This is the place where members of the congregation write about their faith, and the difference it makes to their lives.
Here Ali Hale writes about
A couple of months ago, I left my full-time job in technical support to start my own one-woman business, Aliventures. I write regularly for a number of websites, getting paid per article, I do an occasional magazine piece, and I create websites for small businesses and individuals. One of the things I love most about freelancing in this way is that I get to work with a lot of different people – and I’m always encouraged when someone writes to say that they enjoyed one of my articles, or that their website is just what they wanted.
Another huge plus for me is that I can serve God in my working life – and prioritise the values that matter to me as a Christian. In technical support, the company’s bottom line was often all that seemed to matter: now, I can go the extra mile to make sure someone is delighted with the service I offer them – even when that means putting in a few extra hours.
I’m also able to devote a proportion of my time to serving God’s purposes by using the gifts He has given me – the same gifts I use in my paid work. For example, I have created a couple of free websites for Christian groups. These are Micah Mobile Ministries, a charity aiming to give a Bible to every home in Cornwall, and the St Nicholas Church Holiday Club website. I enjoyed making both, and update Micah’s site monthly for them. I’ve also written and edited some pieces for Micah’s printed publications.
To me, this is like tithing a percentage of my time rather than a percentage of my income (which is rather uncertain at the moment!) I have often felt guilty that I have not regularly tithed to the Church – and by offering my writing and website services for free, I feel I go some way towards making up for this. Anyone on a low income, perhaps students depending on loans but with a little extra free time, could do something similar.
I’m glad that God’s given me the ability to write easily, and to understand technical subjects – and I’m also glad that I can use these gifts to serve Him. Your gift might be teaching, gardening, painting, administration, public speaking, or almost anything. Whatever the skills you use in your daily work, there’s almost certainly a Christian or community group who would be able to benefit from them.
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