Working with Christian Aid - a unique partnership

Commitment for Life is the recommended way for local United Reformed churches to support Christian Aid. Christian Aid actively encourages churches to participate in the programme, which has awareness raising at its heart, along with a strong campaign element and fund-raising. If you already support Christian Aid, they would like you to support them through Commitment for Life.

Why should we join Commitment For Life as we already support Christian Aid?

The United Reformed Church acknowledges the importance of tackling the global scandal of poverty and the structures and systems that perpetuate poverty and injustice across the world. The United Reformed Church also believes that local congregations are one of the best places where this work can be carried out and therefore encourages all local churches to join the Commitment for Life scheme. It is our understanding of the gospel that Jesus Christ came to proclaim freedom and justice for all. The importance of this is underlined by making our world development work a programme of the church, and in no way peripheral to the mission of the church. Indeed it is through Commitment for Life that we can address the Fourth and Fifth marks of mission.

Is it just a fundraising scheme?

Commitment For Life is more than just raising money: it is a scheme that allows churches to gain a deeper understanding of development issues through long term links with Christian Aid partners; learning more about them, their countries and the situations they face. Getting to know the stories of real people and projects in some of the most difficult places in the world is both inspiring and challenging and we hope will add a world wide perspective to the life of local congregations.

Furthermore, campaigning is a key element in Commitment for Life, not just on issues such as trade and debt, but also on issues that affect our partners. Our support for PARC in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, for example, is one part of the United Reformed Church response to the troubles in the Middle East and ‘Moving Stories’ is one way of hearing regular news from the region.

So does the money matter?

Christian Aid is hugely grateful for the generosity of the United Reformed Church congregations. The regular income from Commitment for Life helps Christian Aid with long term planning, particularly in the four chosen regions, with the assurance that the funds will be forthcoming. The year on year increase has meant that Commitment for Life is the single largest denominational scheme.

What about Christian Aid Week?

It has always been said that giving to Commitment for Life should not affect your activities in Christian Aid Week, much of which is likely to be done ecumenically, nor giving to emergency appeals. Our experience is that many United Reformed churches are involved in ecumenical Christian Aid committees, and many can bring better understanding of partners and issues to the local group.

We also support Christian Aid campaigns and distribute appropriate materials and information.

Working with the World Development Movement (WDM)

10% of the money raised goes to the World Development Movement. WDM spotlights the root causes of international poverty and injustice. WDM focus in on the responsibility of rich countries to address the problems and mobilise public pressure for change.

Since the early 1970s, WDM has been working with partners in developing countries to change the policies of governments and international institutions, so that they promote, rather than undermine, the relief of international poverty and the achievement of economic justice.

Some of WDM’s current campaigns are

• Cancelling developing country debt. WDM has been at the forefront of the debt campaign in the UK for fifteen years. Through their own campaigns and as a founder member of Jubilee Debt Campaign, WDM has played a leading role in helping to push the issue of debt cancellation up the global agenda.
• Changing world trade to benefit the poor. WDM current campaign “Dirty Aid, dirty Water” looks at Water privatisation and the pressure that countries are coming under to privatise their water, while the British government is promoting this and aid money is given to consultancy companies to support privatisation. See www.wdm.org.uk