CAP courses are starting in October!
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is a charity that has been running for over 20 years. CAP is passionate to see people released from poverty and debt in the UK and across the world. They partner with local churches to run money advice services, debt assistance and much more.
What happened during the pandemic?
Did money worries affect your life?
Everyday CAP Champion, Helen Dennis-Smith, tells her story.
I don’t know how you managed financially during the pandemic but our household finances were all over the place. One minute there was money in the bank account, the next there seemed to be either a lot less or none at all. My husband retired the week of the first lockdown, earlier than expected, leaving us scrambling to sort out pensions. We were surprised how long it took to unlock a workplace pension! I also retired earlier this year, having spent lockdown on a rollercoaster of furlough, full-time work and zero hours work (often actually meaning zero income), and taking the plunge into retirement meant revisiting the home finances once more! Some days it seemed as if sorting out a monthly budget was an uphill task which led only to anxiety and frustration.
The uncertainty, the separation from friends and family, the isolation of working from home, not meeting friends at church and Life Group, all the knowns became unknowns. Except for God! He was still at work and he knew the grand plan. Our finances had not been under such close scrutiny for some time but each time we looked at them, we knew we could trust God to provide for us. My training through the CAP Money course really helped. All the practical reminders of making sure we were on the cheapest utility tariff, cancelling the subscriptions we didn’t need, and checking prices per kilo in the supermarket during the weekly permitted shop became routine. It’s a bit like muscle memory. Once you’ve learnt these tips, they never leave you.
We were also very aware of friends who lost their jobs or their businesses and didn’t know how they could carry on and feed their families. God allowed us to talk some of them through the CAP Money management system and see Jesus give them a positive way forward.
As we once again have greater freedom in our daily lives, maybe some of this resonates with you. Maybe you went through some financial challenges and would like to rebuild your savings. Perhaps you are still struggling and would like some suggestions for living on a low income. Or debt has mounted up and you are not sure how to reduce it. Maybe your well-being has been affected and you want to regain your confidence. The CAP Money and Life Skills courses could really help reset your thinking about your attitude to money according to biblical principles.
Come and join us at one of our upcoming Money or Life Skills courses, which will be run face-to-face at Everyday Wimbledon, 30 Queens Road, SW19 8LR.
The CAP Money Course
Would you like to be able to manage your money to suit your needs and create a sustainable budget? Whether you want to save for something specific, be more generous, live within your income or learn how to adapt to a new life stage, this is the course for you. Our coaches have all completed the course themselves and are passionate about seeing lives transformed as people understand what the Bible says about money. They can also refer you to the local CAP Debt Centre if you find you have a bigger problem than you imagined.
The next 3-week course starts on Saturday 2nd October with more planned in 2022.
See https://capuk.org/i-want-help/courses/cap-money-course/introduction to register or email helen.dennis-smith@everyday.org.uk
The CAP Life Skills Course
Are you struggling on a low income? Do you sometimes wonder how to eat well on a budget? Is your well-being suffering because you are constantly worrying about your bills? Would you like to learn some practical skills to save time, money and hassle in your day-to-day life and find out how a relationship with Jesus can help you deal with life’s pressures? Then this is the course for you!
The next course starts on Monday 11th October and there will be more courses soon.
Register for the course at https://capuk.org/i-want-help/our-services/cap-life-skills/introduction or email julie.willson@caplifeskills.org
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5