Church congregations throughout Cumbria will say special prayers for those affected by the financial crisis on Sunday March 29, following a united call to prayer by church leaders.
The date marks the last Sunday of the current financial year. As the prospect of a new and difficult year beckons, county leaders from the Church of England, Salvation Army, Roman Catholic, United Reformed, Baptist, Methodist and Quaker groups have issued the call.
A letter signed by all the leaders will be read in churches across the county, while churchgoers will be asked to seek God's help to meet the demands and difficulties of the current recession.
"We pray in solidarity with people all over the United Kingdom, all affected in different ways by this crisis," says the letter. "We pray in sorrow for our part in a culture where debt and financial gain have been to the fore.
"We seek God's help and guidance for this nation to which we belong but also for his whole world in all its turmoil.
"And we give thanks for all that is good and hopeful in the life of our communities and in the opportunities to love and support one another."
The letter will also point churches towards places where they can find resources to direct their response to the crisis in their local area.
The Diocese of Carlisle's website has made resources available for those who are struggling financially and those wishing to help.
