Serving the West of Ireland
Pastor Paul Cullen leads Discovery Church in the West of Ireland, with congregations in Galway, Tuam and Clifden. He is a true shepherd of the flock, caring deeply for the church and the community of Galway and beyond.
When he heard about CAP Ireland he welcomed the opportunity to host a Galway launch in late 2023.
Discovery is a growing, vibrant church with people from many nations and many walks of life. Very few in Ireland today don’t face any financial struggles and that is true of people in Discovery too.
24/7 Disciples
Church leaders know that true discipleship goes beyond what happens on a Sunday. It involves helping people to live in God’s grace every day of the week.
That includes how we use our money and how much we worry about it. Teaching people that it’s important to use what God gives us wisely is important. Teaching them how to do that is another thing altogether. Christians often accept the challenge and want to manage their money in a Godly way. Sadly, if they don’t know how to do this practically, they can feel ashamed. That is not how pastors want people to feel.
That’s the dilemma Pastor Paul faced as he met people with financial struggles in the course of his ministry. Pastors have many demands on their time. Finding the time and having the skills needed to teach people how to manage their money well is a challenge.
That’s why he was so excited to hear about CAP and how we can partner with churches. Together we can tackle this important issue.
A valuable partnership
Having CAP come alongside the church has been a real blessing. Volunteers from the church attended induction training to equip them to run money coaching workshops. CAP provides all the resources and know-how to teach people simple ways to manage their money. As Pastor Paul mentions in his video, this has brought great results.
Early in the partnership he was counseling a couple with relationship struggles. He was sure that their approach to finances were the main cause of the problems. This is not uncommon and financial pressure can be the biggest strain on marriages. He asked one of the local volunteer money coaches to meet the couple. The money coaching helped them understand how to manage their money together and their relationship flourished again .
I watched the difference that began to make in that couples lives. Suddenly some of the big things in the marriage that seemed insurmountable, they were able to face with some real sense of confidence, they knew where they were going with their finances.
paul cullen
Note: Money coaching usually happens in groups but can be offered one to one dependent on volunteer coach availability.
40 people have been through money coaching workshops in Discovery church in the last two years. There is another course starting in February. Each one of those 40 people have friends, spouses and families. The difference good money management can make in one life blesses others too. The effect reaches beyond those attending the workshops. If you haven’t read Diana and Simone’s story, take a look.
Beyond the church walls
Pastor Paul also shares our heart in CAP to reach people in our communities with the transforming love of Jesus.
We want to use this as a bridge builder.
Paul Cullen
People in the community who don’t know how to do finances. Maybe don’t yet know the Lord, maybe never been to church…they can encounter something of the hope of God. Jesus puts broken families, broken finances back together and the gospel message is more than “Here’s this little ticket to get you into heaven”. It’s changing lives now.
That’s the heart of Jesus.
When I was involved in church leadership, I saw first hand the blessing that attending money coaching was to people in our community. Some we didn’t see again, some we did. That is always the case when we are building relationships and sowing Kingdom seeds.
But we knew one thing. They had experienced the love and grace of Jesus during their contact with us. Everyone was grateful for the help they received. They were also often surprised that such practical help came from a church for free!
Pastor Paul and Discovery Church understand the potential for blessing our community that partnering with CAP can bring. It’s hard to imagine a good reason not to have a simple, inexpensive, ministry like money coaching in your church. As Pastor Paul said
Why would you not consider picking up the phone, reaching out and to Alan and Helen and the team and maybe beginning that journey with them?
paul Cullen
To discuss how a partnership with CAP Ireland can benefit your church, contact Alan McElwee: alan@capireland.ie or Helen Holden: helen@capireland.ie
For more information on our next online Taster event click HERE