During 2017 across the Diocese of Chester, an ongoing project called “Food Matters” will be highlighting our relationship with food and the importance of living sustainably. As part of the project we want to encourage clergy and parishioners to undertake a practical lent challenge.
Living on Less in Lent
During 20167 across the Diocese of Chester, an ongoing project called “Food Matters” will be highlighting our relationship with food and the importance of living sustainably. As part of the project we want to encourage clergy and parishioners to undertake a practical lent challenge and commit to “living on less” during Lent.
Within the Christian Church, there is a long tradition of fasting during Lent. It’s a spiritual discipline that helps us to identify with Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness and to focus our prayers on the needs of the poorest people in society. In recent years, many churches have adopted a message of simplicity during Lent, encouraging people to live on less. Whether cutting out certain foods or living for a few days on a limited diet, fasting can bring a focus to our prayer lives and encourage us to respond charitably to the needs of others.
Please do not embark on any of the Lent challenges if you have a medical condition or you are pregnant. (However you can sponsor someone else taking the challenge!)
Could you live on £1 a day?
This is the reality for people across the world living in poverty. This was the challenge undertaken by Christians across the Diocese of Chester during Lent 2016. They challenged themselves to:
· Spend only £1 per person on food and drink for the day.
· Commit to 5 days of abstinence (either consecutively or spread over the weeks of Lent) using these spending limits.
· Reflect on their experience by sharing stories in church, via social media or in a journal.
· Pray for people affected by food poverty.
· Donate the money they saved to charity.
If you’d like to have a go at this challenge, here are some guidelines:
· Plan your meals in advance. It is a real challenge to live on a limited budget and you will have to be creative in using your ingredients.
· Jack Monroe has good budget recipes
· “Thrifty Lesley” is another great website with meal plans for 1 person spending £1 per day
· Items in your store cupboard or freezer are not included (just pretend that the cupboard is bare!)
· Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water.
· Pooling your resources with a friend or family member can help to stretch your budget and allow you to take advantage of supermarket offers (if you can find someone who will join you in the challenge!)
Boaz Trust
Live for a week on a basic food parcel to understand the plight of refused asylum seekers.
The Boaz Trust is a Christian organisation serving destitute asylum seekers in Greater Manchester. This Lent Challenge highlights the plight of asylum seekers living on food parcels. Could you live for a week on a basic food parcel, costing approximately £10? Further details here