Churches Responding to the Cost of Living Crisis
By Martin Hodson, General Director, BUS
A question facing us all is, How do we love our neighbours in this time of financial hardship? When the BUS Council met on 28 September 2022 we spent some time considering how Baptist churches might respond to the cost of living crisis and its impact on the poorest people in our communities.
A list of practical steps that our churches are already taking emerged from the conversation and Council thought it would be helpful for all churches to see these. We hope they might help your congregation discern how the Lord is calling you to overflow with his generosity in these difficult times.
Food Projects
- Increasing support to food banks
- Distributing food parcels
- Running a community fridge
- Holding batch-cooking parties
- Inviting people who are able to contribute to a hardship fund
- Hosting more opportunities for church meals together
Buildings
- Offering the church building as a warm space, open to all at certain times each day
- Joining in with the Warm Welcome Campaign: www.warmwelcome.uk
- Liaising with other local churches and organisations to open warm spaces at different times
Money and Debt Support
- Supporting CAP Centres
- Providing or signposting the CAP Money Course
- Providing ‘cooking on a budget’ lessons
Honest Conversations
- Recognising we tend to be reserved about matters of need and ensuring we ask directly and sensitively how we are each coping as food and heating prices increase.
- Enquiring, ‘How are you managing financially?’
Ministers and Staff
- Providing a one-off payment to help church staff and ministers with increased heating costs
Signposting
- Being aware of other local and national organisations offering support
- Alerting people to the web portal listing current support from Scottish Government: costofliving.campaign.gov.scot
