CHRISTIANS AGAINST POVERTY

Jubilee wants to help the communities of Teesside; it’s part of our mission statement that we serve those in need and bring the Joy News of Jesus to everyone everywhere. Earlier this year we were approached by Christians Against Poverty (CAP) to set up a Debt Counselling Centre to help those in Middlesbrough. This comes on the back of the success of our Life Skills course which we started running last year.

We have been specifically asked to focus on Middlesabrough as CAP currently has no work in this area, although we will also be able to support Stockton people. Our plan is to be based primarily in The Hope Foundation and offers us a chance to partner with Hope to offer even more support to the clients through access to training and community. This also fits in really well with our plans to launch a site into central Middlesbrough; we believe God’s timing in this has been perfect.

The Elders have asked me to be involved in setting up and leading the Debt centre. This is a great opportunity and fits in with my experience having set up several businesses in the past 20 years. My job would be to visit clients, with a befriender, get to know them, pray with them, and gather all the evidence that CAP central will need, to sort out their debts and manage them.

My vision has always been to bless the poor both physically and spiritually. When we came north 20 years ago, it was to church-plant in Sunderland, from Jubilee Church Teesside. I know that Middlesbrough is one of the poorest areas in the country, with thousands of people in debt and struggling. We have been called by God our Father to be a brother or sister to all, and my patch to do this is in Teesside.

I was approached by Gavin in February 2024 and asked if I would consider setting up CAP Debt Counselling on behalf of the church. I spent a couple of weeks praying, seeking God and having discussions with my husband Derek. Also, I have trusted friends who pray with me. I even laid a fleece out to the Lord and it was answered the next day. I gave the Lord another week, before I said yes to the elders.

I am starting on a voluntary basis giving my time freely, however, the future goal is that the church leadership wants this to move into a paid role. 

We need to raise, for the first three years of this adventure, £25.000, and that is without paying me. This will be done through applying for grants, sponsorship events and donations. Every penny counts

In September, the elders must decide whether it is a yes, or no, as I will start the interview process with CAP, to get onto their training in November 2024. This is for 5 weeks, finishing in mid-December 2024 when we can start getting clients. It will be decided by how much money we have raised.

I want people to grasp the vision and the enthusiasm that I have for this project by supporting it financially to raise the £25,000.  Of course supporting the project financially would be good, but is secondary at this time as we focus on prayer to see God raise our faith for the project. I want to see this project up and running and with God's guidance and the support physically and in prayer from my brothers and sisters this will happen.

This is an exciting time. I will be serving those most in need and so helping them to get out of debt, but not only that, we will be bringing the gospel into people's homes, offering to pray, befriending them, hoping in God's timing, to bring them to Jesus and into our church. 

Wow, what an adventure!