What our perspective is in life, where our focus lies, can make a huge difference to how we live our lives. For those struggling with poverty and debt, the whole of their lives can become affected as it becomes harder to focus on anything else, the struggle to find the money to pay the bills affecting relationships, health and well-being. For those who have plenty, the struggle can be different, the need to maintain contentment or the aspiration to achieve more and better. Fo

This week is Debt Awareness Week, StepChange’s awareness campaign that challenges the stigma attached to debt, you can find out more here For local CAP Debt Centres such as Ely and District CAP it is an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges that people struggling with debt face and that there is free help and hope available. This is not a small issue only faced by a few in our communities. CAP research carried out in January has found that nearly a third (32%) of a

One of the things that makes Christians Against Poverty a unique debt help service is that our debt coaches and visit team meet people in their own homes and own situations, and that they bring the love of Jesus into those homes and situations. Throughout His ministry, Jesus brought His message to those who are on the fringes, or beyond, of society and just one example of this is His meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well - not only a Samaritan who Jews did not associat

Life can sometimes be full of questions and uncertainty. Even in a culture where science has split the molecules of life down to the smallest particle, there are still questions, the unknown. Some see this as scary, some challenging or exciting, and some reassuring - that there is more to life, the universe and everything than can be immediately seen or understood. When Jesus was telling His disciples that He would be leaving them, they were worried about how they would manag

In the laws given to the Jewish people in the Old Testament, particular concern is given to the care of the poor as individuals and as a community. Deuteronomy 15: 1 - 4 (NIV) 15 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. 3 You m

Despite the snow on Sunday there was a good attendance for the CAP Sunday service at the Countess Church and the team enjoyed sharing about Ely and District CAP. The children particularly enjoyed Fiona's foot washing demonstration and the theme of acts of service was continued in the talk from John based on Matthew 25. Matthew 25: 31 - 36 (NIV) 31 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will

For those who are struggling with debt, it can be hard to see a way out or a better future. For those who have plenty, it can be hard to see beyond the things of this world and connect with the love of God. In John 9 (excerpts from NIV), Jesus heals a blind man on the Sabbath which causes all sorts of confusion among the people and particularly the Pharisees, about the nature of sin, who has the ability to perform miracles and spiritual blindness: 16 Some of the Pharisees sai

The 2026 UK Poverty Report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation comes with the stark headline "Nothing’s changed? Everything’s changed. It’s worse". On the surface, statistics show little change and a stagnation of progress in reducing poverty at a national level, but digging deeper the situation continues to worsen as more households are trapped in deeper levels of poverty, which last over longer periods of time, increasing stress, illness, and locking away the potential for pr

Loneliness can be common to many of our Ely and District CAP clients. Emotional loneliness where relationships are broken by the denial or stigma of debt and poverty. Social loneliness where it can be a struggle to leave the house or answer the phone, imprisoned in an impossible situation. Existential loneliness, feeling fundamentally separated from others and the world around us. According to the UK government’s Tackling Loneliness strategy review, reported loneliness is hig

It is a hard thing to do to put our lives and situations into the hands of another; for our CAP clients to share their debt problems (and often many other issues as well) with our debt coaches and visit team when they come into their homes and put their trust into the CAP process. For those who encountered Jesus, it was hard for them to see who He really was, to only see Him in human, earthly terms and not be able to see beyond that. The five thousand were fed with just a few

January can be a busy time for CAP as people realise how much of a struggle it is to pay the Christmas bills and heat the house. Our first appointment slots are filled for January and are now booking into February. It is great that these five people have recognised to themselves that they need help, have heard about CAP (maybe through google, a GP or social prescriber, via the council or through a friend) and have made the call to ask for help. But this can be a hard thing to

The start of January can be a difficult time for those living in debt - all the 'New Year, New You' messages can fall flat when you are worrying how to pay the next bill or heat the house in this winter weather. There is a lot of fantastic support over Christmas, with extra Foodbank sessions, community Christmas meals etc., but once the bills start coming in combined with the long wait to the January paycheck or benefits payment things can look bleak. Matthew 8: 28 - 29 (NIV)

Christmas can be a busy and stressful time, struggling to buy presents and bring the family together for a meal. It can be a lonely time, looking out the window at the Christmas lights sitting alone in an unheated house that doesn't feel like a home anymore. It can be a difficult time for those struggling with addictions, just one more drink to get through or another deal on the shopping channels that can't be resisted. It can be putting a smile on and a Christmas jumper to t

Advent is a time of waiting and preparation and many of our CAP clients are waiting too. Some for their first visits to be able to begin their CAP journey. Some preparing the documentation they need for their second Fact Find visit, some waiting for their debt solution and preparing for the potentially difficult decisions that they will have to make. Some waiting for a Debt Relief Order (DRO) to come through or patiently paying into a CAP repayment plan to become debt free. A

Within the busyness of preparation for Christmas, preparation for the celebration of the arrival of our King, Advent is a time for reflection, to look back to the time when Jesus came as a baby and lived a human life, and to look forward to when He will come again. We are living in a time between these two events, when we know the love of Christ in our lives and can see His Kingdom at work around us and within us, but when we also know that the fullness of the Kingdom has not

Life can be a rollercoaster with many ups and downs, twists and turns, challenges, exhilaration and times of calm. In the beatitudes can be found something for every season and emotion of life. For many of our Ely and District CAP clients, the struggle with debt is just part of a difficult time in life with many challenges and uphill work, not just practically, but physically, mentally and spiritually as well. But the beatitudes bless the Poor in Spirit. Matthew 5: 3 - 4 (NIV

It seems that Christmas gets earlier every year, with the Christmas ads already launched, mince pies and Slade in the shops and Christmas decorations going up in towns and houses. It can be a magical time, full of family, joy and laughter like we see in the adverts, but it can also be a lonely time or a struggle to meet up to perceived expectations. 59% of CAP clients have had to borrow money for their regular food shop, and this is without the extras for Christmas, the incre

Sometimes for our debt coaches, visit team and clients, the journey out of debt can seem long and difficult, waiting for a DRO to be processed or juggling a limited budget to make ends meet. It can be hard for our clients to welcome the team into their home and their lives, and hard for the team to see the struggles they are going through, but it is a privilege to be invited in and help the clients through the debt free process, but also to know that they are worth more than

This week is Talk Money Week , and CAP are highlighting their latest ‘ Picture of Poverty ’ report which shows that nearly a quarter (23%) of adults in the East of England have daily anxiety about their finances. Further insights indicate that people who are struggling with debt and money management are not just looking for financial help, but also personal connection. CAP’s Picture of Poverty report reveals that when thinking about their current financial situation, 15% of a

It can be hard to be patient in life, and especially in the face of suffering - modern life can be fast paced and we want a quick fix, to solve it now and move on. For our Ely and District CAP clients (and our debt coaches!) the wait while the busy head office team puts a debt solution into practice can seem long and frustrating, but it is wonderful when the message of debt freedom comes through. This time may seem longer than we may like, but it is also valuable time, time t