Last Friday Mike Griffiths and I went to the celebration of 15 years of Christians Against Poverty (CAP). To celebrate John Kirkby the founder was running 15 marathons in 15 days in 3 countries, and then hosting a fundraising dinner each evening. Incredible.

His story goes like this;
In 1996, John nearly lost everything. He was in dire financial straits and was heartbroken about his inability to provide for his two daughters. With over 20 years experience in the finance industry on his side he was able to fight his way out of debt, but he could not forget the culture of brokenness, pain and fear which he had battled. He realised that those without his knowledge and expertise would almost certainly succumb to the loneliness, terror and desperation caused by unmanageable debt. So, with £10 in his pocket, he went into the poorest communities of Bradford, England and Christians Against Poverty was born. John created budgets which prioritised food and essentials, liaised with creditors and educated people in financial self-management. He advocated for clients whilst empowering them to take control of their finances in order to sustainably repay debts and provide for their families. He supported those who were lonely and alienated by society and gave them a sense of hope, while asking for nothing in return.
Since those days, CAP UK has well over 100 debt counseling centres around the UK, has won numerous management and leadership awards and is the UK’s largest Christian debt counseling charity. CAP is now an international organisation, with head offices in Australia and New Zealand and 20,000 people a year are helped by CAP’s services around the globe.

We have a CAP office in our church led by Lilian Moss. I believe that CAP is one of the great moves of God in our generation.