Families across the UK are feeling the squeeze like never before. Fuel prices have reached unprecedented levels, surpassing the record highs seen in 2022, with March recording the steepest rises on record.
Forecasts warn that if the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues until the end of the year, headline inflation could rise closer to 7 per cent. In turn, this will drive prices higher and higher, meaning that families who are already struggling will feel the bite even more.
This is a story we encounter time and time again at Acts 435, as an online giving charity that enables donors to give directly to the needs of individuals who are being supported by local churches and charities.
But what if there was a way that we, as the Church, can collectively come together to serve for the long-haul?
The choice between heating and eating
Even though the cost-of-living crisis has long disappeared from our headlines and political debates, for too many families up and down the UK, the reality of choosing between ‘heating and eating’ is unrelenting. And with war raging across the Middle East, its devastating impact also has an impact on families thousands of miles away from the conflict.
Many families, regardless of whether they are on a working salary, or receiving benefits, are struggling with the rising costs of fuel prices on a single person’s salary, which needs to cover housing, bills and food at the very least. If the boiler breaks down, or the MOT fails, then it's frequently the huge, unexpected bill that cannot be accounted for, and where the struggle deepens.
For too many families, it’s the constant battle between choosing between nappies, or whether to top up the gas meter despite the ever-rising costs, or sleeping on the sofa, so that their child can sleep in the bed, or the ongoing struggle to keep clothes warm and dry when mould creeps in over the walls.
This is why so many requests for the basic essentials - like a washing machine, money to purchase a school uniform, or support to rebuild a home after fleeing domestic violence - are not token gifts of generosity. They are real examples of love in action, from one stranger to another. No expectation, no funding cycles or endless paperwork to sift through - just one Christian, nudged by God, to give to another in need.
It still astounds me, time and again, just how rare, and precious this initiative is. Because we are not reinventing the wheel. We are seeking to follow the radical generosity of the early church, where they “gave to anyone in need” (Acts 4:35).
For Suzie, this was the very best gift of all: “I was beginning to think maybe I was a bad mum because I could not provide the basic things my kids needed. But then complete strangers came to the rescue and my very much loved kids are getting beds. No more tears or meltdowns as they can now get some much needed sleep. Thank you from a very very grateful mummy.”
Mobilising the local Church
Aside from our Sunday services, how can we also mobilise, and empower the Church to be this very source of love in action to those in our communities?
The Church is often seen primarily as a building, by the community that surrounds it, and then as a place to worship, a space of teaching, prayer, and community for church-goers, but its impact should not be confined to its walls. Delivering practical support to where it's most needed, by families who may never walk into a church, but deserve to know the love of God expressed in practical, tangible support.
Amid unprecedented fuel prices, inflation, and a cost-of-living crisis that continues to bite, this hands-on generosity, inspired by faith, is more than charity. It provides families with the breathing space to survive, thrive, and know that they have been touched by the love of a Christian, even if they never meet. What a wonderful opportunity we have - let’s embrace it with open arms.
Jenny Herrera is executive director of Acts 435 and has been involved in the charity since operations began in October 2009. She grew up in York, and is a chartered accountant by profession. She also runs the Good Business Charter, and is actively involved in her local church. You can partner with Acts 435 here: acts435.org.uk/partner
