Church needs to tackle debt (Keith Tondeur)

10 March 2010

Church needs to tackle debt

Over the past year as National Director of Credit Action, the Christian national money education charity, I have been summoned to see leading Government and Opposition Ministers. There is increasing alarm about the level of personal debt in this country and increasingly the Church is being seen as a place where help could be offered.Some figures clearly show how bad the picture is.





	Last year alone more than one million people attended a Citizen�s Advice Bureau (CAB) for debt advice. Well over a quarter of these were also visiting their doctor for help because of the stress caused. Debt is also named as the number one reason for family arguments and relationship breakdown.

You may be asking �what has this got to do with the Church�? If so you may be shocked to know that there are almost five times as many verses in the Bible about handling money than there is about either faith or prayer. In addition 15% of Jesus' recorded words, including two-thirds of His parables relate to money.
Within yards of your church, and sadly often within it, there will be people struggling with debt issues. Recently having come out of a meeting with Michael Howard, the Shadow Chancellor, my mobile rang with an urgent message from a counsellor. I rang a man in his thirties who had gone round to see his 68-year-old dad and found him hanging in a garage. Thankfully he got there in time and I was able to talk and help him think more positively. Obviously this is an extreme case but it highlights the desperation that debt brings.

I believe that if we sit back and just wait for people to flock to our churches we will have a long wait. We need to be getting out, getting our hands dirty and helping people where they are at. We need to show the unconditional love of Jesus to our society that increasingly doesn�t know Him. We have to show that we care. What does your church notice board say? Well on top of putting the times of the services how about some useful local telephone numbers and addresses - like Relate Samaritans etc as well of course with any thing you may be doing in the Church. You immediately show your community you care and it hasn't cost you a bean! Come on Church wake up! There's a lost and lonely world out there, people who are desperate for genuine love, forgiveness and acceptance. Lets go to them where they're at and show them the only place they can find this - in the loving arms of our beloved Jesus.

3 Ways You Can Tackle Debt Within Your Community

1. Publicise where you can the free and confidential money advice help line run by Consumer Credit Counselling Service [0800 138 1111]

2. Distribute to libraries, doctors sugeries, courts, etc. the Credit Action Money and Debt Guides, which can be amended to appear to be sent by your church.

3. Why not get together with other local churches and set up a Debt Counselling Service for your community. Credit Action can provide training and resources to make this happen.

For access to money management guides and more information about Credit Action training and resources, visit www.creditaction.com or call 01223 324 034.

Keith Tondeur, National Director of Credit Action