Christians Against Poverty

Are you in debt? Do you know someone in debt?

Then read on . . .

CAP is a debt-relief charity, started in 1996 by John Kirkby, which has since risen to be one of the most respected in the UK. It has 266 debt centres based at local churches right across the UK, with a vision to open a total of 500 services (debt, Job Club, Fresh Start, etc.) to reach the entire nation. It empowers local churches to reach out to their neighbourhood with practical debt help and the love of Jesus. It also helps people learn budgeting skills through its CAP Money Course, running in over 1000 churches. It also runs CAP Job Clubs to help people back into work, and Fresh Start to help people with life-controlling addictions.

Lancaster and Morecambe’s CAP Centre is based at Stanley Road Baptist Church, but is run by a charity (Lancaster, Morecambe and District Churches' Debt Centre), which has partnered with other local churches to offer support and help to those in the grip of debt in our area. More details here.

The aim of the Charity is to support the CAP Centre, through prayer, finance and practical assistance. The Centre Manager is Suzie Shearsby. Lou Mosey works as a Debt Coach. Together with the help of a team of befrienders, they visit clients in their home.

They talk with the client about their situation, and communicate with CAP headquarters in Bradford. The team in Bradford negotiates with creditors and sets up a CAP account into which the client pays money. This account covers all the payments to creditors, but ensures there is an agreed amount left over for the client's day-to-day living expenses. If it is not possible because of the size of the debt, then CAP help the client explore insolvency options.

According to their situation, the client will be given a timescale to becoming debt-free (usually within five years) as long as they stick to the plan. The befriender stays in contact with the client, helping and supporting them right through the time it takes to reach debt-freedom.

How good is CAP’s service?
- 94% of clients described the service as 'life transforming' or 'a great help'
- In 2023, almost 2,300 clients were helped to debt freedom.
- In 2023, CAP was reported that 46% of people had considered or attempted suicide before seeking help with their debts.
- Martin Lewis (of Money Saving Expert.com) described CAP’s service as “the best in the UK”.

More stories about the impact of CAP

Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do I have to be a Christian?
A. No, CAP’s industry-leading service is available to everybody, no matter what their religious beliefs.

Q. Does it cost anything?
A. No, CAP’s service is completely free for clients, although you may be so delighted with it that you’d like to see other families being helped in the same way by giving a donation (there is no obligation to do this).

How to get in touch
If you are in debt, you’ve come to the right place. To book an appointment, please phone our Client Enquiries team FREE* on 0800 328 0006
* Calls are free from most landlines. Mobile operators may charge for calls to 0800 numbers. If you have inclusive minutes in your mobile phone tariff, please call 01274 760839 to avoid any charge for calls to non-geographic numbers.

Visit the main CAP website.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this website, in particular Jonny Gios for his photographs

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

Sorry, your browser is unable to play this type of file. You can still download it

A Warm Welcome

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early so that you can feel settled before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be able to direct you where to go next.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after the service finishes. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free. If the sun is shining, some people like to sit outside. There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10.30am and ends at about 11.45am. During the service, we typically have 5 or 6 songs, with a mix of traditional and contemporary. Here are three examples of songs we regularly sing.

10,000 Reasons

How Great Thou Art

Goodness of God

There will be readings from the Bible, a time for prayer, as well as news and notices about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will share a sermon that is Bible-based and that we can apply to our everyday life. There is an opportunity to give financially to the church, but that is totally voluntary. We share Communion once a month, usually on the third Sunday.

Children's work

We welcome children at SRBC. Every week, we run SPACE, which is a group for children of pre-school and primary age. All our SPACE leaders and helpers are trained and DBS-verified. We also provide activities for children to do during a service, if they choose to stay in. Occasionally we have all-age services when the children stay in for the whole service. These services are more interactive.

whatswhat - COPY

What's What

Over the last 10 years or so, we have been delighted to welcome a number of adults with learning disabilities and/or mental health challenges to SRBC. We work hard to include them in all aspects of church life. Once a month, we run What's What during a Sunday service (usually the last Sunday of the month) for them. All leaders and helpers are DBS-verified. If you want more information about this group, then get in touch.

Getting connected

Small groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have several groups that meet in people's homes, and currently have one that meets at church at 10.45am on Wednesdays. Get in touch to confirm times and places.

Serving and volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, have a chat with Steven or one of the Trustees.

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.