"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you , ask what you can do for your country. .............. let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth, God's work must truly be our own" (Part of the inaugural speech by John F. Kennedy , 20th January 1961).
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“The Big Society is about helping people to come together to improve their own lives. It’s about putting more power in people’s hands – a massive transfer of power from Whitehall to local communities.” – Cabinet Office definition of Big Society Christians do not need a definitive answer to the question “what does Big Society mean?” or to be convinced that it is important to help improve the communities we inhabit. What we need to know is how we can help. The purpose of this part of the CCF website is to tell the stories of those who do social good. This will hopefully provide ideas and inspiration to help you and your community to create a better society. The first step for anyone in embracing the Big Society agenda is to buy into its values. For many Christians this is easy to embrace, as those who follow Jesus have been preaching the importance of giving for centuries and many churches are experienced in promoting social justice. The New Testament tells us that the kind of society God is interested in is one where people have a keen understanding of others’ needs. The poverty of one person is an issue for everyone. Our 'neighbour' is not just the person in our circle, it is anyone we come into contact with, even if at first glance they seem to be very different from us. People must recognise how they depend on each other and realise what we owe each other. David Cameron publicly acknowledges that our religious institutions have been making positive contributions to British society for centuries. To use “Big Society” language; Christian churches are large networks of interconnected hubs, who deliver services to the communities they live in. Or to use everyday language; the Christian religion is made up of many active communities, consisting of people who are doing good things in their communities.
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David Cameron’s Easter message
Prime Minister David Cameron has sent his best wishes to everyone in Britain and across the world as we come together to celebrate Easter. Mr Cameron said Easter reminds us all to “follow our conscience and ask not what we are entitled to, but what we can do for others”.
” I would like to send my best wishes to everyone here in Britain and across the world as we come together to celebrate this very special festival in the Christian year. Easter is a time when Christians are reminded of God’s mercy and celebrate the life of Christ. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus taught us to love God and love our neighbour. He led by example and for millions of us his teachings are just as relevant now as they were in his lifetime. As we share in this festival with our friends and family, we can all be reminded of the enormous contribution Christianity has made to our country. Easter reminds us all to follow our conscience and ask not what we are entitled to, but what we can do for others. It teaches us about charity, compassion, responsibility, and forgiveness. No matter what faiths we follow, these are values which speak to us all. I would like to send my best wishes to you and your families at this time, and enjoy a very Happy Easter.”
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