christ.
"We’ve just run our first CAP Money course and we are now planning three or four more. The course had a fantastic response and we are looking forward to using it as an evangelistic tool because of the huge impact it makes in people’s lives," said Alan Meyer, Senior Minister, Elim Community Church Carlisle.
CAP is planning to hold a ‘cash only day’, when it will be encouraging people to ditch the plastic in favour of cash.
The YouGov poll of more than 2,000 adults also revealed that younger generations are the least prepared to cope with the effect of the credit crunch.
Women, meanwhile, are more likely to feel they have not been properly prepared to handle their finances. In the survey, 58 per cent said they felt they had not received adequate financial education, compared to just 47 per cent of men.
CAP, which has 95 debt counselling centres, is calling on churches across the UK to open their doors to people feeling under pressure from the present crisis by becoming CAP ‘Money Coaches’ and training to run its free money management course, CAP Money.
Matt Barlow, CAP’s UK Chief Executive, said: “The results of our research send out a clear message to churches across the UK: people in your local communities are struggling with their finances and desperately need your help. There has never been a more important time for churches to engage with the issue of debt and poverty on their doorstep.”
After a successful first year, CAP Money will be launched in the coming months in Manchester, Bristol, Bradford and Bracknell in a bid to train at least 1,000 new Money Coaches “to start to tackle the ‘Goliath’ issue of personal debt”.
“Our CAP Money course is free for anyone in the local community to attend and has a proven track record of attracting un-churched people, in need of extra help and support to manage their finances,” said Mr Barlow.
“In CAP Money we have an effective tool for churches to reach out to residents with a practical demonstration of Jesus’ love. Please do not miss the opportunity to help those in your local community who are simply crying out for help.”
CAP's debt counselling centres are run in partnership with churches and have been know to bring people to Christ.
"We’ve just run our first CAP Money course and we are now planning three or four more. The course had a fantastic response and we are looking forward to using it as an evangelistic tool because of the huge impact it makes in people’s lives," said Alan Meyer, Senior Minister, Elim Community Church Carlisle.
CAP is planning to hold a ‘cash only day’, when it will be encouraging people to ditch the plastic in favour of cash.
Quote of the Moment
A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in students.
- John Ciardi
Spring Teen Schedule - or is that Teen Schedule for Spring?
Teen night is for 10-14yrs on Tuesdays from 7pm-8pm (usually)
Last Night (and it looked fun)
Drama Night
27th Jan
Las Vegas Night
3rd Feb
Craft: Salt and Dough (hmmm? sounds messy)
10th Feb
Film Night (usually ends around 8:30 or so)
17th Feb
Half Term no club :(
24th Feb
Pancake Party - this is where you jump on the crafts from the 3rd and flatten them like a pancake? (probably not)
3rd Mar
Bowling - (translation organised chaos but absolute fun)
10th Mar
Number Game
17th Mar
Craft: Paint and complete craft from the 3rd Feb (takes a while to dry?!)
24th Mar
Fast Food Night - Rate our local fast food joints.
31st Mar
Special Guest
7th Apr
Easter Egg Hunt
14th and 21st
Term end and no club
28th April
New term!
Matthew - Ask
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
Matthew 7:7
You know it's time to start going to church when....
Two Myanmar fishermen have survived for almost a month in shark-infested waters by floating in a large ice box after their boat sank, rescue officials said.
The men, both aged in their 20s, were on a 12-meter Thai fishing
boat with 18 others when it sank in heavy seas off Australia's north coast on December 23, said Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Tracy Jiggins.
"They had no safety equipment, no beacons, no means of communication and they'd been drifting for 25 days," Jiggins told Reuters Tuesday, describing the ice box as "desk sized."
"For them to have even been spotted in a huge body of water is amazing," she said.
The men were spotted by an Australian coastal patrol aircraft Saturday. The pair were winched onto a rescue helicopter and taken to hospital Thursday Island, off Australia's far north.
Hospital officials said the pair were hungry and dehydrated after drifting 25 days at sea during the monsoon season and recent cyclonic storms in the region, but they were recovering well and had already been released.
The pair would now be questioned by immigration officials and police, who had not yet determined how the pair survived and what they did for food and water.
Jiggins said the others on board the boat would certainly have perished and no search for other survivors was planned.
"The information they provided to us was that they witnessed other crew members in the water, none of whom had any flotation device, so we've done an assessment and we don't believe anybody would be able to survive 25 days actually in the water," she said.
It was also unclear where the Thai-based fishing boat, crewed by Thais and a handful of people from Myanmar, sank and how far the pair had drifted before they were picked up 60 nautical miles northwest of Horn Island.
"It would be difficult to determine where that search should be. That's a huge amount of water they could have covered, and we have notified search and rescue officials in Indonesia," Jiggins said.
Australia has one of the longest coastlines in the world and the country's search-and-rescue patrol zone covers a tenth of the world's surface, or 53 million square kilometres (20 million square miles) of the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans.
The Torres Strait, between Australia and Papua New Guinea, is infested by sharks and the area is regularly fished by both licensed and illegal fishing vessels, many from Asia.
(Editing by Mark Bendeich)
FAFF 2009
Fellowship and Family Fun 2009 Schedule - Please join us at any of the events!
Thurs 26th Feb 7:pm
Chinese meal at Jo's - Only big kids allowed for this.
Sat 28th Mar 6:30pm
Film night at church - please arrive on time and bring lots of treats. Especially chocolate raisans (my fav!)
Sat 25th April - 6:30pm
Hollywood Bowl - Always a crowd pleaser! Don't forget to wear clean socks:)
Sat 30th May - 6:30pm
Quiz Night - Bring some nibbles to share
Sat 27th June - 3:00pm
Afternoon Cream Teas at Church or Bees Tea Gardens
Sat 25th July - 6:30pm
BBQ - bring your smoke shields as I prepare old smokey! Please bring a salad and someone who knows how to bbq!
Sat 29th Aug - 11:00am
Blaise Castle - Walk and Picnic - Please sign up for a lift! (thats to the site, not to carry you around whilst there)
Sat 26th Sep - 2:00pm
Chew Valley Lake Walk - Bring some food for the ducks.
Sat 31st Oct - 11:00am
Clarks Village - Christmas Shopping Trip (didn't we just have Christmas)
Sat 28th Nov - 6:30pm
Beetle Drive at Church - This is a game played on paper not racing around the estate in a VW. Don't forget some beetle nibbles.
Sat 12th Dec - 6:30pm
Church Christmas Party - Bring and share supper, a visit from Santa and be prepared to play lots of games!
Church of the Nazarene
Broadwalk, Knowle Park, Bristol BS4 2RD
No time to rest in the new year!
The new year brought with it a wave of worldwide disasters that have left Nazarene brothers and sisters in Christ hurt, grieving, and struggling to find a way to go on.
Zimbabwe: Cholera Outbreak and Economic Crisis 
The reality for the people of Zimbabwe is dire: the once stable country faces a devastating economic breakdown and a cholera epidemic that is claiming more victims every day.
It is estimated that of the 12 million people living in Zimbabwe, over 40 percent of the population does not have the means to provide even the most basic sustenance for themselves. A decade long agricultural crisis has created an extreme food shortage, and astronomical inflation rates have made the little that remains available too expensive to buy. Compounding the crisis is a spreading cholera epidemic. The BBC reports more than 1,700 people have already died from cholera, and there are currently over 29,000 suspected cases - a number which could potentially double.
In an effort to combat the multi-faceted assault on the people of Zimbabwe, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM) has developed the Food and Water Sanitation Project. Through this project, local Nazarenes will distribute maize meal, cooking oil, pulses (similar to lentils), and chlorine tablets for water purification to over 1,500 families on a monthly basis for at least three months.
Gaza Conflict
An ongoing cycle of Palestinian rockets launched into Israeli territory and economy-crippling land, air, and sea-blockades around Gaza enforced by Israel have culminated in the latest conflict in which Israeli assaults on Gaza have resulted in the deaths of an estimated 700 Palestinians and 14 Israelis. Already dependent on outside aid before the attacks, the living conditions have become desperate in Gaza as there have been few breaks in the air and ground offensive since it began on December 27.
With approximately 200,000 Christians living in Gaza City alone, Nazarenes are striving to come alongside the evangelical churches there to help families caught in the middle of the violence. They are responding by providing food packets of rice, beans, sugar, tea, oil, flour, and canned meats, along with hygiene kits, basic medical supplies, blankets, and mattresses.
Guatemala: Landslide
A mile-wide landslide in central Guatemala on January 4 left 35 people confirmed dead and dozens more missing. Danilo Solis, the district superintendent for that region, reports as many as 20 Nazarenes are feared dead. Mexico/Central America Region officials tell NCN News the number of Nazarene casualties may actually be higher than first expected.
Two towns, both with Nazarene churches, have been completely evacuated with the threat of further landslides endangering the residents.
As the largest Nazarene district in Guatemala with over 17,000 members, local Nazarenes were quick to take action. Two churches are housing displaced families, one with more than 200 guests, and food is being collected and distributed to those in need as they face rebuilding their lives.
For more, see the following NCN News report: As many as 20 Nazarenes feared dead after Guatemala landslide
Bangladesh: Cold Wave
Located in southern Asia, Bangladesh rarely sees anything but tropical temperatures. This winter has ushered in a deadly cold wave. Constant exposure to temperatures peaking at just above freezing could mean death for hundreds in this country unaccustomed to and unprepared for cold weather. To help fight the effects of the extreme temperatures, NCM is distributing blankets through local Nazarenes.
Haiti: Hurricane Recovery
Still recovering from the onslaught of hurricanes this past season that hit the island, Haitians continue in desperate need of support. Massive flooding and wind damage caused by three hurricanes destroyed homes, churches, schools, and crops. This total destruction of the country's infrastructure has left the more than 108,000 Nazarenes in Haiti and their neighbors dependent on outside assistance to rebuild their lives.
Brazil: Flood-ravaged Itajai remains in a state of emergency
The situation in the city of Itajai, Brazil, remains extreme since flood ravaging waters uprooted countless numbers from their homes this past December 2. People are still trying to re-unite with loved ones and friends. The situation in Itajai continues to be in a state of emergency as the residents of this city are now trying to figure out where to live.
Donations began pouring into the Itajai Church of the Nazarene under the supervision of Aguiar Brooms. According to Brooms, the donations have been placed into a large concrete block building and a Nazarene Distribution Center has been established. Since that time, they have received more that 3,000 people who have been looking for donations such as boxes containing basic necessities and water, milk, stoves, beds, clothing, and shoes.
All of the donations came from the churches in Itatiba, Rio Clear, Grasslands and its regions, Rio, Coastal, Campeche, Scrupulous of the South, and Curitiba, Brazil. Some of the churches elected to send cash offerings. The offerings are being used to restore a home, buy furniture, and a special mattress for a woman with grave spinal problems. In addition, special offerings helped in re-painting the church. It also paid freight charges and support personnel for their assistance.
As the center was reopened on the January 5, there were already 500 people waiting outside to receive donations. They began lining up at 6 A.M. The distribution center received everyone with the love of Christ Jesus. Everyone who came seeking left satisfied with the donations they were able to find. Many still have needs - mainly nourishment.
As the donations arrived, the center sent out delivery trucks to the affected areas. These trucks delivered water and boxes containing basic needs.
The distribution center is finalizing the restoration of one of the houses and is waiting for the promised resources so that they can continue with the restoration of three other homes. One of the families is homeless, awaiting the beginning of the restoration work so they can return to their house. The center estimates that approximately 20,000 families lost everything, including their belongings. Aguiar believes 20 percent of those homes can be re-occupied with the purchase of new furniture. However, the majority of homes are still inhabitable.
The port, which is what Itajai is so economically dependent upon, still awaits the resources from the Brazilian government to become operative once again. The city hall is, at this time, in total disarray and seems unable to cope with the current state of affairs. The streets have been left full of holes, schools are closed, mud and dirt is everywhere, people are without furniture, and several houses are left as total losses.
Despite the situation, the people in Brazil give glory to God because so many have come to the Church of the Nazarene with grateful hearts.
Note: To view photos of the relief efforts in Brazil, click here. To download a corresponding Power Point presentation, go to the Nazarene Media Library.
(Brazil nformation courtesy of Itajai Pastor Nelson and NCN News-South America)
How to Help
Please partner with NCM through prayers and contributions. Join NCM as they pray for the safety of these Nazarene brothers and sisters, as well as the people local churches can help through these many trials.
Those persons and churches who wish to contribute to the relief efforts can mark their checks "Global Disaster Relief NCMPR0109" and send them to Global Treasury Services, PO Box 843116, Kansas City, MO 64184. In Canada, checks should be made payable and sent to the Church of the Nazarene Canada, 20 Regan Road, Unit 9, Brampton, Ontario L7A 1C3. Contributions can also be made online at www.ncm.org.
--NCM
Cyber-missions - the gospel goes viral!
Dozens of churches around the world are planning to participate in a special missions trip that involves bringing Christ and His message to a huge community where the Gospel is not the most popular subject.
So far, nearly 2,000 teens have signed up for the “Online Missions Trip” to bombard popular social networking sites with stories about God.
“[T]his is a two-week opportunity for all of us to bombard Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, whatever social places you go to online, with the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” explains youth pastor at Alexandria Covenant Church in Minnesota and organiser of the missions trip, Tim Schomoyer, in a promotional video.
From February 1-14, students from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Bermuda and elsewhere will use the power of the internet to share Christ with people not only on the other side of the world but across the street and with friends in their school.
Pre-trip training on how to effectively get messages about Christ out using social networks began on Sunday and will continue until January 31.
During the outreach, participants will upload videos and photos, post links, and use status updates to share what God is doing in their lives. Participants will also write notes, send messages, post blogs, create invitations to their youth group, and do other things that will help bring God up in a conversation online.
Online conversations, however, are only the initial step. The goal is to eventually lead people into face-to-face discussions. Outreach events and new-believer follow-ups will start beginning on February 15 and will include a free four-part series from Lifechurch.tv, entitled “What’s Next?”
“Afterwards, you’ll have maybe some events you’ll be using, like events in Facebook to invite your friends to come to small groups or youth groups,” says Schmoyer.
Alexandria Covenant Church, for example, will be using the youth curriculum “Gospel Journey Maui” by the popular youth ministry Dare 2 Share and send invitations to a large number of young people in the area to discuss what Christians believe and why, as well as what other faiths believe.
So far, nearly 2,000 teens have signed up for the “Online Missions Trip” to bombard popular social networking sites with stories about God.
“[T]his is a two-week opportunity for all of us to bombard Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, whatever social places you go to online, with the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” explains youth pastor at Alexandria Covenant Church in Minnesota and organiser of the missions trip, Tim Schomoyer, in a promotional video.
From February 1-14, students from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Bermuda and elsewhere will use the power of the internet to share Christ with people not only on the other side of the world but across the street and with friends in their school.
Pre-trip training on how to effectively get messages about Christ out using social networks began on Sunday and will continue until January 31.
During the outreach, participants will upload videos and photos, post links, and use status updates to share what God is doing in their lives. Participants will also write notes, send messages, post blogs, create invitations to their youth group, and do other things that will help bring God up in a conversation online.
Online conversations, however, are only the initial step. The goal is to eventually lead people into face-to-face discussions. Outreach events and new-believer follow-ups will start beginning on February 15 and will include a free four-part series from Lifechurch.tv, entitled “What’s Next?”
“Afterwards, you’ll have maybe some events you’ll be using, like events in Facebook to invite your friends to come to small groups or youth groups,” says Schmoyer.
Alexandria Covenant Church, for example, will be using the youth curriculum “Gospel Journey Maui” by the popular youth ministry Dare 2 Share and send invitations to a large number of young people in the area to discuss what Christians believe and why, as well as what other faiths believe.
Advent Conspiracy
Advent Conspiracy - I know it's a little late for this but remember this for next year!
Humble and Gentle
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:2-3
Prayers for the Middle East
With the International Red Cross warning of a “full-blown” humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Bible Societies in the Holy Land have appealed to Christians to pray and support those caught up in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“Our hearts are broken as we witness the escalation of hostilities in Gaza and southern Israel,” said Victor Kalisher, Director of the Bible Society in Israel, in a joint message issued by the Bible Societies of Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories.
“Israelis and Palestinians are at war; we are not. Through our single identity in Christ and his lordship we experience his peace, practice his love, and hold on to him as our hope.
“We are committed to serving our communities with the gospel of peace and forgiveness. We will sweat for that which Christ bled for, and labour for that which Christ died for,” Victor added.
Bible Society ran a bookshop in Gaza City until 2007 when it was destroyed in a bomb attack. After re-launching its work in the city last year, it now focuses on building relationships with key leaders as a way of demonstrating the Bible’s message of hope.
Bible Societies in the region are now working to bring humanitarian aid to people in Gaza and comfort those in need of hope by sharing the Bible’s message through a new scriptural initiative.
Labib Madanat, development director at United Bible Societies, said, “As a result of ten years’ work building relationships and trust with both Hamas and Israeli political leaders, Bible Society has access to people in need.”
Ian McKay, Bible Society’s International Director, added, “We are committed to bringing the Bible’s life changing message to the region. With love, care and compassion staff in Gaza and Israel are living out the Bible’s message of hope.”
The Bible Societies are asking Christians to pray for a “speedy end” to the war and respect for the sanctity of human life, as well as for Bible Society staff in the Holy Land as they continue to reach out to communities with the Word and practical aid.
“Our hearts are broken as we witness the escalation of hostilities in Gaza and southern Israel,” said Victor Kalisher, Director of the Bible Society in Israel, in a joint message issued by the Bible Societies of Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories.
“Israelis and Palestinians are at war; we are not. Through our single identity in Christ and his lordship we experience his peace, practice his love, and hold on to him as our hope.
“We are committed to serving our communities with the gospel of peace and forgiveness. We will sweat for that which Christ bled for, and labour for that which Christ died for,” Victor added.
Bible Society ran a bookshop in Gaza City until 2007 when it was destroyed in a bomb attack. After re-launching its work in the city last year, it now focuses on building relationships with key leaders as a way of demonstrating the Bible’s message of hope.
Bible Societies in the region are now working to bring humanitarian aid to people in Gaza and comfort those in need of hope by sharing the Bible’s message through a new scriptural initiative.
Labib Madanat, development director at United Bible Societies, said, “As a result of ten years’ work building relationships and trust with both Hamas and Israeli political leaders, Bible Society has access to people in need.”
Ian McKay, Bible Society’s International Director, added, “We are committed to bringing the Bible’s life changing message to the region. With love, care and compassion staff in Gaza and Israel are living out the Bible’s message of hope.”
The Bible Societies are asking Christians to pray for a “speedy end” to the war and respect for the sanctity of human life, as well as for Bible Society staff in the Holy Land as they continue to reach out to communities with the Word and practical aid.
Table Top Sale - Saturday 10th January 2009
TABLE TOP SALE - Saturday 10th January 2009
Church of the Nazarene, Broadwalk, Knowle Park, Bristol BS4 1BZ. Opposite Redcatch Park!
Time: 9 to 12 am
Location: Church Hall
Atmosphere: Very Friendly (sometimes silly)
Tea and Coffee: Excellent (and free!)
Time to do a bit of first minute Christmas shopping!!! Credit crunch friendly! Donations of goods, time or baked items always welcome. Come by for a free cup of tea or coffee and a natter. This is also a good opportunity to come and ask someone about the church and upcoming events you might be interested in, such as Friday Friendship or Children's Clubs.
|
| From Table Top Sales |
James 2:8 - Being Neighborly
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.
James 2:8
Self-Control
Have New Year’s resolutions for 2009? If you’re religious, you’re probably more likely to keep them, according to a new study.
For the study, University of Miami professor of Psychology Michael McCullough and his team evaluated eight decades worth of research on religion that had been conducted in diverse samples of people from around the world.
What they found in the end was “persuasive evidence” from a variety of domains within the social sciences – including neuroscience, economics, psychology, and sociology – that religious beliefs and religious behaviours are capable of encouraging people to exercise self-control and to more effectively regulate their emotions and behaviours so that they can pursue valued goals.
“Religious lifestyles may contribute to self-control by providing people with clear standards for their behaviour, by causing people to monitor their own behaviour more closely, and by giving people the sense that God is watching their behaviour,” states one conclusion of the study, which will be published in the January 2009 issue of Psychological Bulletin.
“When people view their goals as ‘sacred’, they put more energy and effort into pursuing those goals, and therefore, are probably more effective at attaining them,” states another conclusion.
Researchers for decades have repeatedly found a correlation between religiosity and higher self-control among students and adults, noting that students who spent more time in Sunday school did better at laboratory tests measuring their self-discipline and that devout people were more likely than others to wear seat belts, go to the dentist and take vitamins.
Though some may question whether it was religious devotion that led to self-control or vice-versa, McCullough says self-selection bias was taken into account in his research and that there was still reason to believe that religion has a strong influence.
“When you add it all up, it turns out there are remarkably consistent findings that religiosity correlates with higher self-control,” the professor told the New York Times.
But that’s not to say the non-religious need to adopt a faith to build up self-control.
“People can have sacred values that aren’t religious values,” said McCullough, who confesses that he is not much of a devotee himself.
“You can spend time thinking about what values are sacred to you and making New Year’s resolutions that are consistent with them,” he told the Times.
Still, it is worth noting that religious people tend to have lower rates of substance abuse, better school achievement, less delinquency, better health behaviours, less depression, and longer lives.
"By thinking of religion as a social force that provides people with resources for controlling their impulses (including the impulse for self-preservation, in some cases) in the service of higher goals, religion can motivate people to do just about anything," McCullough says.
McCullough also says he and his team believe it may have been religion’s ability to help people control themselves that helped people for centuries extend their natural self-control capabilities and, as a result, allowed them to thrive at difficult but necessary activities such as farming and teaming together to solve problems.
“We’ve been exploring … this possibility that what religion’s really good at doing, and possibly why it evolved, is to help ancestral humans that were on their way to becoming modern to extend their abilities to control themselves and not engage in impulsive behaviour that might have been beneficial in the short term but less desirable than other courses of behaviour would have been in the long term,” reported McCullough.
What McCullough and his team hope their study will do is give more explicit attention to the possibility that the links of religiosity to self-control might explain the links of religiosity to health and behaviour.
For the study, University of Miami professor of Psychology Michael McCullough and his team evaluated eight decades worth of research on religion that had been conducted in diverse samples of people from around the world.
What they found in the end was “persuasive evidence” from a variety of domains within the social sciences – including neuroscience, economics, psychology, and sociology – that religious beliefs and religious behaviours are capable of encouraging people to exercise self-control and to more effectively regulate their emotions and behaviours so that they can pursue valued goals.
“Religious lifestyles may contribute to self-control by providing people with clear standards for their behaviour, by causing people to monitor their own behaviour more closely, and by giving people the sense that God is watching their behaviour,” states one conclusion of the study, which will be published in the January 2009 issue of Psychological Bulletin.
“When people view their goals as ‘sacred’, they put more energy and effort into pursuing those goals, and therefore, are probably more effective at attaining them,” states another conclusion.
Researchers for decades have repeatedly found a correlation between religiosity and higher self-control among students and adults, noting that students who spent more time in Sunday school did better at laboratory tests measuring their self-discipline and that devout people were more likely than others to wear seat belts, go to the dentist and take vitamins.
Though some may question whether it was religious devotion that led to self-control or vice-versa, McCullough says self-selection bias was taken into account in his research and that there was still reason to believe that religion has a strong influence.
“When you add it all up, it turns out there are remarkably consistent findings that religiosity correlates with higher self-control,” the professor told the New York Times.
But that’s not to say the non-religious need to adopt a faith to build up self-control.
“People can have sacred values that aren’t religious values,” said McCullough, who confesses that he is not much of a devotee himself.
“You can spend time thinking about what values are sacred to you and making New Year’s resolutions that are consistent with them,” he told the Times.
Still, it is worth noting that religious people tend to have lower rates of substance abuse, better school achievement, less delinquency, better health behaviours, less depression, and longer lives.
"By thinking of religion as a social force that provides people with resources for controlling their impulses (including the impulse for self-preservation, in some cases) in the service of higher goals, religion can motivate people to do just about anything," McCullough says.
McCullough also says he and his team believe it may have been religion’s ability to help people control themselves that helped people for centuries extend their natural self-control capabilities and, as a result, allowed them to thrive at difficult but necessary activities such as farming and teaming together to solve problems.
“We’ve been exploring … this possibility that what religion’s really good at doing, and possibly why it evolved, is to help ancestral humans that were on their way to becoming modern to extend their abilities to control themselves and not engage in impulsive behaviour that might have been beneficial in the short term but less desirable than other courses of behaviour would have been in the long term,” reported McCullough.
What McCullough and his team hope their study will do is give more explicit attention to the possibility that the links of religiosity to self-control might explain the links of religiosity to health and behaviour.
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