Open a CAP Debt Centre
debt help
Lifting people out of debt and poverty
In Matthew 25, we are called to live out
Jesus’ mission to bring good news to the
poor and release the oppressed. As the 21st
century Church, how do we practically
reach the poor in our communities and tell
them the good news?
67%
of clients had sacrificed
meals due to debt
60%
of clients lived in fear of
losing their homes before
they came to CAP1
Setting
captives
free
You cannot escape the news reports about
debt and poverty in Canada. Here in this
country, thousands of people will not eat
properly today. They will sit in cold homes
because they can’t afford to pay utilities.
But since 1996, we have seen hundreds of
churches rise up to offer people hope and
a solution through CAP’s professional debt
counselling service. Your church could join
them.
You will be there to put an arm around
people in their darkest hour, showing God’s
love in action. This partnership of CAP’s
service and the Church’s compassion is
changing thousands of lives every year.
Will you join us so that, together, the local
church can be the answer to one of the
biggest problems our society faces? This is
our time, our chance to make a difference.
John Kirkby
Founder & International Director
A CAP Debt Centre provides debt counselling through communitybased home visits to lift people out of debt and poverty.
1. Christians Against Poverty client survey 2014.
2
3
The problem of
debt in Canada
Why a CAP Debt
Centre is the
answer
Canada is the 11th largest economy
in the world, but the reality is that for
every dollar Canadians earn, they
owe $1.63.2 Canadians are playing a
dangerous game with their credit that
can lead to total financial destruction.
A CAP Debt Centre is like a doubleedged sword against debt, equipping
your church to reach the poor in
your community. Not only will you
become a centre that delivers the most
comprehensive debt counselling service
out there, but you will also be able to
take Jesus’ love right into people’s living
rooms. From there, you will open their
eyes to the loving community of God’s
Church and be able to share the good
news of Jesus Christ.
On average, people wait at least
one year before seeking help with
their debts and the primary reason
is because they are ashamed. 40%
thought there was nobody who could
help them.3 Imagine if you were living
like that – trapped without hope of your
life ever improving. It is heart breaking
to discover that 37% of those in debt
think that ending their lives is the only
choice.4
At CAP, we have taken a stand
against debt – enough is enough.
We are calling on the Church to rise
up and join us in order to save lives
and break the chains of shame and
isolation.
A partnership with CAP will enable
your church to:
If it wasn’t
for CAP coming
into my life, I
wouldn’t be here
today. Now I’m
stronger knowing I
have God’s love.
99%
• Reach the poor in your community.
• Share the gospel in a relevant way.
• Offer the very best and in-depth debt
counselling service.
• See people released from poverty
and debt.
• See people come to know Jesus and
be discipled by your church.
of clients described their
Debt Coach as ‘friendly’5
– CAP Debt Help client
4
2. Statistics Canada, 2015.
3-5. Christians Against Poverty client survey 2014.
5
The CAP Debt Help process
How it works
CAP gives your church an awardwinning debt counselling tool. We train
Debt Coaches to deliver a first class debt
counselling service without needing to be
a financial genius. They’ll be backed up
by a team of professional Caseworkers
and Specialist Advisers at our head office.
CAP takes care of all of the ‘nitty gritty’
elements of debt counselling centrally.
We put together budgets, negotiate with
creditors and assess the best route to
becoming debt free for every client. This
frees up your team to do what the Church
does best – love and care for people
without judgment.
Your Debt Coach doesn’t need
in-depth financial knowledge.
• The quality of the debt counselling
is very high, it’s CAP’s responsibility
and it’s covered by our licences and
insurance.
• Clients can speak to a Caseworker
Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 5pm.
92%
of clients describe our
service as ‘life transforming’
or ‘a great help’.6
6
1
The client calls our toll free
phone number to speak to our
New Enquiries team and book
their first appointment.
4
Our fully
trained caseworkers
put together a
budget and
contact priority
creditors.
If the client is in severe
debt, CAP will discuss
the different options
with the client including
bankruptcy.
2
3
On the next visit,
your Debt Coach goes
through all the client’s
financial details and
sends the paperwork to
CAP’s head office team.
Your Debt Coach goes back to visit the client
to explain the budget and set up a CAP Plan.7
8
Your Debt Coach
goes to the client’s
home to introduce
our service, before
giving the client
time to gather
all the necessary
paperwork.
7
The
necessary
bills and
debts are
paid through
the client’s
CAP Plan.
5
6
CAP’s
Creditor
Liaison Unit
negotiates
with the
secondary
creditors.
The client’s case is passed on to a dedicated
team, who support them until they become debt
free.
9
6. Christians Against Poverty client survey 2014.
7. A CAP Plan simplifies each client’s finances. They simply make one weekly or monthly payment
into their plan to cover all their bills and debts, which we then distribute on their behalf. This
simplicity means that clients are able to stick to their budgets, and obstacles to physically paying
their debts are removed.
7
God took my by the hand and led me into being a
Debt Coach. Now He’s teaching me and my church
about what poverty really looks like in our city, and
CAP has given us amazing and practical tools that we
can use to do something about it. We get to share the
Good News about Jesus with people that
we would never have met outside of our
partnership with CAP!
– Lisa, Debt Coach, Cornerstone Church
Saskatoon, SK
Opening a Debt Centre has been a rich
experience for me and for my church. As
a church, we are given the opportunity to
step into people’s homes and lives and hear
their story, as they have journeyed through
both emotional and financial issues.
Through God’s grace and guidance, we can
offer hope through the brokenness and
present a way forward through the work of
CAP. Being a debt coach has been a tremendous
blessing. I am invited into the lives and homes of
some wonderful people who have real struggles.
What a privilege to be able to provide hope to
them, God’s love from the local church
and a real plan to move forward into a
better life.
– Natalie, Debt Coach, Trinity Streetsville Anglican
Mississaga, ON
– Helen, Debt Coach, Meadowlands Fellowship Ancaster, ON
8
9
What CAP
provides
When you partner with us to open a
CAP Debt Centre, we will provide your
church with:
200+
clients helped*
$1.7
million
in debt
managed*
• All the professional debt
counselling, specialist teams and
systems at our head office.
• All training and materials needed
for running your debt centre,
including publicity and service
delivery literature, and regular
tailored press releases.
• A dedicated member of the CAP
team who support your Debt Coach
and act as a point of contact for
you as the church leader.
• Comprehensive resources for
evangelism and discipleship.
• Access to our central emergency
aid fund to provide food hampers
or emergency purchases for your
clients.
• Access to CAP’s secure IT, email
and intranet systems, including
‘Hope’, our custom debt counselling
system.
• A CAP Speaker to launch the
CAP Debt Centre at a service in
your church.
What your
church needs
to do
We choose to partner with local
churches to deliver our debt help
because we believe that the Church is
the hope of the world. It holds the only
message that can change lives and
communities now and for eternity.
In order to run a CAP Debt Centre,
you will need:
• To have your church leader attend
a CAP Church Open Day
• A CAP Debt Coach who can work a
minimum of 16 hours per week.
• Access to a laptop, the internet and
a cell phone.
• A team of volunteers who are
willing to support the Debt Coach
and befriend CAP clients.
• To host a CAP Speaker to give a
talk at a Sunday service, which will
include a financial ask.
You need:
• One CAP Debt
Coach.
• Prayer and support
team.
• Access to a laptop,
cell phone and the
internet.
Please note that having your own church
building isn’t essential, because CAP
Debt Help is delivered through home
visits.
* As of Dec. 31, 2015
10
11
66
You can also choose to have the
following:
people become
Christians every •
month through
•
our debt
help service
worldwide
Additional Debt Coaches so that
your Debt Centre can see more
clients on a monthly basis.
A Community Links Coordinator who
will be trained by CAP to take care
of publicity through the press and
referral agencies, helping to ensure a
steady stream of clients for your Debt
Centre.
Launch talk
$
How much does it cost?
Opening a new CAP Debt Centre costs
CAP around $31,500 per year, but we
are happy to invest in local churches
that want to help the poor and save
the lost in their communities. We do ask
that churches share in this cost each
year and make a monthly donation
towards at least a third of CAP’s costs –
a minimum of $875 per month.
However, we don’t want finances to
be the factor that stops a church from
partnering with us. If money is the only
thing stopping you, please talk to us
before you make any final decisions.
Hosting a launch talk is vital to the
success of the CAP Debt Centre in your
church. A CAP Speaker will visit your
church to inspire your congregation
about the CAP Debt Centre, and motivate
people to engage and get involved.8
The launch talk will also inspire your
congregation about the wider work of
CAP, giving them an opportunity to pray
and offer financial support.
12
8. If a CAP Speaker has already visited your
church, a different talk will be delivered at a
CAP Debt Centre launch service.
13
Recruiting your team
In-depth financial knowledge is not essential for a Debt
Coach or Debt Coach because CAP’s central teams
take care of that. This means your team can focus on
sharing Jesus’ love and allowing people to respond.
CAP will interview all candidates and have final
approval on their suitability because they will be
representing CAP to communicate debt advice.
We will always have the best interests of all parties
at heart during this process. Your church can then
employ your debt centre staff or they can be
volunteers. Their commitment would be to work at
least 16 hours per week as a Debt Coach.
Debt Coaches will need to:
• Have a heart for poverty issues
and a desire to get involved on the
frontline to help tackle the problem.
• Be comfortable and confident
working with a wide variety of
people.
• Be able to show previous
evidence of evangelistic work, be
comfortable sharing their own faith,
and able to lead and pioneer a
new ministry in your community.
A Community Links
Coordinator will need to:
• Be a great communicator or
effective ‘sales person’.
• Be confident communicating on the
phone and face-to-face to the press
and referral agencies (e.g. doctor’s
offices and social services).
I felt so at peace with my
Debt Coach, Diane. She
made me feel better –
really uplifted. I felt like a
different person!
– CAP Debt Help client
14
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Life Changers
At your launch service, the visiting CAP
Speaker will inspire your congregation
about all that God is doing through
CAP.
71%
of our regular income
in 2015 came from our
Life Changers.9
They will also ask people to join us to
achieve our goal of having a CAP Debt
Centre in every town and city across
Canada by supporting the charity with
a monthly gift through our
Life Changer
programme.
As an evangelistic charity, we rely on
Life Changers – their support means
we
don’t have to compromise our beliefs to
obtain funding.
Working with
another church
We are very open to partnering with
a group of churches in order to open a
debt centre in your community. Please
contact the team to discuss this if it’s
relevant to you.
One’s not enough!
There are communities all over the GTA
where we already have a CAP Debt
Centre. However, that doesn’t mean the
debt and poverty problems in that area
are taken care of. In many places,
particularly major cities like Toronto, we
need several debt centres to meet the
demand.
If you’re already aware of a church in
your location that has opened a
CAP Debt Centre, please still get in
touch with us.
I can honestly
say CAP has
transformed
us as a church.
We’ve helped
hundreds of
people out of
debt and we’ve
seen people
come to church
and become
followers of
Christ who would
not have come
otherwise.
– Simon Benham,
Senior Pastor,
Kerith Community Church,
Bracknell
9. Christians Against Poverty accounts 2014.
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What to do next
Attend a Church Open Day
Colleen
CAP Debt Help client
A Life
Transformed
Colleen’s
Story
After my divorce in 1996, I found
myself alone and living on a fraction of
my income. This led to over a decade
of living hand-to-mouth and getting
more and more into debt.
My situation eventually got so bad that
I tried to take my own life because of
the stress that debt was causing.
When I reached out to CAP for help,
my Debt Coach, Linda, told me that
God wanted to walk alongside me and
that I didn’t have to to struggle alone
anymore. She explained that Jesus
wanted to be in my heart. I had never
heard that before, and it sounded
pretty good!
I decided that day to never be alone
again and invited Jesus into my
heart!
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The first step to opening a CAP Debt Centre is for your church
leader to attend a Church Open Day at our head office in
Hamilton, or at one of our regional events around the GTA. This
will be an inspiring day and allow you to experience the culture
of CAP first hand. You can ask all the questions you need to fully
understand how a partnership between CAP and your church
works. Your church and community are unique. By discussing
your particular situation, we will find the right way forward
together.
Church Open Days are free and happen regularly throughout
the year – find dates and locations, and book online at
capcanada.org/openday
Other ways to partner with CAP
If you’re not sure which CAP service is right for your church, just
give our Church Partnership team a call at 289-684-9181.
CAP Job Clubs
Order an information pack at capcanada.org/jobclubs
CAP Release Groups
Order an information pack at capcanada.org/releasegroups
CAP Money Course
Order an information pack at capcanada.org/capmoney
Want to book a CAP Speaker for your church now?
Call our CAP Speaker team at 289-684-9191
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debt help
capcanada.org/debthelp
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t: 289-684-9181
@CAPinCanada
e: [email protected]
Registered Office: 383 Hughson Street North, Hamilton, Ontario, L8L 4N2
Corporate Name: Christians Against Poverty Canada
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Against Poverty Canada.