Church partnership

to lift people out of debt and poverty

2

Luke 4, Jesus set out his mission to bring good news to the

poor and to release the oppressed. As his hands and feet,

Jesus calls his Church to live out his mission and values.

Opening a CAP Debt Centre will connect you with people

in your community who are suffering as a result of debt.

They may be struggling to feed their families, depressed and alone. Your

church will be able to offer them hope and a real solution through CAP’s

professional debt counselling service. You will be there to put an arm

around them in their darkest hour and show God’s love in a real way. This

partnership of CAP and the Church is changing thousands of lives

every year.

Our vision is to have a CAP Debt Centre in every town and city, so

anyone in Australia can access our life transforming work.

Will you join us, so that together, the local church can give hope and an

answer to one of the biggest problems in our society? This is our time;

our chance to make a difference.

Why CAP exists

Ross ButtenshawCEO Christians Against Poverty Australia

capaust.org/partnership [email protected] 1300 303 929 3

1 Australia Fair: Update on those missing out” by Australian Council of Social Service - 2007* Australian council of Social Services Poverty Report 2012: The poverty line (50% of median income) for a single adult was $358

per week. For a couple with 2 children it was $752.2 Brotherhood of St Laurence “Counting the Costs” – June 2008

97%1 IN 3

2.8 million 5,000

say their marriage has been

affected by debt

Australians live below the most

austere poverty line 1*

63%⅓said their housing was at risk due

to their financial situation

of CAP Clients say they

contemplated suicide because of

their debt

of CAP Clients surveyed suffered

from depression and other illnesses

because of their debt

The stats

families are assisted by CAP

every year

4

We are passionate about releasing people in our nation from a life

sentence of debt, poverty and its causes. Working with the church, we

bring good news, hope and freedom. We are Christians Against Poverty.

Our vision is to bring good news, hope and freedom to people in every

Australian community. We will do this by tackling debt, poverty and its

causes through a network of local churches running 1,000 CAP projects

by 2021, CAP’s 25th birthday.

• Serve the poor

• Save the lost

• With the Church

• Across the nation

• We are Passionate and United

• We are Christ centred and Generous

• We are Compassionate and Professional

• We are Fun and Risk taking

Global Mission Statement

Australian Mission Statement

Core Values

Cultural Values


We believe the Christian Church is God’s answer to humanity, which

is why we only partner with churches. By opening a CAP Debt Centre,

local churches are empowered and equipped to reach out to those

in need, transform lives, share the good news of Jesus, and see many

brought to faith and a new life in Christ.

CAP is the only free, holistic debt management charity in Australia. CAP

is currently looking to partner with like-minded churches that champion

the cause of the poor and needy in their community, whilst also

delivering God’s mandate to reach the lost.

Why the Church?

“CAP has changed my life immensely. I’m focused and positive. I can support my kids and watch them grow without the worry.”

maria - former cap client

6

What does CAP do?

1: Home visits After calling CAP, each client is visited in their own home by a CAP Debt Centre Manager and Support Worker from their local CAP Debt Centre.

2: An effective budgetCAP then works out a realistic budget; by prioritising essential bills, negotiating affordable payments with each creditor and working to stop unfair interest and charges.

3: CAP AccountOnce set up, this acts like a simple bank account. The client makes one weekly or monthly payment into their account to cover their bills and debt repayments, which we then distribute on their behalf.

5: Debt freeClients use their CAP Account to pay their bills and debts; they are supported by caseworkers at CAP Head Office until they are debt free.

4: Managing severe debtIf a client is in severe debt, we can walk them through the appropriate insolvency route. We can help our clients with filling out forms and specialist advice.

CAP gives professional debt counselling, helping the most vulnerable

become debt free. Helping someone out of debt is a complicated, time

consuming process that requires financial and legal knowledge.

We do this through:


Why open a CAP Debt Centre?It is a practical way to reach out to your community and ultimately

share God’s love. CAP provides your church with comprehensive debt

counselling tool and will do the debt counselling centrally. This means

your Centre Manager can focus on supporting the clients spiritually and

practically.

• You’ll appoint a Centre Manager to visit clients to gather financial

information and explain their budget, once CAP has negotiated with all

their creditors. These clients are then supported centrally, until they are

debt free.

• CAP will deal with any financial queries, re-adjustments and new

budgets as clients’ circumstances change.

It’s easy:

• Your Centre Manager doesn’t need in-depth financial knowledge, or

be experienced at negotiating with creditors.

• The quality of the debt counselling is very high, as it’s CAP’s

responsibility and is covered by our licences and insurance.

• Clients can speak to a trained Caseworker (Mon – Fri, 10am – 3pm).

†

8

What does the Church provide?The Church is the hope of the world with a message that can change lives and communities now and for eternity - that’s why we choose to partner with local churches who share our values.

By partnering together, we believe changes can occur in local communities as well as across Australia.

Life Changers are regular givers, whose contributions enable CAP to offer:

• free services to clients nationwide

• a subsidised cost to partner churches to make implementing the CAP programs more affordable

As CAP is a faith-base ministry that receives no government funding, Life Changers provide an essential support to the organisation, and ensure our evangelistic beliefs and Christian values can be maintained.

National impactLife Changers


CAP workers from the church have the opportunity to express God’s love to clients; offering prayer, sharing their faith, and discipling them as new Christians.

Local impact

A volunteer or employee recruited by the church with an evangelistic gifting who can lead CAP’s ministry in your community.

A great communicator, or sales person, trained to support the Centre Manager by promoting the Debt Centre through the local press and referral agencies.

Staff or volunteers from the church approved by CAP to provide debt advice. Successful candidates will receive in-depth training and management.

Congregation members who befriend clients and help them with other areas of their life, showing them God’s love in action through practical support.

Centre Manager

Community Links Coordinator

Debt Coaches

Support Team

''from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together ... causes the growth of the

body for the bu ilding up of itself in love.''Ephesians 4:16 (nasb)

10

If the client is in severe debt, CAP will discuss the different options with the client, including bankruptcy

and Part IX Agreements

The Centre Manager goes back to visit the client to explain the budget and set

up a CAP Account*

The Centre Manager goes to the client’s home to collect their financial information

CAP works out a budget and negotiates with priority creditors centrally

The client’s case is passed on to a dedicated team who support the client until they are debt free

First Solutions Team member books the first appointment with the client

The Centre Manager does the local publicity, aided by CAP’s central PR team

How does CAP’s debt counselling work?

*A C

AP

Acc

oun

t, w

hich

act

s lik

e a

sim

ple

ban

k ac

coun

t, is

set

up

fo

r ea

ch c

lient

.T

he c

lient

mak

es o

ne w

eekl

y o

r m

ont

hly

pay

men

t in

to t

heir

CA

P A

cco

unt

to c

over

all

thei

r b

ills

and

deb

ts, w

hich

we

then

dis

trib

ute

on

thei

r b

ehal

f. T

his

faci

lity

mea

ns t

hat

clie

nts

are

able

to

sti

ck t

o t

heir

bud

get

s as

the

ir fi

nanc

es a

re s

imp

lified

and

ob

stac

les

to p

hysi

cally

pay

ing

the

ir d

ebts

are

re

mov

ed.

Bills and debts are paid through the client’s CAP Account*

CAP Caseworkers negotiate with the secondary creditors

The client calls our 1300 number

CAP’s debt counselling process is a proven and personalised approach to assist people experiencing the effects of unmanageable debt.


CAP is committed to our vision of having a CAP Debt Centre in every town and city by empowering the local Church to tackle the big problems in its own community. For this reason, CAP is happy to invest significantly in every centre. However, we do ask that churches share in the financial costs of opening a CAP Debt Centre.

CAP will invest in your church by providing all of the centralised debt counselling services necessary to run your CAP Debt Centre.

We provide:

• Training management and support to help your centre be as successful as possible

• Support for evangelistic client events

• Free comprehensive PR support and literature, evangelism and discipleship aids, access to CAP’s client aid budget and bursaries

• A PC, mobile phone and travel cost reimbursements for your Centre Manager

We ask that churches also make a monthly contribution to cover at least a third of CAP’s costs. The current average given by our existing Debt Centres is $750 a month. We would ask you to join us in stepping out in faith as much as possible.

How much does a CAP Debt Centre cost?

“Since working with CAP, our lives have changed a lot!”

Robyn & James - former cap client

12

“We’ve been involved with CAP for over 6 years now, and we just love the impact it has on people’s lives. The most crushing burden any family or individual can endure is a financial burden; it is unrelenting. Just seeing people being set free in that way is so rewarding, but along the way, there is an opportunity to share the reason behind it; to explain that Jesus has come to set people free. This is just a very practical way of engaging people in a very practical area of their lives.”

Ps. Sean StantonSenior Pastor, Life Unlimited Church, Canberra

National Secretary of Australian Christian Churches

“Partnering with CAP has had a much bigger impact on our church than we could have ever anticipated. We have helped hundreds of families and individuals in our local community to get out of debt, with many becoming followers of Christ and joining our church. This has changed the demographic of our church from being predominantly middle-class, to more accurately

reflecting our local community.”

Ps. Phil PringlePresident, C3 Church International

Personal testimonies


“I think CAP has given me, and us as a church, an amazing opportunity to reach people within the community. We have a range of other community services as well and it just fits so well with providing a way out. The aim of our community area is to give people a hand up in their situation. Giving them a solution like CAP, helps to get them out of their circumstances and back on their feet again.”

DanielleFormer Centre Manager, Life Unlimited Church, Canberra

“What I love about actually going to help somebody practically with the debt management that we have, is that at every client appointment there is an opportunity for prayer. In that time, we are giving God an opportunity to move into that client’s life. We are recognising a need and praying into it and I know God wants to reach that client more than I do. I know God is going to move in that person’s life, because He wants to make Himself known to that person.”

NicolaEvangelism and Discipleship Manager

“I’ve been working with CAP since 2010, I started as a volunteer and now I’m a Centre Manager. The thing I love about being a Centre Manager for CAP is the opportunity to be able to help people, to meet them in their life, be able to encourage them, invite them to

church and see their lives completely transformed.”Rachel

Debt Coach, C3 Mount Annan

14

Churches Together

By working through a growing network of churches across the

country, we have seen people freed from debt and become

Christians. This would not have been possible without church

partnerships.

On a local level, collaboration can be equally valuable. For churches

that have fewer resources when it comes to finance or volunteers,

we offer the possibility of working with other churches in their area

and pooling resources.

One church becomes the lead church, providing the CAP Debt

Centre and Centre Manager. They then work with link churches from

the area who provide finances, volunteers or (hopefully) both. This

creates more possibilities for churches who want to work with us.

You can find out more by speaking to a member of our Church

Partnerships Team.

Phone: 1300 303 929

Email: [email protected]

''How wonderful it is, how p leasant for God's peop le to live together

in harmony!'' psalm 133:1 (gnT)

Equip your community with budgeting skillsThe CAP Money Course gives your church a professional and relevant

outreach tool. Help people to budget, save and spend well, and see how

it can open the door into your community.

“I love the CAP Money Course that so many people in our congregation have gone through. Young people, older people; teaching them budgeting skills. It’s absolutely brilliant! I highly recommend it as a way of engaging with your community, equipping your congregation in financial areas; it’s an outstanding course.”

Sean Stanton, Life Unlimited Church, Canberra National Secretary, Australian Christian Churches

For regional training dates and a free info pack visit capmoneycourse.org

$

$Scan the QR code with your smartphoneto watch the CAP Money video

PO Box 298, Hunter Region MC NSW 2310 e [email protected]. t (02) 4914 0500.ABN: 92 104 471 516 ACL: 426594

(02) 4914 0595 [email protected]

capaust.org

SPEAK UP

SPEAK UP

”

for those who cannot speak for themselves,

and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

for the rights of all who are destitute.

Proverbs 31:8-9 (NIV)

“

CAPAustralia

@CAPAustralia@CAPAustralia

@CAPAustralia

Documents

Church partnership