Over 2,300 people who are struggling to make ends meet each year, are helped through Kingdom Resources budgeting and employment services.
Kingdom Resources is a Christian faith-based organisation in Christchurch that helps anyone in need, irrespective of ethnicity, age, culture or faith. The trust was originally launched by Southwest Baptist Church in 1988. Its mission: to offer budget advice and interest free loans to families and individuals struggling to make ends meet, many stuck in the poverty trap.
Over the years Kingdom Resources staff, and volunteers, have helped over 40,000 people with budgeting and/or employment support. This includes over 1,000 interest free loans, amounting to over $4.2m loaned to people in need.
The Work
Many clients say that they are desperate for help when they first see us—some are about to be evicted, others have repossessors knocking at their doors, and still others can’t afford power or to put food on the table for their whanau and tamariki.
“I don’t think I would be here today if it wasn’t for Kingdom Resources,” reported two clients over the past few days. Sadly, the stress is so great for some, that an increasing number of clients say that they are thinking about suicide.
Our role is to give clients hope, to help relieve some of the financial stress they are experiencing and, where possible, link them to other community groups or social services, including local churches for additional help. It’s very humbling to recognise that some of our work is literally “life-saving’.
Kingdom Resources motto is “Taking them by the hand . . .they helped them up . . . they became strong . . . and began to walk” Acts 3:7,8
Our goal is to help strengthen and empower clients to manage their finances themselves, so they can have hope for the future, enjoying happier, more financially sustainable lives.
Charitable Deposits
For 25 years, many people chose to invest their money in The Kingdom Resources Trust for no personal monetary gain. With the changes in financial regulations in recent years, new laws were introduced to protect the funds of investors. These new laws made it uneconomical for The Kingdom Resources Trust to continue to hold the funds itself.
“We asked three banks to see whether they could hold the funds for us, but none were able to help. But Christian Savings could!’ says John Exton, Kingdom Resources General Manager.
This partnership with Christian Savings means that new and existing Kingdom Resources supporters can continue to support our work, helping to transform lives, by investing with Christian Savings Charitable Deposits product.
