Nov

Ministry Report 1 - Money Advice

£50 million of debt

Money Advice Centres which are part of Community Money Advice are currently helping over 2000 families handle £50million of debt
Those who make purchases with a credit card spend, on average, 34% more than they would if they used cash.

These were just two of the statistics shared at the annual conference of the CMA which I had the privilege of attending last weekend in Milton Keynes, UK.

Heather Keates

Growing up

CMA is the grown up child of a debt advice centre started by Heather Keates when she was part of the Newfrontiers church in Burgess Hill, UK. Now based in the Barnabas Community Church in Shrewsbury she leads CMA which provides high quality training and support to Advisors in church-based Money Advice Centres throughout the nation. Last year over 600 advisors were trained.

Growth in recent years has been impressive. In 2007 there were only 24 Centres; now there are 92. Further, many enquiries are regularly being received for help in setting up new ones. Nearly half of the Centres are based with Newfrontiers’ churches the others being across the various church streams and denominations.

Stephen Timms

These Centres are providing high quality advice which is being readily endorsed by the UK government, as was acknowledged in the contribution at the Conference by the Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury. This ministerial role gives him responsibility for HM Revenue and Customs, and European and international tax issues. His presence was, in itself, an indication of the UK Government’s respect for CMA. As he spoke from the heart he stressed the high value placed by government on the vital place that churches can have in helping alleviate poverty in their communities.

Martin Charlesworth

God’s heart about wealth

The conference opened with a whistle-stop examination by Martin Charlesworth, lead elder of Barnabas Community Church, of some of the ways in which God intends us to handle wealth and his expectations of how He expects us to respond to the plight of the Poor. Drawing from Old Testament scriptures Martin demonstrated God’s desire for our stewardship of resources and his principles for economic growth. He also showed from Deuteronomy 15 how the Kingdom of God is about both economic revolution and spiritual transformation.

Debt relief leads to family harmony

This was followed by people sharing stories in discussion groups about the impact their Centres had had on the lives of many through the advice and support they had given –hope restored, marriages saved, families re-united – as people experienced the compassion and acceptance they had received in their hour of need. As Stephen Timms subsequently stated ‘Deep debt is desperately debilitating’. The Advisors in the Centres, who are mainly highly trained and committed volunteers, know this to be true from their daily contact with people; but they also know there is a way out.

Following a review of the past year’s activity of the CMA we heard feedback from 3 centres - battles fought and won with banks, some of the human stories behind serious debt in the lives of individuals and experiences of setting up a new centre.

Selection of CMA Resources

Partnership

CMA has a warm three-way partnership with Stewardship and Credit Action. two Christian organisations who have produced excellent material and training courses both for individuals and for churches to teach people of all ages how to handle money – budgeting, handling credit cards etc. Explanation of their roles in teaching Money Management formed the substance of one of four optional seminars.

The pleasure of Jesus

The conference closed with out attention being drawn back to Jesus in Matt 25:36-40, particularly …’Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? …’Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ We were reminded and encouraged to see that as we seek to help those in need we minister to Jesus.

Hope in a time of despair

At this time of recession many are facing serious financial challenges. Whether of their own making or as a result of circumstances they need help. It is so good to know of the ministry of the CMA network which can not only help people solve their difficulties but also equip them with Biblical principles of personal money management and give them the tools to move forward with greater confidence.

Footnotes
1. For further info go to www.communitymoneyadvice.com or write info@communitymoneyadvice.com
2. Presentations at this Conference by Martin Charlesworth and Stephen Timms will be available to download from the CMA website in due course.
3. All photographs by Larry Bray Photography www.larrybray.com