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The Purpose of the Book | The Perspective | The Key Points | Details We Love | Considerations | Who Should Read This?

 

The Purpose of the Book

Becoming Whole, written by Brian Fikkert and Kelly Kapic, is a sequel to When Helping Hurts. It targets the poverty-fighter who has already been introduced to the concepts in When Helping Hurts and who has implemented or plans to implement changes in their practices to help individuals conquer perpetual poverty. It zooms into the underpinnings of those practices, further examining what the actual goal is. Is it to help individuals attain the American dream?  Is it simply to lead others to spiritual salvation?  Fikkert and Kapic contend that our true aim should be to help individuals become whole, as God intended them, and they provide a full exploration of why this should be our end goal in poverty alleviation efforts, including many practical examples and stories.

 

The Perspective

Whereas When Helping Hurts touches a bit on the scriptural basis for re-examining our efforts to “help” the poor, this follow-up focuses on deep theological and philosophical foundations, ultimately pointing to the necessity of emphasizing individuals’ relationship with God as the primary step toward escaping poverty. But, Fikkert and Kapic make clear that one’s reconciled relationship with God and the healing and recalibration that occurs in one’s mind, will, affections, and body should lead to the reconciliation of the other three foundational relationships. One might say that they are promoting a holistic approach to poverty alleviation and development.

 

The Key Points

Individual and Cultural Formation:

In Part I of the book, Fikkert and Kapic explain that individuals and cultures are shaped by metanarratives, “overarching account[s] of the nature of God, of human beings, and the world.”  These metanarratives shape individuals and communities through three channels. 

• The story of change represents the community’s conception of the goal of life and how to achieve that goal.
• Formative practices are the behaviors that the community believes will help achieve the community’s goals.
  
• Environmental and social systems are the institutions that are formed to encourage the formative practices, such as schools, churches, laws, or social activities.

The individual influences these three channels, but the community, or the whole collective of individuals, also influences the individual in these areas through what Fikkert and Kapic call a “formative feedback loop.” This process ultimately makes the community what it is.  They posit that, of the three, the story of change is the vital element that must be examined in order to alleviate poverty, as the formative practices and environmental and social systems are based on it.  The story of change, though, is based on metanarratives.

The Three Foundational Metanarratives:

Throughout the book, Fikkert and Kapic explain how three foundational metanarratives interact to influence individuals’ and communities’ stories of change.  In part two of the book, they introduce these metanarratives: 

• Historic Christianity holds that the individual is created by God in His image with a body, mind, affections, and will that are used to interact in healthy relationships with God, self, others, and the rest of creation.
• Western Naturalism denies a divine being and elevates man as the “master of the universe” whose intention is to serve their own self-interest.
• Traditional Religion acknowledges a divine being or beings but who cannot be personally known and are arbitrary and capricious in their interactions with man.

One story of change that has emerged from an interaction between Historic Christianity and Western Naturalism is “Evangelical Gnosticism,” and it has greatly influenced the Western church’s approach to charitable practices. Western Naturalism’s emphasis on the physical and meeting its material needs in the here-and-now has displaced Historic Christianity’s theme of Christ “reconciling all things.” In exchange, Evangelical Gnosticism promotes solving an individual’s “legal problems” with God, reducing it down to obtaining eternal pardon through accepting Christ but then pursuing the dead-end materialism of the “American Dream” that will always fail to bring wholeness that comes from reconciliation with our Creator. 

According to Fikkert and Kapic, Evangelical Gnosticism’s story of change can be summed up this way: “The primary goal of life is to get the soul to heaven for all eternity” with a secondary goal of “making the body happy in this life through self-centered, material consumption.”  If the Western church is guided by this fallacious story of change, we will never find full satisfaction.  Furthermore, if Evangelical Gnosticism guides our poverty alleviation, neither we nor those we try to help will experience full restoration.  So, what should the story of change be for us and for those we’re attempting to help?

God’s Story of Change:

According to Fikkert and Kapic, everything we do to help individuals in poverty flows from the story of change we embrace. What is the goal of life?  How can this goal be achieved?  In summary, Historic Christianity focuses on the individual as being created in His image for relationship and to experience shalom in all its meaning, including safety, tranquility, wholeness, friendship, and contentment. After the Fall in Genesis, this shalom was broken, including the four foundational relationships. 

The goal of God’s story of change is human flourishing, which is experienced when individuals use “their mind, will, affections, and body to enjoy loving relationships with God, self, others, and the rest of creation.” This must be our goal in poverty alleviation. 

Fikkert and Kapic spend the remainder of part three discussing how to achieve the goal of God’s story of change: “Through the gift of the Son and Spirit, the triune God accomplishes our reconciliation to God, self, others, and the rest of creation.” Additionally, they illustrate how this reconciliation impacts not only the spiritual “legal status” of those we are helping but also the habits, addictions, relationships, and corrupt systems that we experience and encounter day-to-day.

 

Details We Love

Although the content of Becoming Whole may not be the most practical, it is vital that our practice be undergirded by right theology and philosophy, and Fikkert and Kapic provide a phenomenal framework for ensuring our goals and strategies are founded in God’s story of change.  

The authors provide a robust discussion of the role of healthy relationships in one’s overall mental and emotional health, but they extend their discussion of relationships to one’s success at work, another aspect of God’s original design: “Work divorced from proper relationships is contributing to an explosion of mental health problems and a dysfunctional society.”  We wholeheartedly agree!  Building and restoring relationships are key aspects to helping to lead those experiencing poverty into freedom and reconciliation with God.

 

Considerations

Becoming Whole is not a light read. It challenges the reader to ensure our approaches are rooted in the correct story of change, which involves the reader examining his or her own understanding of the Gospel.  Keep this in mind before picking it up and be prepared to do some serious self-examination.

Although this book is not highly practical, a companion book, A Field Guide to Becoming Whole, has been created to help one examine their current approaches and practically implement a holistic approach.

It should be mentioned that, in discussing environmental and social systems, Fikkert and Kapic breach the topic of systemic racism, contending that it is present and has played a significant role in the prevalence of poverty throughout history.  This is a highly controversial subject, but Fikkert and Kapic present their perspective in a tactful manner.  Whether the reader agrees with their arguments or not, this is not a central theme of the book, and it should not discourage those who disagree from taking up the book.

 

Who Should Read This?

If you desire a deeper exploration of the idea of the four foundational relationships broken because of the Fall than is in When Helping Hurts, you will greatly appreciate this book.  Fikkert and Kapic dive into the theological “deep end” to ultimately contend that we must focus on more than just them finding forgiveness through Christ, or solving an individual’s legal problems with God, but also on restoration of the whole person with their Creator.

 

Becoming Whole can be purchased at Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jump to:

The Purpose of the Book | The Perspective | The Key Points | Details We Love | Considerations | Who Should Read This?

 

The Purpose of the Book

When Helping Hurts is a rallying cry for the Church that simultaneously convicts and compels. Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert set out to awaken American Christians to the stark contrast between their beach vacations and the grinding poverty in foreign slums. However, they don’t intend to stop at motivating just any action. They also provide a framework for understanding when “helping” is counterproductive  and how to make a real difference by “walking with the poor in humble relationships.”

 

The Perspective

This book is written from a distinctly Christian perspective and is directed at the local church, with concepts easily applied by nonprofits, as well. This book also takes a global perspective on poverty but does not neglect the manifestations of poverty at home. The authors assert that it is unacceptable to do nothing and equally unacceptable to just do anything. “We do not necessarily need to feel guilty about our wealth. But we do need to get up every morning with a deep sense that something is terribly wrong with the world and strive and yearn to do something about it.”

The Key Points
Part 1: Foundational Concepts About Poverty. This book takes the theological perspective, along with the apostle James (1:27), that religion is not merely an exercise in personal piety but an exercise in living out piety in service to others. The authors express that many Christians make the mistake of exalting the King while caring nothing for his kingdom.

Furthermore, root cause analysis is critical to addressing poverty. The well-off tend to define poverty in physical terms—the poor tend to describe it in psychological terms such as humiliation, shame, powerlessness, and isolation. While root causes vary situationally, all can be categorized in terms of a breakdown of four key relationships: the relationships of individuals with themselves, with others, with God, and with creation. 

Dysfunctions in these relationships affect all of us regardless of how much money we have in the bank. Because of this, we must come alongside the poor with humility, not as superior saviors. However, though we all experience some brokenness, the authors are quick to point out that the physically poor are in an especially dire situation, held captive by a “spider’s web” of interconnected problems which makes it very difficult for them to escape unaided.

They clarify that the goal of poverty alleviation is not to merely transform the poor into the middle class (“a group characterized by high rates of divorce, sexual addiction, substance abuse, and mental illness”). Rather the goal is to “reconcile the four foundational relationships so people can fulfill their callings of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruit of that work.”

The authors also add that both individual characteristics, such as worldview, and broken systems contribute to dysfunctions in these relationships. Addressing poverty means addressing internal and external circumstances.

Part 2: General Principles. One of the most important contributions of this book to the effective poverty lexicon is the three types of charitable interventions. While poverty is complex, its solutions can be grouped into three broad categories: relief, rehabilitation, and development. A temporary crisis, such as a natural disaster or unemployment, requires relief, characterized by one-way giving designed to alleviate immediate suffering. Returning to the pre-crisis state, such as rebuilding a home or finding a new job requires rehabilitation, characterized by the recipient becoming an active participant in his or her own recovery. Advancing to a higher level of flourishing than previously experienced, such as getting a better home or job, requires development. Development and rehabilitation require the same basic intervention—both require active participation from the individual advancing.

Effective relief is seldom, immediate, and temporary. Effective development recognizes the importance of doing with not for. A general admonition is to never do things for people that they can do for themselves.

The book also instructs leaders to invert the way they approach the poor. Do not see them as only having needs. Begin with their assets; assume they can do something and ask them about their capabilities before you design any programs to address their needs. The authors preview several tools to assist with this asset-based community development (ABCD). These include asset mapping, techniques for identifying the assets of a community; participatory learning and action, optimized for groups used to making community decisions; and appreciative inquiry, an approach that emphasizes what is working already and seeks to amplify it.  

The authors also remind us that participation from the poor is an end unto itself, even if it does not seem to change the program much. Participation means people are overcoming their sense of powerlessness.

Part 3: Practical Strategies. The third section of the book provides some practical models of ministry at home and abroad.

In the US, they observe that poverty has “suburbanized.” The majority of the poor no longer live in inner cities but in rural and suburban areas in easy reach of churches. They acknowledge a wide range of obstacles the poor face, including difficulty accessing work, sufficient financial tools, and avenues for wealth accumulation. They also address the barriers created by low-quality schools and expensive healthcare and housing but recognize that it is difficult for a single church or nonprofit to impact these areas with limited resources. They propose strategies to address the most accessible elements of the problem, such as job training, financial education, and matched savings accounts (Individual Development Accounts). They also encourage churches to provide temporary employment to people and use their congregations to connect the poor to better long-term employment.

In a developing world context, they assess the value and limitations of the short-term mission team, which they compare to an elephant dancing with a mouse. Despite their potential to trample local efforts, mission teams can also do a lot of good, and the book provides some approaches for this purpose. Beyond the short-term interventions, they also unveil some the pros and cons of strategies like microfinance, savings and credit associations, business training, and social enterprises in developing countries. All of their strategies focus on empowering people to help themselves and are pragmatic about the limits of what a foreign partner can do.

Part 4: How to get started. A local church can work either at the level of an individual household or at the community level, generally through an organization or church based in the community. There are pros to both approaches. It is easier to start small by working with individuals. However, in many cases, helping an individual make major improvements to her life will result in her leaving a poor community and may have a net negative effect on those who remain. Hence the value of more collective efforts.

In either case, Corbett and Fikkert lay out five key principles for fostering change

1) Foster triggers for change. Change is usually inspired by a “trigger,” such as a recent crisis, the status quo becoming unbearable, or the introduction of a new idea. Organizations can look for clients who have experienced a crisis, refuse to alleviate the continued consequences of bad decisions, and use new possibilities to impact the triggers that will inspire change.

2) Mobilize a supportive community. Volunteers have an important role to play in supporting, mentoring, and connecting people in poverty to better opportunities. Mobilize them, and place them in structures that facilitate relationships, not dominance.

3) Look for an early, recognizable success. “Start small, start soon, and succeed.” The best way to get started is with a small goal or objective that a poor person can choose, contribute to meaningfully, and see accomplished. This helps build confidence for more ambitious projects.

4) Learn the context as you go. It is important to understand the details of a person’s situation, but some can be learned in progress to facilitate more rapid action. There should be a natural loop of trying something together then reflecting together and trying something new. 

5) Start with the people most receptive to change. Since development cannot be done to someone, it naturally requires a willingness to change. The authors list a seven-step continuum describing levels of receptivity to change. Because your resources are limited, in any program, it makes sense to triage assistance by willingness to change.  

 

Details We Love

This book is paradigm-forming and has sounded a clarion call for Christians concerned about the poor. They build the case for why all Christians should care, and why caring, coupled with sound understanding, should lead to more effective practice.

While it is impossible to unpack the implications of these ideas fully in a single book, the authors do their best to lay out practical strategies. 

The ideas of this book inform the entire True Charity philosophy. Central to the book is the idea that development requires what we call “challenge.” Although they do not spend any time talking about outcome measurement, they clearly support a results-focused orientation—with the appropriate caveat that people are not widgets, and building the relationships that lead to good outcomes is an intensive process. We also appreciate that they acknowledge the centrality of relationships and faith in effective charity, recording an instance when they turned down a government grant because it would have required them to extract the Christian elements from their job-training program. It follows that while the government has some role in poverty alleviation, it cannot be a primary one.

 

Considerations

In their efforts to clarify the root of poverty, the authors express all the malfunctions of the four relationships in terms of poverty: “poverty of being,” “poverty of community,” “poverty of stewardship,” and “poverty of spiritual intimacy.” This introduction of new terms then forces them to explain why “material poverty” is a matter of greater cause for mobilization than a wealthy person suffering from “poverty of community.” While we agree with their central point that imperfection is universal and humility is critical, the reframing of all maladies of existence as “poverties” and proclaiming that we are all poor tends to confuse people as to why they should care especially about the “material poor.” 

The authors point out examples of broken systems to explain the interaction between personal choices and factors beyond a person’s control. While the general point is well taken and the authors attempt to be fair, several of their specific examples of the effects of racism, predation, and other injustices are more debatable than they acknowledge. In other words, systems asserted as examples of root causes, are often the aggregate effect of personal choices or political incentives other than those the authors identify. In any event, the book is not intended as political or economic commentary and should not be read as such.

 

Who Should Read This?

This is a foundational read for any Christian nonprofit leader or church leader. If you have not read this yet, it should be next on your list. Any Christian could benefit from the perspective provided by this book.

 

When Helping Hurts can be purchased at Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate

 

 

 

 

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The Purpose of the Book

Have you wrestled with a growing sense that charity alone isn’t enough to solve the world’s deepest problems? Whether it’s feeding the hungry, ending human trafficking, providing clean water or translating Scripture, nonprofit leaders have been looking for ways to increase impact without creating fatigue for their financial donors. Aimee Minnich’s book, The Profitable Charity, is a primer on “Charity Enterprise,” a model for ministry funding that encourages nonprofits to embrace avenues of revenue building to fund their ministry. This allows for a decreased reliance on donor dollars alone while creating the potential for greater impact. Minnich so believes in the impact of this model, she left her role as President and General Counsel for the National Christian Foundation, Heartland, a $1 billion foundation, to co-found the Impact Foundation, which facilitates investments in charity enterprises and other impact companies.

 

The Perspective

Businesses built alongside charity have the power to change social dynamics in ways that charity alone simply cannot.” (3) While more than half of nonprofits incorporate some effort at income generation, few realize the full benefit of their efforts because they lack the necessary tools, knowledge, expertise and/or desire to develop those efforts. Meanwhile, organizations continue to struggle to meet fundraising goals for their current programs and are constantly dealing with donor fatigue and attrition, while always seeing other needs that could be met “if only.” Minnich advocates for Charity Enterprise, a “profit-making endeavor that funds and complements a charitable purpose. It’s not just a business that uses only its profits to fund ministry work. The business itself advances the mission.” (5) Minnich says that by blurring lines between ministry and business, this approach creates greater social impact while also making a profit that can be sown back into the ministry.

 

The Key Points

Minnich starts by looking at the challenges of traditional fundraising, characteristics of millennial giving, and the rise of socially minded businesses. In doing so, she establishes the problem that she believes charity enterprise can help solve, namely that changing donor demographics is making traditional fundraising increasingly difficult. Before showing how charity enterprise can be the solution going forward, though, Minnich acknowledges that it’s a concept easily misunderstood and spends a good section explaining what it is and what it is not, as well as addressing the obstacles that arise for those who attempt the charity enterprise model.

The remainder of the book is devoted to practical ideas for how to create sustainable revenue in a charity or nonprofit context, along with stories of those who are increasing their social impact by using a charity enterprise model. The thrift store established by Mission Adelante in Kansas City, KS, for example, provides revenue for the ministry to Latino and Bhutanese communities while providing employment opportunities to the immigrant population (37ff). Another example of charity enterprise arose from Brother in Blue Reentry (BIB), a prison outreach in Kansas, that eventually took over a prison’s cafe at the request of a warden. The cafe serves visitors to the prison, provides revenue to BIB, and employs inmates who gain experience in customer service and restaurant management (32-33).

 

Details We Love

While Minnich starts by looking at the state of traditional fundraising and the diminishing returns on desired social impact outcomes, she wisely pauses to make a brief theological case for charity enterprise (12-14). This helps overcome any potential characterization of her solution to the fundraising problem as being merely pragmatic.  Perhaps the book’s greatest strength, though, is the time Minnich takes to clearly define what charity enterprise is and is not.  She includes a helpful graphic that shows a spectrum of various models, from “profit only” structures that distribute earnings to owners (traditional businesses, tithing businesses, and impact companies) to “mission only” structures (charity enterprises and traditional charity), which reinvest earnings into the enterprise (20). From here, Minnich addresses the obstacles that prevent nonprofit leaders from fully engaging the charity enterprise model, exposing the “false dichotomy between mission and profit” (25) and offering a good example of a plan that can be put in place to provide accountability, prevent greed, and keep the focus on measurable spiritual and social outcomes from the enterprise. 

We always appreciate when a book encourages the measuring of outcomes and, in charitable work among the poor in particular, a model like charity enterprise provides great opportunities for challenge-driven ministry—giving viable work opportunities for those willing and able to earn their basic needs. Charity enterprises are a great impact model of ministry that can help break the cycle of dependency for those in need while also offsetting the costs of the ministry itself, thus reducing the reliance on donor dollars alone.

 

Considerations

This book is brief—that makes it a quick read but, for those persuaded by it toward the model of charity enterprise, Minnich’s book will only serve as a primer. Thankfully, there are helpful appendices regarding the practical and tax considerations for setting up a charity enterprise, as well as a list of additional resources for those who’ve dipped their toes into Minnich’s book and are ready to dive deeper into the charity enterprise model (61). These resources include The Lean Startup by Eric Ries for those looking to get started, The Four Disciplines of Execution by Franklin Covey for those looking for disciplined growth in their charity enterprise, and, for counsel along the way, the Impact Investing Charitable Foundation founded by Minnich herself.

 

Who Should Read This?

We recommend this book for nonprofit leaders who resonate with the struggle Minnich describes, the limits of traditional fundraising, or for those who simply have a ministry vision currently constricted by the traditional fundraising model.  We also believe those convinced of the “pillars of true charity” (voluntarily sourced, challenge-oriented, and outcome-driven) will find charity enterprise to be a great way to put all three into practice.

 

The Profitable Charity can be purchased at Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate

 

 

 

 

 

Jump to:

The Purpose of the Book | The Perspective | The Key Points | Details We Love | Considerations | Who Should Read This?

The Purpose of the Book

In Who Really Cares: America’s Charity Divide, Arthur Brooks sets out to answer three questions: who gives, who doesn’t, and why does it matter? America is by far the most generous nation in the world – both in percentage of income financial giving and non-monetary contributions like volunteer time and organ donation. However, the high American average obscures the fact that there are two separate groups of Americans – some who give a lot, and some who give hardly at all. Brook’s findings show who these two groups are and provide inspiration and challenge to charity leaders and regular Americans alike.

The Perspective

Brooks’ tone is one of unification around common American values. His guarded optimism finds opportunities for unity in an era of division. Brooks lets the data drive his narrative – his work is garnished with anecdotes, but they never substitute for meatier facts. His approach is open-minded – he points out that the facts about charitable giving align neither with public perception nor his pre-existing opinions.

 

The Key Points

Brooks points out a significant charity divide between givers and non-givers in our society. The givers give both formally and informally of their time and money – the non-givers are stingy across the board. The givers and non-givers are not reliably segmented by race, income, gender, or party affiliation. However, there are four key factors that determine someone’s likelihood of being a giver.

1) Religious people are givers: Religious observance is a key predictor of generosity. People who attend church weekly are 25 percentage points more likely to give money and 23 points more likely to volunteer than people who rarely attend. They give 350% more money and volunteer 200% more time despite not having higher household incomes. Notably, this giving was not just to religious charities and causes; their support of entirely secular charities and voluntary associations is also comparably higher. Additionally, this factor transcends simple partisanship, secular conservatives are slightly less generous than secular liberals.

2) People who oppose government redistribution are givers: People who think the government should redistribute more income to the poor are significantly less likely to give to the poor themselves. Even adjusting for income and all other factors, their fervent belief that the government should do more diminishes the likelihood that they give to charity by 10 percentage points (they volunteer less as well). This effect gets even stronger when combined with religiosity. A person who goes to church every week and strongly opposes government redistribution will give 100 times more to charity than a secularist who strongly supports redistribution – the churchgoer will give 50 times more to non-religious charities as well. 

3) The working class is the giving class: Unsurprisingly, families with a net worth of over one million dollars give about half of all charitable contributions. However, in terms of percentage of income, the poor are more generous than the rich or middle class. The poor do not all give at the same rates. Among similar families with the same annual income, welfare recipients are 300% less likely to donate their time and money than their working counterparts. Working poverty is correlated with generosity; welfare poverty is correlated with selfishness.

4) Strong families are givers: Married parents are more likely to give to charity and volunteer than non-parent couples with similar incomes. This may seem odd at first, because kids are expensive and time consuming, but since parenting is itself a charitable act, it stands to reason that people who choose to parent are more likely to give in other ways as well. Generous parents also raise generous kids – parental modeling is a good predictor of how giving kids will be later in life. Additionally, people are also more generous with inherited money than with earned income.

The final point that Brooks makes is that charity is good for the givers. From both statistical observation and controlled trials, charity seems to make the giver happier, healthier, wealthier and more civically engaged. For this reason, a world in which the government provides for all the needs of the poor is not only worse for the poor, but for the rest of us as well.

 

Details We Love

Brooks opens with the idea that charity must be consensual and beneficial. Brooks gives the example of a homeless man. If he forces his way into your home, that’s breaking and entering. If you hold him there against his will, that’s kidnapping. If you invite him to stay and he accepts, that’s charity. This definition of the voluntary nature of charity feeds our core belief that authentic charity is voluntarily resourced – not merely compelled by the government. As Brooks evidences, this voluntary sort is much better for all parties involved. Brooks also shows a significant crowd-out effect of private charity from additional government giving. We agree with his assertion that non-profits who rely entirely on government grants are failing to have the broad social impact that they could. Charity is good for people, and charities have a responsibility to facilitate it for both givers and recipients.

 

Considerations

Who Really Cares doesn’t address the effect of charitable giving. Brooks points out that religious people are far more likely to give money to panhandlers and it makes givers feel good. That tells us nothing about what it does for the panhandler – it most likely feeds an addiction. Charitable intent is important, but it’s not all that matters. Also, we should note that this book is now over a decade old, so some of the numbers might have changed slightly. Overall, the book still feels very current and the aging provides this work with the credibility of seeing some of its predictions come to pass.

 

Who Should Read This?

This book helps readers grasp a detailed picture of the importance charity plays in our society, who upholds it, and how we can further it. It can provide good insights and inspiration to non-profit leaders and anyone interested in what makes American givers get behind your work.

 

Who Really Cares can be purchased at Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Purpose of the Study

Invisible Neighbors is a faith-based study perfect for those looking to expand their knowledge and gain practical insight on how best to care for the poor. Written by John Ashmen, a long-time veteran in service to the poor and president of Citygate Network (a community of faith-based organizations providing services to the homeless), this expertly written study convicts and equips its participants to reach out to their neighbors in need.

 

The Perspective

Ashmen’s non-partisan yet unflinchingly honest views on poverty are refreshing; he does not merely recite rhetoric but has a balanced perspective on complex issues of poverty. Ashmen weaves Scripture throughout this study, not merely in passing, but as the focal point of his approach to poverty alleviation.

 

The Key Points

Ashmen deftly paints the picture of poverty in America, helping us critique and reimagine current interventions—both public and private—on behalf of the poor and consider practical ways in which compassionate Christians can make a difference. Here are some of the main takeaways:

It’s time to widen our circles. There is abundant evidence that social capital, or healthy relationships with people both like and unlike yourself, are critical to a flourishing life, particularly for the poor. However, an increasingly stratified society has caused a degradation of community, resulting in increased isolation, loneliness, and subsequent hopelessness. We must revive care in our communities—not just for those who look and act like us, but particularly for those on the margins of society in most dire need of a loving community.

It’s time to stop passing the buck. Scripture is clear that care for the poor is a core duty of God’s people. However, as parachurch organizations, social service agencies, and government programs step on to the scene, the Church has increasingly been content to hand off its sanctified duties to those “more qualified,” a shame and an ultimate injustice to the poor. It’s time for the Church to take back this honorable calling, for God’s glory and for the good of our neighbors in need.

It’s time to enact God’s compassion, generosity, and care. God’s concern for the oppressed and marginalized is evident throughout scripture; time and again, he instructs His people to care for the poor, often at great personal sacrifice (Deuteronomy 15:11, Luke 12:33). Though there is some room for reasonable disagreement on what “care” ought to look like, the bottom line is that Christians ought to be involved in alleviating poverty, and effective, life-changing care can only happen when we allow God’s generosity to flow through us.

 

Details We Love

One of the best features of this study is that Ashmen does not dwell on philosophy alone but offers practical guidance on tangible ways Christians can get involved in the fight against poverty. For the many Christians who understand their duty to the poor but don’t know how to fulfill it in the day-to-day, this is welcome advice.

We love that Ashmen is unwavering in his call for Christians to become personally involved in the fight against poverty. While he is, of course, appreciative of those who give financially to keep ministries running smoothly, he contends that this does not absolve the Christ-follower from personal intervention, particularly in the ever-important work of relationship building. The emphasis on healthy relationships and community is prudent.

 

Considerations

Invisible Neighbors does not share many ideas for church leadership on how a congregation as a whole can get involved; rather, it focuses on individuals. While Ashmen paints an accurate and compelling picture of poverty in America today and rightly urges the Church to get involved, he does not spend much time differentiating between effective and ineffective modes of charity. Mere involvement is not a sufficient end; rather, the involvement ought to be prudent and effective in its ability to point the poor toward a flourishing life. (For those wanting to augment their understanding of helpful vs. harmful charity, check out True Charity University.)[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”35px|||||”]

Structure

Invisible Neighbors is a six-part series, with each part containing three subsections. The study can be completed in six weeks or, if you’d like to take your time digging into the nuanced topics, 18 weeks.

Each part consists of compelling true stories from men and women who have experienced homelessness; a historical context of poverty alleviation efforts; facts and statistics about homelessness, mental health issues, and addiction in America; and ideas for meaningful engagement with the poor, all undergirded by a solid biblical foundation. 

The end of each subsection within the six parts contains a discussion guide designed to help participants think deeply and share candidly with each other about issues of poverty. In addition, each subsection contains a “Go Deeper” section with video suggestions to help you and your group gain additional perspective.

Who Is This For?

This study is ideal for those who want a biblical perspective on individual, church, and societal responsibilities to the poor, as well as practical advice for productive interaction with those experiencing poverty. Invisible Neighbors is a perfect fit for any church small group college-age and older or for nonprofit staff/volunteers interested in issues of poverty (homelessness in particular)—it would even work well for individual study. For the Christian wanting to understand more fully what Scripture has to say about poverty and its modern-day implications, this is a great resource. Invisible Neighbors is available for purchase at this link.