Why start CAP Debt Help at your church?
“I have come that they may have life…”
God has uniquely positioned your church to help people take steps closer to Jesus, while practically loving your neighbours in need…
How can your church do both of these in an accessible, sustainable way?
Don’t lose who you are… use who you are as a church
CAP Debt Help partners with your church to walk alongside struggling neighbours like Alan & Delwyn in mutually transformative ways.
“Debt overclouds happy moments. In my head, I might not be able to provide as a parent. With CAP, released from the gloom — the people we want to be!” — Alan & Delwyn
Your church
brings its unique strengths, local knowledge and community flavour. Bring your relational heart & attune to God’s Spirit to help locals experiencing tough times.
...and CAP
brings the technology, first responders, Financial Mentors and client advocacy – supporting people for as long as it takes to be freed from unmanageable debt & hardship.
Together we can meet locals
in their homes, at the centre of their experience, supporting people to reach their goals. And now, with CAP, your church is positioned to overcome the chaos of debt & hardship — enabling transformation for New Zealanders, in this generation and the next.
A ‘with Jesus’ approach that cares for the whole person
Your local Church’s practical care, combined with CAP’s centralised expertise, enables people like Lee to take the pressure off — focusing on what’s most important to them.
“One zero… or thousands of zeros. I couldn’t make sense of it?! Having children… having bills, and you can’t pay.
CAP put a wall around the chaos of my life. They made me feel whole… I thought, ‘ You know, there might be something in this God thing?’ ” — LEE
“One zero… or thousands of zeros. I couldn’t make sense of it?! Having children… having bills, & you can’t pay.
CAP put a wall around the chaos of my life. They made me feel whole… I thought, ‘ You know, there might be something in this God thing?’ ” — LEE
And as money chaos eases, space is opened for people to start strengthening their relationships… with money, themselves, others and God.
New Zealanders have said 'goodbye' to unmanageable debt
%
people using CAP Debt Help say it’s ‘life-transforming’ or ‘a great help’
%
of CAP clients felt closer to God in 2024, compared with past
Generational impact. As a church you’ll:
- Provide practical help to take the pressure off
- Build relationships — supporting people to take steps closer to Jesus
- Enable people to find paths out of debt, grow money skills & become financially resilient — with a newfound ability to navigate life’s storms
- Enrich your congregation — as volunteers sense God’s leading in local homes & lives
- Serve people in need in a sustainable & accessible way, ie. 2-6 hours a week for a future CAP Coach
- Celebrate alongside whānau as they reach goals & pass on money skills to kids!
Social impact - independently assessed by Impact Lab
Improved mental health
Improved spiritual wellbeing
Improved partner relationships
Improved physical health & food choices
Reduced need for emergency benefits
Reduced family violence
Reduced child placements
Reduced risky behaviours
Reduced addictions
Reduced debt
Every $1 invested in CAP Debt Help returns $4.90 in social good to Aotearoa.
View the full Impact Lab report.
What are other churches saying about CAP Debt Help?
Over 36 churches from Whangārei to Tīmaru are bringing free CAP Debt Help to their local communities:
- Serving 400+ whānau in money chaos every week
- Delivering $14,388,781 of measurable good to New Zealand society
- 3,000 opportunities to share or demonstrate the gospel’s good news every year
- Before CAP, 1 in 10 clients had hope. With CAP it rises to 8 out of 10 whānau with hope for the future!
Exploring a CAP Ministry
We understand it takes prayer and discernment to decide whether a CAP Debt Help ministry is the right for your church.
You can chat to CAP or organise a coffee with one of our friendly Partnership Managers.
You can start here
How effective is CAP Debt Help?
Run the CAP Money course
FAQ's... is a CAP ministry is right for my church?
A good way to get started is to chat to CAP or organise a coffee with one of our Church Partnership Managers.
We offer a number of options, like free workshops, to help you and your church discover the best way to serve your community. You may choose to use some or all of the options on offer.
Do we need a big team?
Your church doesn’t need a big team. CAP Debt Help is suitable for small to large churches. At a minimum you’ll need:
- Support of your church leadership
- One part-time Debt Help centre manager from your church who also serves as a CAP Coach. (4-6 hours a week is the standard commitment that a centre manager needs to begin with). Your church can decide whether this role is on a paid or volunteer basis.
- Additional volunteers from your church who choose to commit a few hours each month as CAP Support Workers – visiting clients, building friendships, wrapping people in need with support and aroha.
What existing skills do we need?
Your church doesn’t need specialist financial skills – simply a heart and commitment to see lives changed. Your team will be provided with training to offer this same practical help and spiritual hope.
What you will need – in finding your Debt Help Centre Manager you’ll want to identify a person with a passion for prayer — plus a relational posture that would enable them to coach and attune as they journey with people in tough situations.
CAP provides training on how best to take the pressure off and to invite clients to steps closer to Jesus. With this in mind, your Centre Manager will treasure opportunities to share the good news — inviting the love of Jesus as they walk alongside clients. They’ll be a great team-builder, and someone who is comfortable with technology.
What does it take? What does my church provide?
Debt Help Centre Manager
Your Centre Manager will come from your congregation. They will also serve as a CAP Coach. The CAP team will help you to select this person.
Finding the right person is a big part of making your Debt Help centre a success. You’ll want to identify a person with:
- a passion for sharing the love of Jesus and helping people take steps closer to Jesus
- a heart for working with locals in your community
- a great team-builder and someone who is comfortable with technology
- good soft skills, with potential to coach/attune to clients (coach training provided!) and a desire to see people thrive.
CAP’s support office team/Financial Mentors will take care of the creating Money Plans and negotiations with money lenders, so your Centre Manager will not need in depth financial knowledge.
CAP Support Volunteers
Your church will be needing to build a team of Support Volunteers. Their role will be to commit a few hours each month to befriend CAP families and show God’s love in simple ways that bring lasting impact.
Being a Support Volunteers looks like taking a client for coffee, popping by with a meal, helping with practical needs around the house, checking-in or inviting them to church.
Launch at a church service
Your launch service will celebrate the start of your Debt Help Centre and will honour the journey you have been on so far. Your congregation will be able to express interest in the new Debt Help ministry. Ways to get involved include offering ongoing prayer support, becoming a Support Volunteer, attending client events and/or supporting CAP the wider work of CAP.
Community Launch
Once your Debt Help Centre is open, it’s time to start sharing that news beyond your church! A community morning tea or other event will help you to establish new connections in the community and/or strengthen existing relationships.
Organisations — such as Work & Income NZ, Citizens Advice Bureau, Iwi, local foodbanks and community services — may have contact with people who desperately need CAP’s free services.
You community launch offers a great opportunity to explain how CAP Debt Help works, answer questions, and to start developing a referral network that will mature into long-term relationships.
What training and support is provided?
Comprehensive training plus on-going support and resources will be provided to ensure you run an effective and successful Debt Help service in your community.
To begin with, your Debt Help Centre Manager will attend a three day training session in Auckland — providing core skills on what it takes to be a Centre Manager and to serve as a CAP Coach. From there, a CAP representative will come to your church to help you to launch and build your church’s support team. We’ll guide you through a community launch to get local business and referral agencies on board.
Publicity tools
As a partner church, you and your team will have access to brochures, videos, posters, pullup banners and social media materials to help promote your new Debt Help centre.
Gospel Engagement support
You’ll be provided with inspiration and materials to support you in sharing God's love and helping people take steps closer to Jesus. This is an invitation, not an expectation for clients. It’s CAP’s heart to provide free help to everyone, whatever they do – or don’t – believe.
Ongoing support, development and prayer
Your Debt Help Centre Manager and CAP Coaches will be supported by the CAP team, who will provide ongoing development, trouble-shooting, and prayer support. You can look forward to an annual CAP conference and regional hui to connect and collaborate with other churches who are doing what you are doing.
CAP’s Financial Mentors (based at CAP's Support Office) will walk alongside each client with you for the duration of their journey. Together you'll support clients with their biggest challenges, rocks or burdens...
And CAP's centralised Client Services team will also support you — and of course your client — by providing centralised financial expertise. They will negotiate with creditors on a client's behalf, develop Money Plans, advocate & provide options to ensure people find the right path out of debt.
By journeying alongside each client, whānau grow in money skills. And over time people become confident with money decisions.
What does it cost to run a CAP Debt Help centre?
Exploring a CAP ministry is free of cost and commitment for your church. We realise it takes prayer and discernment to decide whether a CAP Debt Help ministry is the right way to go.
If you decide to go ahead, your church is asked to make a contribution to ongoing running costs – this wouldn’t be more than 25% of total running costs. To keep your costs down, 75% of your church’s costs will be covered by regular donations from generous CAP supporters. CAP’s priority is to help you to reach people in your community, so we can talk about what is manageable for you church.
We’re sure you’ll have questions around contributions and ongoing costs, so we’ll make sure to work through these questions together.
