Christ Church, Roxeth
As Britain is finding at a national level, the road out of debt is long and painful. But for individuals caught in this trap, the effects can be truly crushing. That’s why Christchurch Harrow’s full-debt recovery programme (in partnership with Christians Against Poverty – CAP) offers up to five years of support for those affected.
‘The service is incredibly holistic,’ says Rachael Matthews, one of the church’s community workers. ‘We visit clients in their homes, take away all their financial papers, schedule budgets and negotiate with their creditors. We also offer prayer, take around food parcels and invite them to social events or take them out for a coffee. And some of our clients get nominated for holidays which they can go on at no cost. The service is absolutely free and open to all people regardless of background.’
Although the liberation process can take five years, Rachael sees an instant impact.
‘When I do the first visit, people often comment on their feeling of relief and the fact that they are not bearing this burden alone anymore. You can actually see the difference in their faces. Suddenly they have got someone to lean on when they may have had this secret burden of shame and now it’s out in the open and they have got support.’
‘Frances’ is just one of the people being helped by the service. ‘Frances unfortunately got into debt through her business failing through serious illness and other circumstances and she is now out of debt which is a great burden off her shoulders. We’ve prayed for her and she’s received a measure of healing, although that is partly due to her own faith and prayers. She’s still got a long way to go but she’s doing well.
‘Another client’s marriage had broken up and she had to sell her family home. Her husband kept taking her back to the court over the custody of her children. She finally was able to buy her own little house with the children, only to find she was over £20,000 in debt. She couldn’t bear the thought of selling up again as the only way out of her debt was to go bankrupt. I asked if there was anyone in the family who could help and she said there was nobody.
‘But on my next visit, she said an amazing thing had happened; someone in her family had offered to give her a very large sum of money thus preventing bankruptcy and the loss of her home. She was so pleased and happy. Alongside debt are often many other issues. This mother was quite distressed by some relationship problems between the children. I prayed with her about this and she is delighted that they are now getting along much better and one of her sons has recently been accepted for the England under-16 football team!
‘Sometimes I explore every option with a client to help them get out of debt. Can you get a job? Can you train? But each one is caught in their own poverty trap. The good news is that there is always a way out…we love to give them hope.’
But Rachael’s role can be painful as well as fulfilling.
‘Because our clients are vulnerable, they don’t always manage to stick to their budgets and do what they need to do to help themselves. Consequently we are unable to get them out of debt and that’s quite a sadness, especially if I have worked with them for a long time.’
Rachael believes the debt counselling service is also changing lives at church and community level.
‘I have a food store to which our congregation contribute jars and cans of food on a regular basis. In addition there is a group who run a monthly prayer meeting dedicated to CAP issues. There are lots of opportunities for church members to get involved, including one couple who take my clients shopping. The CAP volunteers enjoy their role and it has opened their eyes and hearts to those who are less fortunate.’
For more information on Christians against Poverty visit www.capuk.org or call 01274 760761