Articles
Depending on God
The Discipline of Depending on God
Dependence on God is commanded for every follower of Christ. Most every ministry leader would agree it’s important. Yet, when it comes to running an organization, what does depending on God really look like? This article gives four simple practices to create a posture of dependence.
Challenging Others to Depend on God
As we seek to serve vulnerable people, it is all too easy to end up being seen as the source of help and hope. How do we continually point people back to God? This article introduces four disciplines that we can practice.
Nurturing Truth and Confronting Lies
Lies Hold People in Poverty
Our beliefs shape our behavior. Our lives, likewise, are impacted by the beliefs and behaviors of those around us. Wherever those beliefs are infected with lies, brokenness results. This article introduces some of the most common lies that perpetuate poverty.
The Lies We Carry With Us
Those who seek to serve vulnerable people come with our own set of assumptions and beliefs. Could it be that, in some cases, our beliefs actually contribute to poverty and brokenness? Here we look at five of the commonly-held beliefs that can hinder our efforts to see lives transformed.
Identifying Lies and Nurturing Key Truths
Since it’s nearly impossible to identify our own most-deeply-held assumptions, asking people what they believe about themselves, God, and creation isn’t terribly helpful. So how do we discover lies that are causing brokenness? And how can we nurture truths that bring wholeness? We take a look at some basics in this article.
Integrating Physical and Spiritual
The Impact of the Sacred-Secular Divide
What’s more valuable in the kingdom of God—picking up trash or preaching a powerful sermon? Would you believe that God is equally concerned about both? In this article we look at how a worldview that categorizes life into “sacred” and “secular” boxes has impacted the lives of believers and their communities around the world.
An Integrated Approach
Every aspect of life is meant to bring glory to God. Embracing this truth changes the very foundation of our efforts to serve vulnerable people. In this article, we are introduced to transformational new goals and a new vision for development programs.
Key Components of an integrated Approach
If we desire to help people trapped in poverty to glorify God and see His kingdom come in their communities, there are a few key components that are crucial. This article introduces 4 biblical teachings and how they’ve proven life changing for many.
Partnering with Churches
Partnering for Community Transformation
Local churches can and should be at the center of their communities’ transformation. But partnering can be tricky. How do we choose the right partner and how can we be sure we’ll be a good partner? This article gives practical advice for both how and why to partner to see communities flourish.
Healthy Partnerships Part 1
What is the recipe for a healthy partnership? This article offers 3 key ingredients: appropriate roles, long-term relationships, and shared decision-making.
Healthy Partnerships Part 2: Money
Money can be a blessing, but it can also cause a lot of problems. It can be one of the biggest hurdles to healthy partnership. Here we’ll look at some beliefs about money and offer practical advice on when and how to add it to our partnerships.
Focusing on the Vulnerable
Reframing the Vulnerable
We so often define vulnerable people only by their needs and the hardships they face. But by doing so, we miss their value, their gifts, and their potential. This article offers a shift in the way we see vulnerable people that completely changes the results we expect from our involvement.
Helping People Get Unstuck: Restoring Hope
In this article we focus on one of the most widespread traps of poverty: hopelessness. We also introduce 3 practical ways to restore hope among those we seek to serve.
Helping People Get Unstuck: Restoring Dignity, Bringing Skills, and Praying
No matter our circumstances, all people have been made in the image of God and called to steward His creation. This article looks at 3 specific ways we can help restore the God-given identity of those who are stuck in poverty.
Mobilizing Local Resources
7 Reasons to Mobilize Local Resources
When faced with a picture of a mother dressed in filthy rags and her malnourished children, is your first thought, “How do we challenge this woman to give”? Most of us would say, “No.” This article shifts our perspective with 7 reasons why giving can be life-changing even for people in extreme poverty.
How Do We Encourage Local Giving?
Sadly, many people trapped in poverty genuinely believe that they have nothing to give. This article introduces 6 important elements of helping vulnerable people overcome this belief so they can experience the blessings of giving.
How to Give Wisely
History reveals a long list of evils that have resulted from well-intentioned giving—from dependency to corruption to man-made disasters. How do we avoid those pitfalls and ensure that our giving actually results in good for those we seek to serve? This article looks at two key elements: prayer and partnership.
Pursuing God’s Ways
Pursuing God’s Ways in Planning
Multitudes of organizational leadership books tell us the necessity of a 5- or 10-year strategic plan to cast vision, set direction, motivate the team... But do we ever stop to wonder what God thinks of all our strategic planning exercises? Is it possible that He has a better way?
Pursuing God’s Ways in Communication and Fundraising
Finding sufficient funds for all the good work God has called us to is a heavy concern for most organizational leaders. We want to pursue God’s ways. But what if His ways go against proven fundraising strategies—are we still willing to “seek Him first”? This article offers how and why we can take this leap of faith.
Pursuing God’s Ways in Organizational Life
Our hiring practices, the rhythm of our weeks, and how we measure success are three areas that reveal much about what we truly believe about God and ourselves. If a stranger walked into your headquarters, would they recognize something different right away?
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