A Canadian author is encouraging parents and children in North America to put human relationships ahead of seasonal "shopaholism".

In a move that is designed as a challenge to "consumerism as usual" and a reminder of the dominance of money in our lives, the Methodist Church in Britain has launched an alternative Credit Card containing a "buy less" message.

Methodists all over Britain will mark Lent 2008 by only shopping for essential items. They will try to reduce their carbon footprint and focus on the essentials of life, raising awareness of the true cost of consumerism.

The future of global Christian cooperation is at stake in a contest between the kind of unity-through-relationship imagined by the Bible and unity-through-consumption modelled by MTV, suggested World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev Dr Samuel Kobia in India yesterday (14 February 2007).