New free resources to help churches to tackle UK poverty
As the rise in the cost of living continues to sweep across the UK, we are looking to strengthen churches in Chichester Diocese to answer God’s call to respond.
Free resources have been released from expert budgeting and debt help UK charity, Christians Against Poverty (CAP). These free resources have been designed specifically to help churches respond to UK poverty.
The theme, compassion in action, will inspire us through using a gospel story to demonstrate how activating our compassion and putting our faith in God, can make a difference for a multitude of individuals and families currently being impacted by the cost of living crisis.
The resources focus on Melinda, now debt free through the support of a local church and CAP. Her story is available in a moving video, with sermon notes and suggested prayers, as well as identifying approaches that church congregations can take to respond collectively to tackle poverty.
Experienced locally based CAP speakers are available to book for services, or you can use our resources to lead your own service. Find out more at www.capuk.org/sunday.
CAP Sunday
These resources are specifically designed to help churches engage with and reflect upon the impact that UK poverty has on everyday people - whether those churches are partnering with CAP or have never heard of CAP before. They are generally used as part of a broader annual event called ‘CAP Sunday’ which seeks to equip church congregations to collectively tackle poverty in their local area.
What is ‘CAP Sunday’?
‘CAP Sunday’ provides churches with the resources they need to run a Sunday Service that addresses the devastating impact that UK poverty is having, focusing on the church’s biblical mandate to respond with hope to those experiencing poverty. ‘CAP Sunday’ adopts a different theme each year, with this year spotlighting the gospel story Matthew 14:13-21, when Jesus responded with compassion to a five thousand strong crowd.
What resources is CAP offering?
CAP provides everything you need to host a Sunday Service. You can either use our notes to create your own sermon or book one of our trained CAP Speakers to come along to your church and deliver the entire talk. We offer suggested outlines for you to use at your children’s groups and even prayer suggestions for you to use as you see fit.
These resources can be downloaded from our website or we can post printed copies out to you.
One central resource that all churches use is a video story from a CAP client, this year told by Melinda who’s recently journeyed out of debt through the support and care of a local church and CAP. It’s a stark but uplifting story where Melinda not only describes her life after debt, but also her new found faith.
NB CAP relies on everyday people for small regular giving to fund our work, so would therefore include details about giving options as part of any ‘CAP Sunday’ event.
When is CAP Sunday?
‘CAP Sunday’ is bookmarked for 15 October 2023, but plenty of churches host a ‘CAP Sunday’ and use the resources on an alternative day in the year that suits their church calendar.