Well, in case you hadn’t spotted the front cover we’re fifty issues old today (members are welcome to come to the next meeting to give each other the bumps should they feel it necessary). So, 50 issues on and what have we achieved?

Well from flicking through the back issues lurking in the depths, it seems that we’ve come a long way from our original cut-and-paste magazines of yore, battled through into the technological era (or not) of Word Perfect and smartened up our logo. We’ve also battled through swathe of criticism and controversy (some of it very well founded). Even in my short time at York I’ve seen Christis change from being based on theological warfare over predestination and creation debates (Ed — all good clean debate, lets have more of it) and start considering Christianity on a more personal level. What’s God done in my life? In what ways has knowing Jesus affected me?

For this issue we’ve asked a variety of Christians to write a few of their thoughts on the Fruits of the Spirit and what these areas for growth as Christian mean to them. As with everything in Christis, I hope you find them interesting and that they challenge you to involve God more in your own life.

We couldn’t let this birthday issue go by without briefly taking stock of who we are as a society and where we’re going. To this effect the Thinker question invites you, the fluffy and shiny reader, to tell us, the chirpy committee what you’d like to see more or less of in these hallowed pages.

Right, enough navel gazing and introspection for one birthday. On with the jelly, ice cream and pass the parcel.

Pleasant reading chaps.

Becki Sykes

SMARPS

S.M.A.R.P.S. is a very ingenious six letter acronym (AVISLA) which stands for Sainsbury MethAng Reward Points Scheme. Basically what happened is that under the masterminding guidance of Magnus Smyly (now MSci) all the members of MethAng who shopped at Sainsbury’s saved the reward vouchers that they received and donated them to SMARPS. These were then added together and taken to Sainsbury’s where they were donated to the NSPCC with the net value doubled by J. Sainsbury. This resulted in a total of £250 going to a worthy cause — just a testimony to what a group of Christians can do when working together, for a small cost to themselves (and a prize for whoever donated the most!).