LLMD

EC

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2 11 14Feature News Discipleship

D ecember can be a complex flurry of obligations

and stress. Late November’s Black Friday is fol-

lowed by weeks of shopping, parties and travel-

ing. For many of us, December is chaotic.

In my family, I’m the scrooge. I still don’t get the idea that

giving and receiving gifts is an appropriate way to celebrate

the birth of our Savior.

Every year, we attempt to make Christmas simpler.

We’ve failed in many areas, but we’ve succeeded in two:

1. Cap spending:

We set an amount to spend and don’t go over it.

2. Spend differently:

Two years ago, we started taking the amount of money

we would spend on each other and dividing it in half. With

half of the money previously spent on family gifts, we sent

a gift to the child we sponsor through ICCM, helped start a

business in Costa Rica through Kiva (this was before the

online SEED store launched; see back cover), and bought

books and uniforms for students in Africa.

This issue of LLM focuses on simplic-

ity. I recently heard someone say that

strategy is just as much about the

things you say no to as the things you

say yes to. How will you simplify this

Christmas season? Share your best

strategy on llcomm.org, under this

issue’s articles and celebrate Christmas

simply, richly and deeply together. [LLM]

Lead Writer Jeff FinleyLead Designer Erin EckbergWriter/Photographer Michael MettsCopy Editor Dawn McIlvain StahlArt Director Andrea Anibal Project Manager Julie InnesWeb Director/Rich Media Peter ShackelfordPublisher Jason Archer

Spanish TranslationEzequiel Alvarez Joel Guzman Janeth Bustamante Carmen HoseaJoe Castillo Karen KabandamaJennifer Flores Samuel LopezGuillermo Flores, Lead Rodrigo Lozano, Coordinator

LLM: Light & Life Magazine (ISSN 0024-3299) was established in 1868 by the Free Methodist Church. Pub-lished monthly by Light & Life Communications. © 2011 Free Methodist Church - USA, 770 N. High School Road, Indianapolis, IN 46214. Views expressed in articles do not necessarily represent the official position of the Free Methodist Church. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations, no portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version unless otherwise indicated.

Whole No. 5234, Vol. 144, No. 7Printed in U.S.A.Member: Evangelical Press Association,Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, IN, and additional mailing offices.

Postmaster, send address changes to:Light & Life Magazine, 770 N. High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46214

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LLML I G H T & L I F E M A G A Z I N E

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” — John 1:4

D e v e l o p i n g E a r n e s t C h r i s t i a n s S i n c e 1 8 6 8

Website: www.llcomm.orgEmail us: www.llcomm.org/staffNews and submissions: jeff.finley@fmcusa.orgAdvertising: jason.archer@fmcusa.org

Address all correspondence to:Light & Life Magazine, 770 N. High School Rd.,Indianapolis, IN 46214 (317) 244-3660

Celebrate Simply, Significantly

To receive Light & Life in Spanish please contact our office: (800) 342-5531 or jeff.finley@fmcusa.org.

More Christmas coverage at llcomm.org

1] Do you use QR codes on your

smartphone?

Scan this box with your phone to access

more articles about Christmas and

simplicity.

2] What if your family gave up TV?

Carla Morris and Erin Swarm discuss life

without television.

3] Why do we celebrate Advent?

Bishop Emeritus Donald N. Bastian explains

the reason for the season.

Jason ArcherExecutive Director of Free Methodist Communications

i

’tistheseason to

b y J E N H A T M A K E R

While some people sing

about “seven swans

a-swimming,” I reflect

on my family’s seven

months of simplicity.

Three years ago, our Free Methodist church

plant housed more than 80 evacuees from

Hurricane Ike; we took in 12 of them. We moved

our three kids into our bedroom, washed sheets,

blew up mattresses, rolled out sleeping bags and

readied the house for an onslaught. As carloads

arrived and we welcomed them, one 10-year-old boy

walked into our home, looked around with huge eyes

and hollered: “Dad! This white dude is rich!” uuu

Jason ArcherExecutive Director of Free Methodist Communications

Simplify

We are. For years I didn’t realize this,

because so many others had more.

We were surrounded by extreme

affluence, which tricks you into think-

ing you’re in the middle of the pack.

How can I be socially responsible if

unaware that I reside in the top per-

centage of wealth in the world? (You

probably do too, Make $35,000 a

year? Top 4 percent. $50,000? Top

1 percent.)

Excess has impaired perspective in

the United States; we are the richest

people on earth, praying to get richer.

What does it communicate when half

the global population lives on less than

$2 a day, and we can’t manage a fulfill-

ing life on many times that amount?

It says we have too much, and it is

ruining us.

The Seven ExperimentEnter Seven, a crazy little project in

the Hatmaker family. Seven months,

seven areas of excess, reduced to

seven simple choices:

l Month one: Food We ate only seven foods.

l Month two: Clothes

We wore the same seven items

of clothing. No, I am not kidding.

l Month three: Possessions

We gave away seven things a

day that we owned.

3 [feature]

1 They could go without Xbox, PSP,

Wii, the Disney Channel, email and

texting, and the Earth would not be

sucked into a black hole of quantum

nothingness.

2 They can give away a ton of their

stuff and not only never miss it, but

still be stunned by how much is left.

3 Not spending money at a single

restaurant, theater, store or event

for a month is hard. (OK, maybe

that was my lesson.)

4 The only way to keep squash bor-

ers from wrecking your freshly

planted summer squash is by

cutting them out with a knife and squeez-

ing them between your fingers until they

pop, which zero children would do. So they

learned how to pull weeds.

5 Even though one son declared,

“You’re ruining our lives,” at the

beginning of Seven, by the end,

even he made a long list of best moments.

6 Their favorite element was observ-

ing the Sabbath, beginning with

dinner Friday night — the fancy

dishes, the candles, the readings and the

big meal. They were over the moon.

7 Even when you strip away a lot of

the glitz and excess, the precious

parts of life remain. We laughed,

played games, took walks, put on plays,

cooked together, read books out loud, went

to farmers markets, gardened, created and

grew together.

seven things my kids learned

l Month four: Media We took away seven forms of

media, gaming and social network-

ing, and imposed radio silence.

The kids feigned aneurysms.

l Month five: Spending

We spent money in only seven

places. (We missed you, Chick-fil-A!)

l Month six: Waste

We adopted seven substantial

habits for a greener life, including

gardening, composting, extensive

recycling and buying only thrift

or local.

l Month seven: Stress

We followed the “Seven Sacred

Pauses,” pausing for prayer and

worship seven times a day, in

addition to observing the tradi-

tional Sabbath each week.

New HabitsHow do I summarize Seven, an

experiment that has forever altered

our lives?

The practice of reducing and

simplifying has left us with a huge

list of reforms and new habits and

practices — not to mention the crash

course I’ve received on the economy,

capitalism, alternative fuels, sustain-

able farming, neurological processes,

industrialized food, local economics,

consumer trends and ancient liturgy.

I’ve eaten a Christmas feast of

information and find myself sputtering

and gasping. I’ve read precision analy-

sis by global economists and rhythmic

prayer poetry by a monastic nun.

I’ve digested articles by farmers, food

lobbyists, social activists, missionar-

ies, financial advisers, marketing

analysts, pastors, insurgents, doc-

tors, ecologists, waste managers,

priests, advocates, nonprofit leaders,

documentary makers, politicians,

revolutionaries, troublemakers and

dreamers.

After curbing my appetites for so

long, I’ve discovered my appetites

have changed.

Living with LessIn this season of Christmas

consumerism, my heart is hungry to

raise children who aren’t addicted

to the American dream, but to the

kingdom of Christ, whose birth we cel-

ebrate. I don’t want them to undergo

a radical experiment in their 30s just

to undo the damage already done.

Before life saddles them with respon-

sibilities and self-absorption becomes

nearly inevitable, I want to give them a

worldview that begins and ends with

the mission of Jesus.

[feature] 4

Source: “The State of Human Development: United Nations Human Development Report, 1998”

12

17

6

9

13

billion

billion

billion

billion

billion

$

$

$

$

$

Annual U.S. and European spending on perfume

Annual U.S. and European spending on pet food

Basic education for all the world’s children

Clean water for all humans

Basic health and nutrition for all humans

seven things my kids learned

8billion$

Annual U.S. spending on cosmetics

co

st

co

mp

ariso

n

Seven taught us that we can

reduce, live with less, treat the Earth

and its inhabitants with integrity, and

sacrifice none of the good parts of

the story. In fact, there is a better

story than we ever imagined. There

is more than the American dream.

Jesus has invited us into a radical,

exciting, dangerous and unpredictable

adventure — becoming good news to

the poor and proclaiming release for

the captives.

What’s next? We’re not sure.

Seven was a preparation, not an end

in itself. We won’t be celebrating

Christmas in a van down by the river.

I’m not sewing my kids’ clothes. I’m

still wearing makeup.

But God has rended our hearts,

and we will never be the same. We’re

in the starting blocks, ready for what

is coming, reading Isaiah 58:12 and

saying, “Lord, teach us to be repair-

ers of broken walls and restorers of

streets with dwellings.” [LLM]

5 [feature]

www.fmfoundation.org

i Jen Hatmaker resides in Texas with her husband, Brandon, lead pastor of Austin New Church, and their five children, two of whom were adopted from Ethiopia. Her latest book, “7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess,” will reach bookstores in January.

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Free Methodists?reach

connection.

Hundreds of people I know have had the same experience — the

Christmas celebration has gotten a little out of hand.

Adding parties, decorations, expense, extra family, presents,

work celebrations and extra travel makes for a very busy season. In fact,

many complain that the meaning diminishes as the busyness increases.

That is the nature of most things. Complexity and obligation rarely pro-

duce joy. Simplicity and focus generally allow room for meditation, reflection,

appreciation, celebration and, ultimately, joy. We must make room.

The beauty of Free Methodist tradition includes its historic emphasis on

simplicity and purity. It has always been our movement’s desire to experi-

ence God fully, be full of His radiant love, and distribute it freely and widely to

those who need it most. Our conviction is that in simplicity and purity we are

more ready receptacles for God’s grace and the fullness of the Spirit.

Christmas in this context makes sense. The beauty of the Christmas

celebration is not cluttering it with more activity, but fully experiencing the

Christ at the center of Christmas.

Enjoy the quietness of time with God in Scripture, prayer and meditation.

Join Mary in her isolated wonderment at the angelic visitation. Place your-

self by the manger with the weary couple on their night of disappointing

accommodations. Sit in the dark with the shepherds who were minding

their own flocks and business when they received an unusual host of guests.

Take time to appreciate the meaning of Emmanuel (God dwelling with

us), and the “us” around you where God dwells.

The person with many possessions does not experience the

depth of delight held by a child with a single, wooden toy. If you

want deep Christmas delight, peel off some layers and enjoy the

stillness and the unadulterated simplicity of God being with us —

with you. [LLM]

Our conviction

is that in simplicity

and purity we

are more ready

receptacles for

God’s grace and

the fullness of the

Spirit.

Remove the Layers, Elevate the Joy

[bishops] 6

i Bishop Matt Thomas

Plainness and simplicity are core values for Free Methodists, but sometimes

we use these values as excuses to not do what God asks.

James 1:27 states: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and

faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself

from being polluted by the world.”

Every day we are faced with a choice about which purchases we make and

which we forgo for the sake of simplicity. Is it living simply to own a house, multiple

vehicles, electronic gadgets, hundreds of books and closets full of clothes but then

refuse to buy a piece of jewelry because of “simplicity”? Could it be that we are

polluted by the world by spending on ourselves first? Do we, like the Pharisees,

allow each other to declare “Corban” (Mark 7:1-23) in place of spending on

“frivolous” things that are actually investments in others?

Where we make our purchases may be just as important as what we

purchase. It is more in keeping with James and with the spirit of simplicity to buy

something made by an artisan, when the selling organization gives the money to

the artisan instead of to stockholders. It is hard to imagine the Free Methodist

founders objecting to partnerships with brothers and sisters to ensure they

have sufficient income for daily sustenance, for their children’s education and to

improve their own lives.

Plainness and simplicity are guides, not gods. We do not want to appear clean

but inside be “full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25). Let us, this

Advent, consider more carefully what we spend, where and why. “First clean the

inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean”

(Matthew 23:26). [LLM]

David Brewer spent 20 years in corporate America before resigning to co-direct SEED Livelihood

Network — the microenterprise ministry of the Free Methodist Church — with his wife, Rose Brewer,

author of the World article on Page 13.

SCRIPTURE:

James 1:27

Mark 7:1-23

Matthew 23:25-26

Rethinking Simple Shopping

7 [foundation]

B y D A V I D B R E W E R

The proper way to celebrate Christmas has been a longstanding

debate throughout Christian history. During Oliver Cromwell’s reign

in 17th-century England, secular Christmas celebrations were

banned in favor of church-centered worship.

In Colonial America, whether a community celebrated the holiday

depended in large part on which denomination was dominant in the area.

Anglican, Catholic and Dutch Reformed believers celebrated Christmas;

Baptist, Quaker and Puritan believers did not. After Christmas was declared

a national holiday in 1870, most churches commemorated Christmas with

worship on the Sunday nearest Dec. 25.

In 1886, B.T. Roberts wrote an article for The Free Methodist (this

magazine’s predecessor) in which he took Luke 2:13-14 as

the guideline for a faithful and prayerful Christmas:

The proper way to observe Christmas is to imitate, as

nearly as possible, the angels who, on the occasion

made a visit to our earth. … 1. By giving glory to God

in the highest. Let us, ourselves, praise him, and give thanks to

his name. This cannot be deputed to a preacher or a choir. God

is not worshiped by proxy. It is the feeling with which praise is

rendered, and not the manner, which he regards. ... 2. By doing

all in our power to promote “on earth peace, good will to men.”

We should look carefully at the feelings we have entertained

towards others, and at the way we have treated them.

Roberts’ guide to a thoughtful, worshipful and simple Christmas focused on

the individual Christian giving the gift of praise to God, giving the gift of peace

to humanity, and using material gifts within the family to “bind more closely

together those whom God in his providence has united.” [LLM]

Christmas with B.T. Roberts

[history] 8

B y M I N D I G R I E S E R C R O M W E L L

Let Christmas be a

day of forgiveness

and reconciliation.

B.T. Roberts u(Photo courtesy of

Marston Memorial

Historical Center)

— B.T. Roberts in “Christmas,”

The Free Methodist, Dec. 22, 1886

b y j e f f f i n l e y

Phot

o by

And

rea

Anib

al

Joanna DeWolf (right) and

her family enjoyed Christmas

shopping, but wondered if their

purchases were excessive.

“every year we had this discussion

with our extended family: ‘Oh, we really

all have what we need,’” said DeWolf,

a member of Central fMC in lansing,

Mich. “We don’t need all of this stuff.

How can we simplify?” uuu

receivingfamily

tradesa

forgiving

A few years ago, DeWolf, her sib-

lings and their immediate families set

aside the money they would normally

spend on gifts for extended family.

They decided to let their children look

at information from charities and

decide where to contribute the money.

Because the children became

actively involved, their enthusiasm

about helping other people replaced

the excitement of opening gifts. The

children now collect spare change

and hold fundraisers to increase

their Christmas giving to nonprofit

organizations.

“The Water Buffalo Song” from

the “VeggieTales” animated series

attracted the children to a Heifer

International project offering the op-

portunity to buy a water buffalo for a

family in need. According to the char-

ity’s website, a $250 donation buys a

water buffalo to help a Filipino family

plant potatoes and rice while provid-

ing them with milk, fertilizer and fuel.

“Last year, we actually had enough

to buy the water buffalo plus a few

extra things,” DeWolf said. “The kids

were so excited.”

DeWolf’s sister, Karyl Morin, said

although the family members agreed

to make charitable donations instead

of exchanging gifts, the transition was

not easy.

“The first year took a lot of effort

to switch everyone’s mindsets,” said

Morin, who added that family tradi-

tion has shifted so much that collect-

ing for charity is now the focus of the

children’s Christmas preparation.

“They know that the point of

Christmas is not more stuff for us,”

said Morin, a member of Engedi

(Wesleyan) Church in Holland,

Mich. “It’s not the consumerism.

It’s celebrating the birth of Christ

through thinking about generosity for

those who are in the most vulnerable

place.”

At the immediate family level,

Morin said, family members reduced

gift giving while still finding ways to

express their love for each other.

The children still have something

to open as the extended family gath-

ers. DeWolf’s parents — Dan and

Judy Shinabarger, members of

New Covenant FMC in Clio, Mich. —

make sure each child has a gift to

open, but the Shinabargers also sup-

port the charitable efforts.

“It’s just been a joy to watch the

kids, and they look forward to it,”

Judy said. “It gives them a better

perspective of what Christmas is all

about.”

Participating family members

include Dan and Judy Shinabarger

(Dan is the former East Michigan

Conference superintendent); Matt

and Joanna DeWolf and their chil-

dren, Lincoln, 10, and Leina, 8; Mike

and Karyl Morin, and their children,

Sarah, 12, and Becca, 9; and Atlanta

residents Jeff and André Shinabarger

and their daughter, Jada, 2. Jeff is a

social entrepreneur and the founder

of two philanthropic websites,

giftcardgiver.com and

plywoodpeople.com. [LLM]

[action] 10Ph

oto

by A

ndre

a An

ibal

Because the

children became

actively involved,

their enthusiasm

about helping

other people

replaced the

excitement of

opening gifts.

11 [news]

New Free Methodist

pastors bonded with

bishops and each

other during the Starting Strong

Conference Sept. 12-14 in

Indianapolis.

“On Monday afternoon, the pastors

arrived as strangers to one another.

On Wednesday afternoon, they left

as friends and partners in ministry

— connected to one another through

common experience,” said organizer

Beth Cullison, an FM elder and the

Board of Bishops’ executive adminis-

trative assistant.

Cullison said the three-day event

introduced new pastors and their

spouses to the ministry philosophy

and vision of FM leadership, built

relationships between the pastors

and denominational leaders, and con-

nected the pastors to the services of

the World Ministries Center. The 30

participants hailed from 10 annual

conferences.

As the Starting Strong Confer-

ence drew to a close, the pastors

expressed gratitude for the direct

interaction with the bishops.

“I just con-

tinue to be really

impressed by the

humility of the

bishops, their

leadership and

their love for God

and their love

for the church,”

said Matthew

Riley, pastor of

the Outlet FMC in

Dallas, Pa.

Participants

toured the World

Ministries Center

and interacted

with employees in each department.

“It was a blessing to see the staff,”

said Mary Ann Milne, pastor of

New Life FMC in Jeannette, Pa. “The

tour was fabulous.”

Milne and other pastors said they

appreciated the unity among the

Starting Strong participants.

“The best part for us is getting

the connection, not only through

the bishops but with other men and

women who are on the same page as

us, jumping into the journey together,”

said Mark Hurt, lead pastor of

Columbus (Ind.) FMC.

Ronnie Hampton — a pastor plant-

ing a church in Washington, D.C. —

described Starting Strong as “a great

opportunity for networking with new

pastors, feeling the pulse of the Free

Methodist denomination.” [LLM]

FM Pastors Start StrongB y J E F F F I N L E y

Evelyn Zigler (Left), a pastor at New Hope FMC in Rochester, N.y., receives Communion from Bishop David Kendall during Starting Strong.

[news] 12

NORTHGATE FMCBatavia, N.Y.

In response to a growing congregation and a desire to offer a smaller venue

option for worship, Northgate FMC officially launched its south campus Oct. 2.

The additional space is in its previous, now completely renovated building. A new

café adds to the casual atmosphere of the lobby. Technology upgrades include an

HD screen that is 7 feet by 11 feet and displays the north campus’ sermons.

BIG RAPIDS FMCBig Rapids, Mich.

Pastor Peter Kadar preached a series of transformational mes-

sages about becoming immersed in God’s desire to build the church

by preaching the gospel and making disciples of all people groups. A

12-year-old girl accepted Christ following one message. The series

involved worship, outreach, godly fellowship, works of service, and

discipleship/spiritual personal trainers.

SPRING ARBOR UNIVERSITYSpring Arbor, Mich.

Spring Arbor University honored David and Yvonne Roller, 1975 graduates, as

the Alumni of the Year during the Oct. 8 alumni awards banquet at the Spring

Arbor FMC’s fellowship hall. The Rollers are former Free Methodist missionaries,

and they developed the Rancho Betania spiritual retreat center in Mexico. David

has served as a bishop since 2007.

FAITH FMCPleasant Grove, Ala.

As their community continues to rebuild from a devastating spring

tornado, members of Faith FMC and other local churches have

begun the Locally Organized Volunteer Effort. LOVE helps families

who were uninsured or did not receive enough insurance money to

rebuild. Faith FMC has hosted more than a dozen work teams.

The Rest of the Story

Want to find in-depth stories of remarkable Free Methodists? Visit fmcusa.org and llcomm.org.

We want to hear from you!

Tell us what your church is doing to impact lives in the United States and around the world. Submit your story at fmcusa.org/ yourstory.

i

13 [world]

b y R O S E b R E W E R

We all want Christmas to be more meaningful.

And most of us have people for whom

we really want to buy gifts. Why not buy

meaningful gifts that help bring joy to the world?

The website for SEED (seedlivelihood.org), the micro-

enterprise ministry of Free Methodist World Missions, has

gifts from livelihood groups connected to FM communities

around the world. you can buy beautiful shoulder bags

from Peruvian women striving to support their families,

satchels from women finding dignity in a creative access

country, or paper jewelry from Ugandan parents using

their earnings to send their children to school. you can

also buy a pig to be given to widows in a new livelihood

group in the Philippines.

Heavenly Treasures (heavenlytreasures.org with

an online store planned for shopmakertomarket.org)

helps gifted artisans in 13 countries who rely on their

handicrafts to sustain their families. Members of the

Glendora, Calif.-based Heavenly Treasures team are

all Free Methodist missionaries in the United States,

demonstrating the love of Jesus in a practical way. you can

help change a life by simply purchasing a beautiful

fair-trade handicraft. For more information, call

(626) 963-7717 or email info@heavenlytreasures.org.

you may have someone in your life who doesn’t want a

tangible Christmas gift. Consider donating in that person’s

honor at give.fmcusa.org, the new online giving system for

the Free Methodist Church where you can label your gift as

a “tribute.”

International Child Care Ministries (childcareministries.org/give) makes it easy to buy a bible, an animal, or a

water filter or contribute to special funds for sponsored

children, their families and communities. Do you know

someone who would be thrilled to have money donated

in his or her name to help prevent child trafficking in

Thailand?

Imagine the impact of matching the amount you spend

on a Christmas tree to buy hundreds of trees to reforest

Ethiopia or Madagascar (edenprojects.org). Consider

spreading the Christmas spirit by donating in someone’s

honor toward a friendship well in India (clearblueproject.com).

Through Sister Connection (sisterconnection.org), you can

even buy a house for a widow in burundi — for $600! Now

that is a gift that will outlast even fruitcake. [LLM]

Rose brewer is co-director of the SEED Livelihood Network.

Buy Something Really Beautiful

SEE

D p

rodu

ct

The principal founder of the Free Methodist Church, B.T. Roberts,

had a passion for living simply.

His enthusiasm for avoiding all unnecessary expenditures might

strike us as odd. For example, in his book “Why Another Sect,” Roberts pas-

sionately attacks the consumption of “expensive foods” such as oysters and

ice cream — “that frigid luxury.”

Although it is easy to write off Roberts’ remarks as old-fashioned and

legalistic, we in the 21st

century may have entirely

drowned out the voices of

our ancestors who modeled

a radically simple form of

Christian living. What drove

Roberts and company to

advocate such an extremely

simple lifestyle? Their original

passion certainly did not begin

as empty legalism, although

later decades may have experienced it as such.

For the holiness reformers of the 19th century, a love for “keeping it

simple” was the natural outworking of the sacred law to “love your neighbor

as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31). The context of rampant poverty

shaped the theology and practices of our church’s founders. They witnessed

people without homes, without proper clothing, without necessary health

care. Because the needs were so great and resources so few, these radi-

cals for simplicity refused to waste precious money on frivolities.

What if we recapture our passion for simplicity during this Christmas

season? What if we make “love your neighbor” the guiding principle as we

consider how to shop? Perhaps we might find ourselves living simply so that

others may simply live. [LLM]

GROUP DISCUSSION:

[1] What does simplicity

have to do with the com-

mand for us to love our

neighbor as ourselves?

[2] Does living simply

mean making absolutely no

purchases that are unnec-

essary, or could it mean

buying less in order to give

more to those who are in

desperate need?

Frigid Luxury and Radical Simplicity

[discipleship] 14

B y G R E G C O A T E S

The context of rampant poverty

shaped the theology and practices of our

church’s founders.

Did you know there are three more discipleship articles on our website? They’re perfect for use in your small group or as a weekly supplement to individual study.

LLML I G H T & L I F E M A G A Z I N E

PLYWOOD PEOPLECheck out an “innovative community

addressing social needs” at this web-

site edited by Joanna DeWolf (Page 9):

plywoodpeople.com.

770 N. High School RoadIndianapolis, IN 46214

periodicals poStage paId at INdIaNapolIS, IN, aNd at addItIoNal maIlINg offIceS

publIcatIoNS agReemeNt No. 40716549

StatIoN a p.o. box 54 WINdSoR, oN N9a 6J5 caNada

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12

4

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“7” BY JEN HATMAKERRead this issue’s feature (Page 2)

and then pre-order the full story of a

family’s experimental mutiny against

excess: bit.ly/hatmaker.

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Simplify your life and help others this Christmas season. See Page 13 for gift ideas.

GIFT CARD GIVER Give your partially unused gift cards to

charity through this website founded

by Jeff Shinabarger (Page 10):

giftcardgiver.com.

PROJECT MISSIONS Recycle used postage stamps while

supporting Free Methodist World

Missions: bit.ly/fmstamps.

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