CAP

Christians Against Poverty

Truro Centre:

It’s been an exciting few months since our CAP Centre here in Truro Light and Life Church was launched last June. We have set up numerous links with local sources for potential clients including Carrick and Kerrier Housing, CAB both in Truro and Redruth, Stonham and St. Petrocs both working with the homeless, Cornwall Rural Community Council and the Family Information Service. Naomi Kennedy of Radio Cornwall allowed us an interview on her Sunday morning programme, we’ve had some articles published in the West Briton and an article in the Carrick News. We had one potential client who came to us through the infamous Martin Lewis, the BBC’c financial genius, as he advertises CAP on his website. Now there’s something to thank God for!

By the end of 2008 we had visited twenty adults with numerous children, with sixteen of them signing up and continuing to work with us, that included three couples. Every situation has been unique, the reasons why they’re in debt, the effect that debt has had upon family life, their health, their emotions and even their spirituality. But CAP has been able to provide a solution in every situation where the client is willing to work with us.

In addition to providing a solution to the financial debt has been the joy of blessing clients with shopping when the cupboards were empty, putting credit on empty gas and electricity meters, giving little gifts such as chocolates, toiletries, books, including the Bible, worship CD’s and even clearing a garden. Then there’s the greatest joy, four of our clients have responded to the Gospel, glory to God! Highfield school in Redruth provided harvest hampers for each of our clients and then continued to bless CAP clients by providing Christmas shoe box gifts for every man, woman and child. Our various church groups provided Christmas hampers and two of our families will be having a CAP Discovery Break in Euro-Disney.

The blessing continues through those who are serving the Lord in various ways. There’s our faithful Prayer Team, meeting for prayer with the Centre Manager on a weekly basis, covering with prayer while visits are taking place and providing the ‘reporting back’ coverage. Thankfully there’s an ever growing team of Support Workers who visit the clients initially with the Centre Manager and then go on to befriend and support the clients. We have an Events Co-ordinator, leaflets droppers and a PR person who gets into places the Centre Manager never could! We’re currently praying that the Lord would provide a Senior Support Worker who could work closely with the Centre Manager to support her in the increasing number tasks and opportunities.

CAP is an awesome building tool in the hand of God, with which He is building His Kingdom. There is no limit to how far we can go with Him in this venture. The limitations will be there of our own making and not God’s. In these early months, yes we’ve seen people saved, yes we’ve seen bailiffs called off, yes we’ve seen a home secured that was under the threat of repossession, yes we’ve seen a marriage saved and another strengthened, yes we’ve seen desperate people gain a sense of dignity, peace and hope but more than anything has been the thrill to see God’s people putting faith into action, obeying the Word of God to ‘Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless, maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy, deliver them from the hands of the wicked.’ (Psalm 82:3-4) As we continue to move forward we will see more saved, more restored, more, more, more, more of what God is able to do when we obey His Word!