Is Healing From Childhood Adversity Possible? A Review of the Book Created to Heal.

BETHANY HERRON
Vice President of Education
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The Purpose of the Book 

I grew up in poverty, made worse by my father’s addiction and my mother’s conviction she could never escape poverty’s grasp. The trauma it inflicted on me fostered nightmares into my early twenties. 

Remarkably, in my mid-twenties they disappeared. I never knew why until I read Created to Heal: How Neuroplasticity Offers Hope for Children and Their Families. I learned about neuroplasticity, which is “the ability of the brain to change both physically and functionally, in response to the world around it.” (pg. 17) 

Authors Nicole Wilke, Ph.D., Meredith Morgan, and Alisha Pangborn of Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) explore how the brain works and how God creatively designed it to heal from trauma. Specifically, they demonstrate that since the brain does not finish maturing until age 25, the supportive environment provided by caregivers can rewire a child’s thinking. 

Again, I know that firsthand. I married at 21 and after only a few years of living in a stable home with my amazing, protective husband, the nightmares went away. The Lord, in His grace, rewired my thinking. 

There is hope for healing. 

The Perspective 

The Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) is a Protestant coalition of churches, organizations, and individuals committed to supporting vulnerable children around the world. CAFO’s “Center on Applied Research for Vulnerable Children and Families” exists to take the guesswork out of orphan and foster care. 

They explore everything from the impact of short-term mission trips on orphans to the improved outcomes family-based care provides them. Indeed, every project is developed to effectively care for children, even when it means changing long-held practices that have proven ineffective. 

The driving force behind CAFO’s precise and effective practice is their commitment to model God’s heart for the vulnerable. They believe He has called His people to move past simple service and practice care that leads to real outcomes for children. 

The Key Points 

Written in response to the overwhelming, discouraging research in the orphan and vulnerable children space, the book emerges as a refreshing voice in the emerging field of neuroplasticity. 

Two key points are: 

God created the brain to heal 

Every experience creates a neural pathway in the brain. Like a well-traveled trail, the more often the experience occurs, the easier it is to arrive at the pathway’s destination. That means positive experiences, such as strong family connections, increase the opportunity for a successful journey to healthy development. Negative experiences, such as material poverty or the death of a parent, create a trail towards delayed mental and emotional development. 

The good news is, those trails are not set in stone. In fact, research shows that until age 25, God-centered relationships show great potential to create new pathways toward hope and healing. Which leads to the next point … 

Caregiver relationships have amazing potential 

Research shows caregiver relationships are the primary vehicle for healing. Ideally, this looks like support for existing relationships, such as the nuclear and extended family, which empower those closest to the child to provide a stable, supportive environment. When that’s not possible, it should involve supporting children with the most consistent, family-like situation possible, such as foster care. 

Details We Love

There is so much about this book that aligns with True Charity principles — and we love that. 

For instance: 

It offers great hope

“Our brains were created to adapt, respond, and grow as a result of input, just like a tree formed by the wind. Lack due to poverty, a neglectful parent, the chaos of displacement, or exposure to violence can have a disastrous impact on the brain. Thankfully, the same mechanism – neuroplasticity – that allows our brains to grow abnormally also makes it possible for the children we love to heal.” pg 69

It supports the family unit 

The authors encourage readers to support the family unit whenever possible. Developmental experiences such as Families Count and Embrace Grace provide the support needed to equip parents and young single mothers with the parenting skills needed to provide supportive environments to their children. Meanwhile, dignifying programs such as Christmas Markets provide a wonderful way for parents to be heroes within their home.

It encourages additional supportive relationships 

The authors are clear God’s intention for the nuclear family is that it serve as the source for a child’s nurture, stability, and spiritual instruction. However, many children need additional outside support. For instance, Self-reliance Clubs equip children with the skills needed to leave poverty behind; and the Finally Home curriculum teaches survival skills to the caregivers of foster and adoptive families.    

Considerations 

The CAFO team does a fantastic commendable job of delivering important research in a digestible manner. However, while it includes reflective questions designed to enhance practical application, its lack of in-depth, specific examples may cause some readers to struggle with how to implement its concepts. 

Who Should Read This?

Created to Heal: How Neuroplasticity Offers Hope for Children and Their Families is an encouraging read for anyone working with children and young adults. From churches providing skills classes for parents to ministries caring for young women aging out of foster care, this book offers insight into how God’s use of neuroplasticity offers hope for healing to adolescents who have experienced significant trauma.

Created to Heal can be purchased on Amazon. If you purchase the book there, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate.

 

The Power of Unconditional Love: A Synopsis of Same Kind of Different As Me

ALYSSA GLASGOW
Graphic Design Manager
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The Purpose of the Book 

In Same Kind of Different As Me, Ron Hall, a wealthy art dealer, and Denver Moore, a modern-day slave and homeless vagabond, share their stories of their past and how God brought them into deep friendship. While very different, both chronicle the journey from brokenness to restoration. The beautiful journey of their friendship proves the power and necessity of bridging social gaps because every human is made in the image of God, needs redemption, and has value to contribute.

The Perspective 

The story begins with Denver, a black man who grew up on a 1950s Louisiana cotton plantation riddled with racial injustice and prejudice–so much so that he never attended school. Its oppressive sharecropping system kept the poor, poor, and the rich, very rich. 

Tragedy after tragedy took its toll and finally led him to hop a train out of Louisiana with less than $20 in his pocket. Eventually, he settled in Fort Worth. With limited resources and no opportunity for education or to learn a trade, he turned to a life on the streets, sometimes making poor choices. Denver’s journey illustrates that poverty is often complex. It can result from foolish actions, systemic injustice, or a mixture of both. 

Ron also had humble beginnings. His father was an alcoholic, so for all intents and purposes, his mother raised him. Most summers, he picked cotton on his granddaddy’s farm until he left for college at Texas Christian University (TCU). While there, he met and married his wife, Deborah and upon graduation, began a career in investment banking. In his spare time, he bought and sold paintings, a side hustle that became an extremely lucrative career. After making twice as much selling art as an investment banker, he set out on his own as a full-time art dealer. 

Ron and Deborah came to know the Lord early in their marriage. Filled with zeal and passion for living a life worthy of the Lord, she volunteered at a homeless mission in Fort Worth, dragging her begrudging husband along for the ride. They met Denver, who by that time was homeless with a rough exterior and a heart hardened by years of grief. Neither man was open to a friendship at the start. But through love, persistence, and encouragement, they developed a relationship that has lasted a lifetime. Their unlikely friendship was nothing short of a divine miracle.

 

The Key Points 

Same Kind of Different As Me paints the ultimate picture of how you can’t judge a book by its cover. In other words, there is hurt and brokenness in everyone’s story. Often, it’s displayed in appearance and behavior –which tempts others to draw conclusions that may not be accurate. Denver struggled with making snap judgments about the rich; in the same way, Ron wrestled with prejudice towards homeless people.

Building a genuine relationship is the only way to avoid that mistake. That means looking past the way they look or act to understand them. That’s how Deborah saw Denver. She quickly learned, “There was so much more below the surface image: dysfunction and addiction, yes. But also gifts–like love, faith, and wisdom- that lay hidden like pearls waiting only to be discovered, polished, and set.” She kept encouraging Ron to see those things in Denver–and eventually, he did. 

Denver was indeed a hidden pearl. Although materially poor, he had vast wisdom and experienced life in a way Ron never could. As the two men grew to know each other, Ron learned that poverty runs deeper than a lack of possessions or resources. Ultimate poverty is separation from our Creator because of sin. 

By this definition, even the materially wealthy can be spiritually impoverished. Ron says, “I have learned that even with my $500 European-designer bifocals, I cannot see into a person’s heart to know his spiritual condition. All I can do is tell the jagged tale of my own spiritual journey and declare that my life has been the better for having followed Christ.” In other words, while our stories may look very different, we all start with a jagged tale. And while many of us will never be wealthy, our lives can be rich through God’s grace. 

Denver and Ron’s relationship is living evidence we all have more in common than we think– and every person has something to teach–and learn. As Denver writes, “The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or somethin’ in between, this earth ain’t no final restin place. So in a way, we is all homeless–just workin’ our way toward home.”

Details We Love

This true story is proof that a flourishing life means more than meeting physical needs. It takes deep personal connections that inspire and equip others to live the life God intended. As Ron shares at the end of the book, “Denver told me that faith-based organizations, government programs, and well-meaning individuals fed him and kept him alive for all those years on the streets, but it was the love of Miss Debbie that caused him to make a change in his life.” 

We also love how Ron and Denver’s friendship illustrates reciprocity; modeling accountability and trust by both men. Denver was empowered to live a productive life off the streets, ministering to the homeless because Ron and Deborah reached into his life “with courage and faced me when I was dangerous…” He told them, “You loved me for who I was on the inside, the person God meant for me to be, the one that had gotten lost for a while on some ugly roads in life.” 

The flip side is Denver used the courage he gained to help face “some ugly roads in [his] life.” In the end, he helped rescue Ron from a life of hopeless grief.

Considerations 

Readers should be prepared for some coarse language and hard topics such as racism, prejudice, alcoholism, and abuse. 

Who Should Read This?

Same Kind of Different As Me contains a convicting message that compassionately examines those on the outskirts of society, helping the reader see them as individuals with purpose. While this story will bring hope and challenge every member of the Church, it is especially ideal for those on the frontlines of poverty alleviation ministry. 

Same Kind of Different as Me can be purchased at Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate.

 

Is the Pursuit of Human Flourishing Scriptural?

BETHANY HERRON
Vice President of Education
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The Purpose 

In contrast to various cultural, philosophical, and religious traditions, Dr. Jonathan Pennington offers a comprehensive definition of human flourishing which spans the Old and New Testaments and is rooted in the revelation of God through Jesus Christ.  

Specifically, he uses Biblical etymology to demonstrate flourishing intertwines with fundamental elements of the Bible’s message–including God’s redemptive purpose in Christ (which assures believers of eternal, abundant life). 

The Perspective 

With a PhD in New Testament Studies from the University of St. Andrews, Dr. Pennington writes from the conviction that biblical hermeneutics, specifically etymology, reveals a greater understanding of flourishing than the English language provides. He asserts that the telos, the ultimate goal of life, cannot be achieved apart from an understanding of God’s redemptive work. 

The Key Points 

The pursuit of human flourishing transcends worldviews, cultures, and history. 

According to Pennington, “…there is nothing so natural and inescapable as the desire to live, and to live in peace, security, love, health, and happiness.” From Augustine to Aristotle, philosophers have sought a means to that end. 

That pursuit can be clearly seen in three eras of Western civilization:   

  • The first era, rooted in Greek philosophy and epitomized by Augustine, underscored the intimate relationship between human flourishing and a trinitarian God. It was contingent on centering one’s life around God, with happiness emanating from harmonious fellowship with Him and others.
  • The second era divorced flourishing from God via the anthropocentric (man-centered) emphasis of the Enlightenment. Emphasis was placed on love for self and others, with universal beneficence as the central goal. This period also saw the emergence of ideologies like Marxism.
  • In the third era (the late 20th century) there was a resurgence of focus on individual, experiential satisfaction as the cornerstone of flourishing. It prioritized personal fulfillment and subjective well-being over communal or divine alignment.

Seeking a transcendent, Biblical understanding of the pursuit of human flourishing. 

Pennington believes many modern-day Christians resist the claim flourishing is a Biblical theme. Yet, he contends it is central to the original design of Creation and the redemption reign of Christ. His argument stems from an etymological dive into the Biblical concepts of shālôm, ashrê, bārak, and tāmîma:

  • The Hebrew word shālôm (eirēnē in Greek) is often understood as “peace” (i.e. the absence of conflict). Pennington contends that while peace can be the result of shālôm, it has the deeper meaning of wholeness or maturity. 

Two passages in Isaiah illustrate his point: 

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

He also notes, “Another good example is Isaiah 32:15-20, which describes the time when the Spirit will be poured out, making all the land fruitful, resulting in justice, righteousness, and peace.”

  • The Hebrew word ashrê (makarios in Greek) is typically translated  “blessed.” Yet, Pennington notes linguists find that rendering deficient. Found mostly in Proverbs and Psalms, ashrê describes “the happy state of the one who lives wisely…[in] covenantal obedience to God.” 

Again, examples include:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” (Psalm 1:1)

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” (Psalm 33:12) 

In these and other passages, man does not receive unmerited favor from God. Instead, according to Pennington, in accordance with God’s natural law and common grace, man simply lives a joy-filled life on earth when following the commands of God. Following God’s order for life creates a situation in which individuals and communities flourish. Instead of using makarios to pronounce blessing in the beatitudes, Jesus uses it to paint “a picture of true God-centered flourishing.” He makes an appeal and casts an inspiring vision, even as the Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah do, for what true well-being looks like in God’s coming kingdom.

  • The Hebrew word bārak (eulogeō in Greek) is also translated “blessed” and highlights, “God actively giving and enabling his word to go forth, resulting in benefits such as fertility, authority, peace, and rest.”

This type of blessing only takes place within a relationship, emphasizing the relationship itself is the greatest blessing, attended by the secondary favor that comes from that relationship. God’s interactions with Abraham is an example.

  • The Hebrew word tāmîma (teleios in Greek) is often translated “wholeness.” Pennington explains there are over 200 uses of this word in Scripture with varying shades of meaning that revolve around “the idea of wholeness, completeness, and perfection in the sense of wholehearted dedication to God.”

Details We Love

Dr. Pennington presents a convincing overview of God’s heart for man to flourish. More so, his Biblical exploration provides real world implications for followers of Christ serving in charity work. Namely, that we clearly understand we work to alleviate poverty in Jesus’ name and to lead others to flourish as they center their lives on Christ as King. As Pennington says, “[Our work] must be motivated, informed, and colored by the reality of God’s coming kingdom, centered on Jesus the Son, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Without this anchoring, the pursuit of human flourishing is not biblical….These are practices that testify to the reality of God’s coming reign and are in alignment with what God himself is doing.”

Considerations 

Readers should be prepared to engage with a deep and comprehensive study of Biblical terms. It should also be noted this exploration is not directly written to address serving those in poverty. Instead, Pennington seeks to provide a Biblical basis for the work of God’s people toward individual, corporate, and societal flourishing, centered on the rule and reign of Christ. 

Who Should Read This?

A Biblical Theology of Human Flourishing is ideal for church leaders, pastors, and those involved in Christian ministry. It’s also valuable for Christian nonprofit leaders who seek a biblical, holistic view of human flourishing. 

 

A Biblical Theology of Human Flourishing can be read for free at The Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics. 

A Pathway to Success for America’s Youth: A Synopsis of Agency

Nathan Mayo
Vice President of Operations & Programs
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The Purpose of the Book 

 

Agency, by Ian Rowe, focuses on how to give children the best opportunity for a flourishing life. It analyzes two competing visions of success (individual grit vs. systemic redress of inequity) and finds both inadequate. Instead, Rowe charts a middle way that acknowledges the moral will of the individual and the human relationships that shape it (i.e.,family, church, school, and neighborhood).

 

While not explicitly about poverty alleviation, it’s filled with facts easily translatable to the topic. His analysis is nuanced, intellectually honest, and well-cited; and while his conclusions are framed to empower youth, adults can benefit as well.

 

The Perspective 

 

Rowe is a second-generation Jamaican immigrant and educator who understands the plight of the poor. He grew up in poverty in inner-city New York and has seen it through the eyes of children he’s taught. Considered an education thought leader, he currently directs a network of innovative charter schools and has worked with the American Enterprise Institute, Teach for America, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and MTV.


While Rowe implies his personal Christian faith, the book is written for a secular audience and makes a pluralistically faith-friendly case that is not explicitly Biblical.

The Key Points 

“Agency” is the missing ingredient in the lives of poor children

 

Agency is “the force of free will, when it is governed by morally discerned choices (pg. 20).” It isn’t just the ability to act. It’s consciousness of that ability combined with the moral direction that guides it. In other words, you know what you should do and that your actions will make a difference. It may not be sufficient to accomplish everything you want, but it’s necessary to accomplish anything worth achieving.

 

Rowe contends the political left places too much emphasis on external forces that restrict one’s ability to thrive (i.e., the “blame-the-system” mindset). This perpetuates a victim mentality that condemns its adherents to a life of rage and self-perpetuating despair. 

 

He challenges the political right’s contention that youth in poverty are victims of their choices (i.e., committing crime, having children out of wedlock, dropping out of high school, and the like). He points out that pundits telling them to demonstrate more grit and character are calling for them to draw on reserves of character which they were never granted. Agency is a gift bestowed by loving families and communities. Youth in poverty are not given this gift which explains why young people in poverty make disproportionately poor choices. Although a few find it on their own, the majority never unearth it.

 

Agency also offers a solution that runs deeper than redistributing economic opportunity. Rowe believes the proper source of agency originates in local institutions that raise a child: family, neighborhood, school, church, and other elements of community life.

 

The decline of healthy families is a driver and symptom of a lack of agency

 

Rowe didn’t always believe agency was a critical ingredient to young people’s success. Early in his career, he focused on educational mechanics as a possible path to opportunity. 

 

Two important experiences changed his mind. First, he realized data-driven, billionaire-funded philanthropy failed to improve education outcomes, pointing out that children needed solutions that couldn’t fit into the school day. Second, while running charter schools in a rough Bronx neighborhood, he discovered a mobile DNA testing unit emblazoned with the moniker “Who’s Your Daddy?” The neighborhood’s “ho-hum” acceptance of this service jarred him into realizing that disintegrated family ties made classroom and eventual career success almost impossible.

 

The book goes on to unpack the alarming trends, causes, and implications of that level of family breakdown. “The research is clear and widely accepted: single parenthood among young adults is one of the strongest predictors of child poverty, school suspensions, incarceration, and educational disadvantage (pg. 88).”

National leaders of many stripes have tried to acknowledge that. Unfortunately, they’ve been booed into silence by “tolerant” elites who eschew any advice that sounds judgemental. Ironically, they practice what they criticize by adopting conventional family structures in their own lives.

 

On a more encouraging note, Rowe unpacks the success of a national campaign to reduce teen pregnancy initiated by President Clinton. Funded almost entirely by the private sector and fueled by wide media attention, it appeared to make a very sizable dent in the teen pregnancy rate over the next decade. Unfortunately, many teens who delayed pregnancy ended up single mothers by age twenty. So, while the campaign suggested a powerful guiding coalition can affect a deliberate cultural shift, it also showed the inadequacy of not directly addressing non-marital births.

 

The FREE framework is the key to instilling agency in the next generation 

 

While family is central to the formation of agency, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. For maximum impact, Rowe outlines four key points of public emphasis that should be promoted at all levels of society. These elements will increase agency in children and give young people their brightest possible future. The elements of the “FREE” acronym are:

 

Family: Children should be literate about the success sequence (i.e. graduate high school, get a job, get married before children) and the impact it has on one’s economic success. They should understand that while they have no choice about the family they are from, they can control the family they form (two committed parents, then children). 

 

Religion: Religious communities have the power to speak with the moral authority other institutions lack. All levels of government should pay homage to faith leaders and actively include them in public coalitions and conversations. Children should be instructed in their religious traditions and be informed about the positive impact faith has on life outcomes.

 

Education: Primary and secondary schools should focus on increasing academic achievement with particular attention paid to the gap between each student and proficiency standards for their grade level (rather than gaps between racial groups). For instance, many schools decry the “inequity” of black children who underperform their white counterparts–even though those white students only perform at 40% of grade level. “Raising” black children to 40% proficiency would be a hollow victory because then both groups would be left with 60% of their students below grade level. Rowe advocates bridging the “gap to 100” through national school choice, expanding content-rich curricula, and replacing racial affirmative action with income-based preferences in admission.
 

Entrepreneurship: Stewardship, initiative, and selfless service are the defining terms of the entrepreneurial spirit. They apply to everyone in the workforce (whether they start a business or not). Thus, they should be taught to all children through entrepreneurial activities like self-reliance and micro-investment clubs.

 

Details We Love

 

Ian Rowe shares our desire to revitalize civil society, not only as a way to uplift the poor but to build a flourishing life for all. He challenges left and right-wing reductionism, offering instead complex diagnoses skillfully distilled into a compelling vision for how children should be taught; and concrete ideas for policymakers, philanthropists, and educators. It’s full of innovators’ anecdotes and enough charts and graphs to give you confidence he hasn’t conflated facts with opinion. In short, Agency will significantly enhance your understanding of poverty and its solutions.

Considerations 

 

Depending on one’s faith orientation, some may find it too religious; others may be dissatisfied it doesn’t explore God’s Word enough. By the same token, its bi-partisan challenges may make party loyalists uncomfortable. In the end, we think those tensions make Agency a book worth sharing widely. It stakes its claim to the shrinking territory known as “common ground.”

Who Should Read This?

 

Agency will be a valued resource for anyone looking for a quick summary of the history and trends among America’s poor. Those working with youth will find its focus on education especially useful. The reader should be aware that while the principles of the FREE framework apply to all levels of intervention, it emphasizes big-picture, national policy solutions rather than micro-interventions to be used by teachers or case managers.  Therefore, it’s best suited for those seeking to “zoom out” from their neighborhood to see the bigger picture.

 

Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for ALL Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power can be purchased at Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate.

 

Balancing Word and Deed: A Review of Keller’s Serving a Movement

BETHANY HERRON
Vice President of Education
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The Purpose of the Book

In Serving a Movement, Keller writes to encourage the Church to rediscover what it means to live out Missio Dei – the mission of God. He explores the missional movements of the past and seeks to provide a holistic, biblical commission to the modern Western Church. Keller’s purpose is to encourage the body of Christ to “keep the text in context,” meaning to ensure that the spoken Gospel of Christ is delivered in partnership with godly social action. 

The Perspective

The late Tim Keller had extensive experience leading a vibrant church in New York City. He writes from a place of deep understanding and firsthand ministry. Keller’s perspective is grounded in a Judeo-Christian worldview. He combines theological depth with practical wisdom, drawing from historical examples and contemporary experiences to make his points, all while being grounded in biblical truth. 

The Key Points

Keller hits on many points within his book. Two central, recurring themes revolve around the call of the Church to balance word and deed, especially in social action and care for the poor, and the rediscovery of the Missio Dei.

Here are three key takeaways: 

1.  Integrating Evangelism and Social Action

There must be a partnership, or balance, between word and deed. The Church’s mission is not only to call people to salvation in Christ, but also to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of Christ and to confront societal idols like materialism and hyper-individualism.

In Keller’s book, the Church is encouraged to engage in both relational evangelism and social, community mission, to show that the Gospel renews not just individuals but entire communities and creation.

2.  Adapting to Cultural Shifts 

Keller addresses the need for the Church to understand and adapt to cultural changes, particularly in a post-Christian, increasingly secular world. He argues that the Church itself should be made up of resilient, servant-minded community members who sacrificially serve for the common good and welcome doubters, fostering local unity. 

Ultimately, Keller encourages the Church to find new ways to engage with the culture. This includes calling every believer to take up their role as a missionary – a missionary who balances word and deed. 

3.  Leadership and Vision in Missional Living

Emphasizing the importance of leadership, Keller calls for the training and equipping of people within the Church for missional living. This involves discipling lay people for ministry, moving beyond volunteering to relational evangelism. The call for those being discipled is to proclaim the Word while the call of God’s grace to be oriented to biblical justice. 

Details We Love

Shalom. Missio Dei. Imago Dei. Biblical Justice. Kingdom of God. 

Many of these themes are at the heart of True Charity. Keller’s approach is centered around a holistic view of Scripture that calls the local church to move from an evangelism-only focus to a faith that engages their community and those in need – seeking Kingdom transformation. Every day, churches in the West wrestle with their call. Is the mission to simply proclaim the Gospel? Or is it to proclaim the coming Kingdom of Christ? Keller argues that the biblical view is a partnership between the two; this partnership seeks the spiritual Shalom of individuals while working towards the Shalom of those in the city.

Considerations

Keller walks through many differing views of the mission of the Church. Therefore, readers should be prepared to engage with various understandings of the local church. Moreso, Keller himself writes from a conservative Christian background rooted in the doctrine of grace, which some readers may find controversial. 

It should also be noted that this book is not directly written to address serving those in poverty. Instead, Keller seeks to call the local church to engage with their communities – politically, socially, and relationally – bringing a taste of God’s Shalom to a world that is crying out for biblical justice. 

Who Should Read This?

Serving a Movement is ideal for church leaders, pastors, and those involved in Christian ministry. It’s also valuable for the Christian nonprofit leader who is seeking a biblical, holistic view of the Church’s mission in their daily work. 

Serving a Movement 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 Economics of Neighborly Love: A Synopsis

 

JOEY OTT
Network Manager
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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

As a child, Pastor Tom Nelson wrestled with the disconnect of growing up in a materially impoverished reality while pursuing a flourishing faith. As an adult, he became a pastor and realized that economics and faith should go hand in hand in the pursuit of human flourishing and the pursuit of loving our neighbors. Nelson believes we are called to be stewards of God’s creation and that it’s important to learn stewardship over all areas of life. This book aims to provide a space for those conversations.

 

The Perspective

In Nelson’s words, “I am delighted that so many have recently written on the deep and significant connections between faith and work, making the case that our individual work truly matters to God and to our neighbors. Yet while our personal vocations do, of course, matter a great deal, they are by no means the entire story. Our work always takes place within larger economic realities; we are part of a much bigger story.”

Often there is a large separation between conversations of faith and conversations of economics in what the role of money, work, and free markets have in the Christian faith. But shouldn’t these go hand in hand? As a pastor, Nelson has conversations with many people in his congregation asking how they should navigate the economic realities of capacity, wealth, and value, and he guides them with biblical principles.

 

The Key Points

This book reflects the complexity of human flourishing, generosity, and poverty, and how to understand those from a biblical perspective.

1. The Pursuit of Human Flourishing

“We were created with community in mind. We were created to flourish, to be fruitful, and to add value to others in the world.”

Nelson talks about the pursuit of human flourishing as a pursuit of overall well-being, peace, and joy in every aspect of life. We often see this expressed through healthy relationships with others and God, as well as the opportunity to create value for ourselves and others. It’s important when trying to help people flourish that we remember both how vital relationships are to every human being and that a flourishing life is a fruitful life that in turn aids in the flourishing of others. 

Nelson focuses a lot of attention on the “Sunday-to-Monday” gap. He says, “I believe the wind of the Spirit is blowing across our nation and the globe, stirring up churches and church leaders to strategically address the Sunday-to-Monday gap, to more passionately and intentionally bring faith, work, and economics together in a seamless fabric of missional faithfulness and fruitfulness.”

2. Generosity

“Stewardship is not a subcategory of the Christian life. Stewardship is the Christian life.”

This book points to three main concepts to consider with your generosity.

1) God owns it all.
2) We give God our best.

3) The local church is plan A for the world.

Often when we talk about money, we humbly talk about what God has blessed us with. What if instead we thought about finances as what God has entrusted us with?

In this book, Nelson encourages the church to live with an understanding that God is the giver of all good things and has entrusted us to be good stewards of creation. The author emphasizes that God puts a radically important calling on our financial decisions to reflect and honor that calling of stewardship. Consequently, we should be quick to consider how we can support God-honoring work, whether that be your church or a local gospel mission. We should make these things priority number one of our budgets, and not an afterthought.

Finally, Nelson alludes to the concept of subsidiarity in his belief that investment in the local church is the best route toward human flourishing: “[L]ocal churches are able to establish an ongoing faithful presence in a community that transcends any one individual. This faithful presence allows for the continued fulfillment of the church’s mandate to be salt and light in a particular cultural context.” Solutions closer to home provide a personal relationship that large-scale solutions simply can’t replicate.

3. Poverty

“The image of a common table should shape our engagement with the materially impoverished. There are no vertical relationships at a common table, only horizontal interactions. As image bearers of God, humans are to extend neighborly love on a level playing field—person to person, not helper to helped.”

Poverty is so much more complex than a lack of resources, so the solutions and paths to aid those in poverty are much more complex than gifting resources. There can often be a poverty of spirit, a poverty of relationships, a poverty of direction. These problems can’t be solved by material means, so we must look to different avenues if we want to love neighbors who are experiencing poverty.

Nelson observes that, “Short-term, quick-fix solutions to poverty may alleviate guilt or overcome initial inertia, but they do not work when it comes to addressing the complex and systemic dimensions of poverty. Often quick fixes do more harm than good.”

 

Details We Love

Nelson understands the complexity of poverty and communicates well that complex issues take complex, long-term solutions. He believes in a local church solution that affirms the dignity of those being helped. His robust conception of human flourishing is not merely material, but The Precognizes that flourishing comes from meaningful relationship, meaningful work, and peace and hope sourced in God. 

We also appreciate the way Nelson encourages the reader toward generosity. The reality is that not everyone has the time and talent to serve people in poverty as a vocation, but anyone can take part in effective and uplifting solutions by generously investing in effective churches and charities. Nelson’s conception of stewardship makes readers account for their allocation of finances, relationships, work, and time.

 

 

Considerations

As a pastor, Tom Nelson is writing much of this book in how economics relates to the church. However, nonprofit workers and those running outreach missions can also benefit from these lessons. Though secular organizations are not the primary focus of the book, a lot of sound economic insight can be applied to determine the relative efficacy of secular organizations. 

Also important to consider is that while Nelson encourages a heart of generosity, he does not go into detail on how to give in a way that empowers the individual being served; his primary response is to support the local church. He briefly touches on creating value through exchange but leaves out the importance of challenge in a charitable context, as his primary focus is not developmental charity work.

 

Who Should Read This?

This book is written for Christians and church leaders wanting to ask questions and be advised on how to navigate the world of economics. It equips pastors to lead their congregations in God-honoring stewardship. It would also benefit donors who want a deeper understanding of how to steward the finances that God has entrusted to them. 

 


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

 

 

 


This article is just the tip of the iceberg for the practical resources available through the True Charity Network. Check out all of the ways the network can help you learn, connect, and influence here.

Already a member? Access your resources in the member portal.

 

The Jonathan Effect: Helping Kids and Schools Win the Battle Against Poverty

 

Bethany Herron
Instructional Designer
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The Purpose of the Book

Urban youth living in poverty often endure a multitude of traumatic experiences. Author Mike Tenbusch witnessed this firsthand while serving as vice president of the United Way in Detroit, Michigan. He wrote The Jonathan Effect for the sole purpose of helping urban youth overcome the challenges that come with living in poverty. Though it may seem like a daunting task to the outside world, Tenbusch shares practical steps and real-life stories to empower the Church to make real and lasting change through relationships.

 

The Perspective

“I could be anywhere in the world right now, but I’m choosing to be here with you because there’s something in you I find valuable.” 

Tenbusch believes that it is the job and privilege of God’s people to make a purposeful difference in the lives of those who are hurting. He writes from a Christian worldview, focusing on the impact that godly relationships can have when it comes to bringing restoration in urban schools and communities. This impact is affectionately referred to as “The Jonathan Effect.” 

The author affirms that individuals are made in the image of God and have intrinsic worth from their Creator. He believes that, as relationships are built, students are empowered to recognize their value and become agents of change within their own schools and communities.

 

The Key Points

The title, “The Jonathan Effect,” is based on the biblical story of the friendship between King David and Jonathan. In Scripture, we see that Jonathan’s intentionality had a profound impact on David’s life. Jonathan saw David’s potential and believed in him, even when others doubted him. He offered unwavering support, standing by David’s side in both triumphs and trials. Jonathan’s loyalty, selflessness, and genuine care created a safe space for David to grow and thrive. This story reminds us of the power of true friendship in someone’s life – the Jonathan Effect. By being a source of unwavering support, belief, and encouragement, we can positively impact students, helping them discover and unleash their potential, just like Jonathan did for David.

There are four specific strategies that Tenbusch believes a Christian should exhibit in a mentoring-type relationship.

1. A Growth Mindset

Help students develop a growth mindset by setting smart goals with them. Encourage them to see that failure is less a setback and more an opportunity to learn and grow. Show them that they have the ability to overcome challenges and achieve their dreams through perseverance and a positive attitude.

2. Identity and Purpose

Break the internal narrative that tells students they are unworthy by providing unwavering support and belief in their potential. Just as Jonathan supported David in his future identity as king, we can remind students of their inherent worth as image bearers and help them embrace their unique purpose. We can encourage them to live out their identity confidently, knowing that they are valuable and capable of making a difference in the world.

3. A Father’s or Mother’s Love

Recognize that many students may not have experienced the love of a parent figure. Build authentic relationships with students and demonstrate a healthy model of love, treating them with the same care and affection you would give to your own child. By showing them unconditional love and support, you inspire them to live differently and break the cycle of brokenness in the next generation.

4. Trust and Forgiveness

Foster a culture of trust within the community, teaching students to trust in themselves and in others. Create a safe and supportive environment where they feel comfortable taking risks and learning from their mistakes. Emphasize the importance of forgiveness, both for themselves and others, as a way to promote healing and growth in relationships.

 

Details We Love

The Jonathan Effect is packed with reasons why meaningful, intentional, deep relationships are vital for youth to escape generational poverty. At True Charity, we believe that deep relationships have the power to transform lives. We always recommend that current affiliations, such as self, family, and friends, are seen as primary in empowering change. Yet, when these relationships do not exist or are not healthy, it is the responsibility of God’s people to step in and build solid bonds with those we serve. These relationships are meant to be mutually beneficial in which individuals are spurring one another towards a flourishing life. 

For more information on how to develop meaningful relationships, we recommend looking at The Mentoring Model Action Plan. (Not a True Charity Network member? Learn more about Model Action Plans here.)

 

Considerations

This book is primarily written for those in an urban context where many individuals live in parentless or single parent homes. Individuals serving in areas where parents are present but in need of development, might consider not only building relationships with students but also strengthening family relationships. Our friends at Good Dads have a specific curriculum developed to strengthen family relationships through the local school system. (Not a True Charity Network member? Learn more about the benefits of Network membership here.)

It is also important to note that Tenbusch touches on racial reconciliation within his book. There are many differing viewpoints within this area, so readers should be ready to tackle that topic in accordance with their personal convictions. 

 

Who Should Read This?

This book was written primarily for Christians. It is a call for the people of God to build intentional, long-term relationships with the youth within their communities’ schools. Though it is written for a faith audience, organizations that are interested in bringing change through their local schools will find the practical strategies presented in this book to be beneficial. 

 

“The Jonathan Effect” can be purchased on Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate.

 

 

 

This article is just the tip of the iceberg for the practical resources available through the True Charity Network. Check out all of the ways the network can help you learn, connect, and influence here.

Already a member? Access your resources in the member portal.

 

A Silent Shift in American Poverty: A Summary of Alienated America

 

Nathan Mayo
Vice President of Operations & Programs
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The Purpose of the Book

Alienated America starts off as a reporter’s search to answer a fascinating question about civil society (i.e. institutions of voluntary associations like families, churches, clubs, and charities). On the surface, the question seems to be political, but once you get past the first few chapters, you realize that the political question at issue is only a door to a broader social problem.

In the presidential primaries for the 2016 election, Donald Trump asserted that “sadly, the American Dream is dead.” This claim didn’t resonate with the majority of Americans or even the majority of politically conservative Americans. Still, it struck a strong chord with a vocal group that propelled him to the top of the Republican ticket. Tim Carney sets out to answer why these working-class people and their white-collar next-door neighbors feel like a flourishing life is so far out of reach that a pronouncement of its death struck them as obvious.

The evidence he uncovers goes deeper than simple partisan or economic narratives to deeper forces weakening civil society and the poor most of all.

 

The Perspective

Carney is a reporter with a genuine curiosity who values both data and context. He not only cites scientific studies, but he sits with alienated people in bars and diners to learn their stories. Though the book is more academic than religious, Carney is a dedicated Catholic, and his faith comes through even as he pays homage to other strains of Christian and Abrahamic thought. While his political views are also conservative, he is heterodox enough to question unintended side effects of free market processes like economic centralization. He generally sticks close to data and addresses possible objections well, rather than generating a work of unsubstantiated opinion.

 

The Key Points

1. Civil society has broken down among most of the working class

Carney starts by laying out a version of the American Dream based on more than material prosperity. He frames a broader vision of flourishing involving a vibrant community and strong family and shows that these things still exist in pockets of America. 

Unfortunately, these relational networks are in steep decline, not so much among the college-educated elite, but among the working class. In rust belt towns, Appalachia, and inner cities, families are smaller and more broken, churches are empty, PTAs are unattended, and the towns have long since canceled their annual Independence Day parades. So-called “deaths of despair” from suicide and drug overdoses are reaching record highs in these communities.

“The good life” is harder to come by than it has been, but not for simple economic reasons. Objectively, many of these places where people are so dissatisfied with life and so cut off from their neighbors are economically better off than a generation or two ago. The people convinced that “the American Dream is dead” generally make more money than their parents, but they are also isolated from community and more lonely than ever.

We no longer feel like we can make a difference in the world because the easiest place to make a difference is in our own communities. When no one is asking you to sit on a local park planning committee or coach tee-ball, we often retreat to bickering about national issues on social media, where our opinions drive strife but not impact.

2. Natural forces and policy choices drive this alienation

Carney evidences numerous contributors to growing isolation. Most of these generate “vicious cycles,” which means isolation increases them, and they increase isolation. It’s difficult to tease their exact magnitudes apart, but together, they are certainly a toxic brew for civil society.

Market forces: Economies of scale raise living standards by making commerce more centralized, efficient, and affordable. This economic approach has the unintended side   effect of making it less personal as well. “Third spaces” like the corner market and drug store soda fountains are less common, less frequented, and less likely to be within walking distance of your house. Rising standards of living provide access to more immersive and impersonal entertainment. Gig services like ridesharing and dog walking mean we no longer have to ask a neighbor for a favor.

The creative destruction of manufacturing brought on by automation and competition benefits the nation on average but often leaves multi-generational scars in communities built around defunct factories. Even if the children of the factory workers move off to the big city and find better work than their parents, the community itself withers and loses what history and tradition it once had. In Carney’s view, these are mostly unfortunate by-products of a largely effective economic system, which should be mitigated rather than eliminated by some other economic regime.

Technology: America has been a highly individualistic society since its inception, but it was historically balanced by tight-knit communities. In more recent times, technology has freed people from constraints that locked them into local life. 

Better technology for travel and communication makes it easier for people to follow economic opportunities and move frequently. The internet allows people to participate in faux communities around hyper-specific interests, which provide some of the appeal of a flesh-and-blood community but lack most of the benefits. 

Birth control and abortion made the birth of a child a medical choice for a mother, and subsequently turned marriage into a social choice for the father. Out-of-wedlock conception didn’t change dramatically among the poor with the advent of contraceptives. What changed was the decline in “shotgun weddings” prior to birth.  

Government policy: Policy choices about neighborhood and community design have made them less walkable and more drivable, minimizing the chance that you will ever meet someone you know when you’re out on the town. Federal government promotion of home ownership and local zoning laws designed to keep neighborhoods low-density have helped make our homes and yards larger and us less likely to ever meet our neighbors. Onerous local or state regulations make it more difficult to donate bagels to a homeless shelter or open a “mom and pop” business that can anchor a neighborhood. Centralized welfare has made it easier to provide for the needy with minimum human interaction and crowded out the need for relational private charities and church communities. 

Rising secularization: Concurrent with the growth of government in providing services formerly provided by religious institutions, is a growing insistence that religion be excised from the public square altogether. Catholic hospitals are sued when they refuse to perform abortions and Colorado bakers are sued when they refuse to service same-sex wedding ceremonies. 

Religious instruction or even acknowledgment in public schools is inconceivable. Religious practice has been exiled to the inner sanctum of private life and anyone who is unwilling to violate their religious beliefs is in growing danger of losing their livelihood. 

Where public leaders should be celebrating the central role of religion in civil society, they are in fact engineering its decline.

3. The secret to restoring civil society among the poor is restoring the church.

While civil society has collapsed in much of the US, it is still vibrant in two types of communities.

The first is the communities populated by the “elites.” Carney documents how the 2,000 residents of the village Chevy Chase, Maryland, are able to staff ten volunteer committees for the local government, plus numerous clubs, and a robust outdoor recreation scene for its families. People know their neighbors in Chevy Chase, and no one there is bowling alone. Unfortunately, for the ability to include the poor in this robust community, the median home price is $1.5 million, and the average annual income is $420,000. Wealth and education at this level is simply not a viable solution to curb the alienation the working class faces. 

The second, and more scalable solution, is communities populated by the strongly religious. In towns like Oostburg, Wisconsin, the ethnic Dutch and German protestants worship together, hang out at the local diner together, and assist each other in raising their families. The local school plays and concerts are packed to overflowing because even non-parents show up to see “their kids.” They have significantly higher marriage rates than the national average, but the median home price is only $148,000, and the average household income is $58,000–on par with the national average.

This vibrant community isn’t a feature unique to reformed Protestants; Carney documents robust civil society in dozens of communities with religious affiliations ranging from Latter-day Saints to Orthodox Jews to Muslims. Furthermore, this isn’t a new phenomenon. In America, the church has always been the central organizational institution of civil society. It is a training ground and launching point for other voluntary associations as well. Many charities, sports leagues, and city beautification projects originate with conversations in church foyers.

Most importantly, religious communities don’t require you to be wealthy. The wealthy have many ways to access human connection; the poor primarily have the church.

 

Details We Love

Market advocates often point out that the standard of living has increased for the American poor in the past 50 years. When properly adjusted for inflation, shrinking household sizes, technological innovation, and taxes/transfers, we find that the poor in America today have higher incomes and can afford more goods per person than ever before. However, if we end the analysis there, it seems like the War on Poverty is on a glide path to sure victory, which provides no explanation for rising rates of deaths of despair. 

Carney’s critical addition to this conversation is that while a working-class man is more likely to have air conditioning and a large-screen TV than a generation ago, he is also more likely to be sitting at home alone watching it than a generation ago. His counterpart from the past was more likely to be sitting at a church picnic with his wife and two kids. We’ve figured out reliable institutions to improve our economy (e.g. property rights and trade), but have abandoned reliable institutions to improve our relationships (e.g. marriage, extended family, church, and volunteerism).

In adding this to the conversation, Carney reminds us that “the good life” isn’t just about stuff; it’s about relationships. The materially poor are more relationally poor than at any time in living memory. If the poor are more likely to have food and less likely to have friends than at any time in recorded American history, our charitable interventions should clearly be food co-ops rather than drive-through food distribution.

Carney explicitly talks about subsidiarity, a guiding principle that we agree is essential to navigating the overlapping roles of family, community, church, and government.

 

Considerations

Carney believes the alienated, unchurched working class and their middle-income neighbors from their broken communities rallied around Trump’s candidacy. He documents that Trump was soundly rejected by the tight-knit religious communities that Carney upholds as ideal. Given the two-party system, most of these politically conservative locales overcame their distaste for Trump in the primaries in time for the general election. In Carney’s words, “Secularization gave us Trump.” Regardless of whether you agree with the connections Carney draws between the sociological phenomenon of alienation and the rise of Donald Trump, he evidences the social change itself quite well, and this is the point we find most interesting to the effective charity movement.

Carney also admits he has a difficult time making concrete recommended solutions for the significant problem he has unearthed. However, we think that a good grasp of the problem is an important first step.

 

Who Should Read This?

While political sociology books aren’t for everyone, this one is very accessible and unpacks a fundamental shift in American life that is often missing from our national conversation about the poor. Effective charity classics, like When Helping Hurts, lay the theoretical groundwork for why relationships are so important in a flourishing life, and for the poor in particular. This book provides a jarring description of their current situation and puts flesh on a vision of what is possible in 21st Century America.

Leaders who want to be able to effectively articulate the dominant problem the American poor face should add this to their reading list.

“Alienated America” can be purchased on Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate.

 

 

 

This article is just the tip of the iceberg for the practical resources available through the True Charity Network. Check out all of the ways the network can help you learn, connect, and influence here.

Already a member? Access your resources in the member portal.

 

Most of What You Believe About Poverty (Might) Be Wrong: A Summary of the Alternative

 

Amanda Fisher
Community Engagement Director
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Nathan Mayo
Network Director
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The Purpose of the Book

Author Mauricio Miller asserts that the programs and systems in place in the United States are based on failed assumptions and attitudes toward the poor. He offers an alternative approach to poverty alleviation that is focused on the strengths and self-determination of individuals.

 

The Perspective

Miller’s assertions regarding failed assumptions toward the poor stem from his experience in three relevant domains: 

1) His family’s experience in poverty: Fleeing to the United States in the 1950s with him (age 9) and his sister, Miller’s mother was determined to give them a better life. An intelligent and gifted seamstress, she came for opportunity, not charity or to live in “tolerable poverty.” Her plans derailed as she found it difficult to find and keep gainful employment because of others’ assumptions that their poverty was their fault, that they were “lazy, dumb, or dependent on the government.” 

Miller’s family and others he knew were hard-working and resourceful rather than “victims waiting for saviors, but he witnessed the system’s “disdain for low-income families, primarily the parents…” even though his mother made a lifetime of sacrifices to create a better life for him. 

Miller witnessed perverse incentives through the lens of his sister. Instead of benefitting from her initiative to leave an abusive husband and working to support her children, “…the safety net failed her,” becoming a barrier when she began to strive. Miller learned through this that the “less you have, the more you qualify.” He was motivated to find an alternative where those in similar circumstances could get a choice of benefits for the initiative taken toward independence.

2) His education: Miller’s mother worked multiple jobs to save for Mauricio’s college at U.C. Berkeley, where his views on and response to poverty continued to form. His college attendance was at the height of 1960s activism and the beginning of the War on Poverty. Particularly inspired by the Black Pride movement and their ability to organize and encourage each other, their desire to control their own future left an indelible impression on him.  

3) His nonprofit work and leadership: During graduate school, Miller joined the nonprofit AND (Asian Neighborhood Design), where he would later serve as Executive Director for 20 years. Using their architectural and design expertise, AND renovated buildings for nonprofits joining LBJ’s War on Poverty. They recruited kids in gangs to work, teaching them construction skills as a way out of gang life. It was during this time that he “saw fundamental flaws in how the war on poverty was being waged.” The program required that they accept the neediest individuals, which incentivized kids to commit crimes and live on the streets to get chosen. Miller saw that help seemed reserved for those who were getting into trouble rather than those who were trying to stay out of trouble. Clients had to show their worst side rather than their talents.

Miller found that more financial support was available for AND if he implied to government funders that parents were “disengaged, uncaring, or incapable” and that the participants were more at-risk and needy. The organization was incentivized to view people based on deficits and communicate that to funders. He became frustrated with the system, resenting having to please funders instead of doing what was right for clients.

Miller’s experiences ignited his enthusiasm for an alternative solution. The systems in place were not good for him and his family as immigrants, for the activists he encountered who sought control over their lives, or for the kids attempting to get out of gangs in his nonprofit work.

 

:The Key Points

Replacing A Deficit View

Miller addresses “Our Fundamentally Flawed System,” stating the prevailing “deficit view” of low-income families neither allows for initiative and talent to be discovered nor invested in. This focus on needs rather than contributions creates a “race to the bottom” instead of the top. Further, Miller addresses the damage caused by the “Us and Them” mentality between professionals and those in poverty. Woven through his experiences is his recognition for an alternative solution that must:

  • Recognize peoples’ resourcefulness and strengths: discover, then match people’s efforts
  • Let people learn their own lessons: don’t intervene to save them from every “bad idea”
  • Give the benefit of the doubt: assume parents are engaged and capable; trust them until they prove otherwise
  • Incentivize growth: give more to those who are growing, not those who are becoming worse off
  • Build community: help people rely on their peers and bolster existing personal relationships
  • Use technology for people to record progress toward goals and share ideas

Three Alternative Components

In the second section, Miller recommends “Putting Families in the Driver’s Seat.” In 2001, Miller began doing this through the Family Independence Initiative (rebranded later to UpTogether), focusing on:

  1. Control – well-intentioned workers must relinquish control to families to lead their own change. Although they can assist with engagement, a hands-off approach is a must.
  2. Choices – Often, people in poverty have limited choices. The alternative solution offers matching funds to committed families in order to increase their options. 
  3. Community – Success stems from people working together rather than individually, so the alternative honors and supports group effort. 

Implementation Ideas

Miller details specifics of his “Alternative”:

Self-recruiting – Those interested in improving their lives recruit others who are interested in doing the same. Groups hold each other accountable through regular meetings. An UpTogether liaison meets with them monthly to hear their stories, goals, and challenges.

Data collection and verification – When families enroll, UpTogether collects baseline data on categories such as income, expenses, food stamps, bank accounts, debt, credit score, child support, education, skills, health, housing, and civic activities. UpTogether staff verifies data quarterly through documents like pay stubs, bank accounts, and report cards.

Journaling system – Families enter data in a cloud-based system each month, a much cheaper and more sustainable option than having a paid employee enter the information. Tracking their own progress provides instant feedback; they see the results in real-time (i.e., a graph showing the income line going up or down). They can also see the progress of their cohort, as well as the general progress of other groups, offering an element of competitiveness.

Online Community – Similar to other social networking platforms, UpTogether.org provides an online community of support for participating families as they connect, form groups, discuss topics, and make recommendations.

Resource Hub – In exchange for the information and the time it takes families to provide it, UpTogether pays families (approximately $100/month) or gives scholarships. Additionally, UpTogether offers a Resource Hub where families are given a choice of additional awards. Some examples are matching funds for dollars saved, assistance with college tuition, or low-interest loans. They also offer a Family Time Fund for families to save and receive matching dollars for spending quality time together. This not only strengthens family relationships but is also more cost-effective than paid staff taking youth on a trip or to an event.

 

Details We Love

We agree with Miller that the “deficit view” of people is undignifying. Because every person has unique giftings as God’s creation, we should get to know them and find their strengths rather than focusing on their dysfunctions or comparing their situation to another’s. Miller’s family experienced difficulties caused by assumptions made regarding his family’s poverty; we agree that poverty fighters should be observant but without assumption.

Miller’s alternative focuses on strengthening relationships of family and close friends. He states, “Our society takes family and community for granted but it shouldn’t…personal loving relationships are far more transformative than social programs – and they cost a lot less, too.” We agree that these relationships should be the primary source of help rather than interventions by institutions or outsiders. According to Miller, “Working with and empowering families, parents, extended family or guardians is the future of social work.”

Miller has a profound understanding of the importance of social capital since he has experienced varying levels of socioeconomic status. As he rose above poverty through education and work, he began to benefit from his new-found connections, from gaining employment, to good restaurants, to getting a dog. 

Miller’s Alternative emphasizes collecting data to drive motivation and measure success. We also recommend that poverty-fighting organizations measure outcomes to ensure they are reaching their goals.  

True Charity Network members have access to the Outcomes Toolkit, a booklet containing detailed guidance on how to transition to measuring long-term impacts, such as stable housing, employment, education, and family reunifications. Non-members, learn more about our Toolkits!

 

Considerations

While Miller offers valid and devastating critiques of the current approaches to poverty alleviation, his own solutions seem more limited in application than he admits. The prevailing theme throughout the book is that poor families always have solutions to their own problems and need no outside guidance, just a little connectivity and social capital. This doesn’t address demographics that are under-equipped to solve their own problems without any guidance, such as the severely addicted, the chronically homeless, young adults aging out of foster care, and the intergenerational poor. While these people also have assets and capabilities, it stands to reason that they need more guidance or conditional assistance than some of the families Miller works with.

Miller’s solutions are strongly informed by his personal experience as a second-generation immigrant. But his own experience proves that his family was more the exception than the norm. Even though Miller felt his family was utterly failed by the poverty alleviation field, he ended up attending an elite university within a decade of arriving in the country. If all poor families were like Miller’s, intergenerational poverty would be practically nonexistent. As evidenced by the fact that they left their home country to make a better life for themselves, immigrants tend to have an exceptional drive towards rising out of poverty and nearly always succeed for their children if not for themselves.

Miller’s experiences with the highly motivated poor continued with the community he organized through UpTogether (founded in immigrant-dominated California). Since UpTogether relies on referral recruiting by motivated participants, it tends to build a community of people very similar to Miller’s family. This is no doubt excellent for the participants, and we have no issues with building self-selected communities committed to growth. However, this does mean that just because Miller’s system of no-strings cash and community may be exactly what his mother needed, that does not prove it will work as a first step for people who have been dependent on welfare for generations.

Miller expresses indignation at characterizations of some of the poor as lacking work ethic (such as former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich’s claim that “Really poor children in really poor neighborhoods have no habits of working and have nobody around them who works”). This overlooks that there are different types of people in poverty. Some of whom are the virtuous strivers that UpTogether assembles, and others of whom may lack character or skills. We suspect that significantly increasing no-strings-attached cash payouts in government programs (as the UpTogether website supports) would be especially harmful to the latter.

One other consideration is that, like many in the poverty alleviation field, Miller has strong opinions about word meanings. He objects to calling “the alternative” a program, even though a program is generally defined as a set of related activities with a particular long-term aim. While we understand that he is emphasizing the client-led nature of “the alternative,” refusing to categorize it by standard rules of language makes it more confusing rather than more clear. 

Similarly, he also insinuates that all “charity” is bad: “Charity doesn’t instill pride, and programs led by professionals don’t instill pride or self-confidence.” While we fully agree that much done in the name of charity is counterproductive, by definition, charity is “generosity and helpfulness, especially towards the needy and suffering.” Just because our attempts at helpfulness are often unhelpful doesn’t mean we need to jettison the word any more than medical malpractice means we need to abandon the word “medicine.”

 

Who Should Read This?

Nonprofit leaders interested in bolstering relationships and focusing on the strengths of individuals will find Miller’s shared experiences, stories, and research motivating. Although there is not a specific spiritual component to The Alternative, church leaders and volunteers may benefit from Miller’s perspective as they help people identify and develop their unique God-given strengths and build social capital.

Miller provides principles behind The Alternative as well as details of how it works. However, it is meant to be shaped by the participants, so the specifics may look different from cohort to cohort or city to city. The information provided is more philosophical and less a step-by-step program, which is helpful for those who want to better understand the barriers immigrants and minorities encounter as they seek a flourishing life. For those who are seeking a program that provides specific courses and detailed guidelines, this book is not for you.

 

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

 

 

This article is just the tip of the iceberg for the practical resources available through the True Charity Network. Check out all of the ways the network can help you learn, connect, and influence here.

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Christian Enterprise Solutions to Poverty: Trail Notes on the Field Guide

 

Nathan Mayo
Network Director
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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

This field guide aims to uncover the role and contributions of Christians serving the poor through business and economic development referred to as “enterprise solutions to poverty (ES2P).” Because “despite its many contributions to date, the full potential of the Christian community in the enterprise space is still largely untapped. The Christian mainstream is still largely beholden to a charity mindset and a relief model of care that makes enterprise and economic development approaches less compelling or even imaginable.”

 

The Perspective

The primary authors, Amy Sherman and Josh Yates, have decades of experience in Christian poverty reduction with a developmental lens. However, rather than lean primarily on their own insights, they synthesize the perspectives of the diverse people who make up the ES2P field. They survey and interview people with a wide range of theological and political beliefs, which may differ in their diagnosis of the problems but largely agree on the solutions.

 

The Key Points

History

The work begins with a historical overview of Christian contributions to ES2P stretching back to the middle ages. Benevolent Catholic pawn shops offered low interest loans in the 1500’s. Methodist businessman Arthur Guinness offered exceptional working conditions for employees of his breweries in the 1700’s. And faith-based community development corporations strove to improve conditions for African-Americans during the Civil Rights era. Other historical Christian models include microfinance, credit unions, mutual benefit societies, community land trusts, and economic co-ops.

From this rich tradition of serving the poor through business, emerges a dynamic modern landscape of free-enterprise Christians.

 

Mapping the Field

The authors divide the enterprise solutions field into three segments: Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Capacity-Building Organizations. They provide numerous examples, as well as key trends, insights, and recommendations for each sector. Each segment is also rich with case studies, survey results, and human stories.

 

1) Entrepenurs 

Entrepreneurial Organizations work directly with the poor to provide them with better paths to employment, business creation, and equity ownership. Note that this definition includes all front-line poverty-fighting organizations and is broader than the conventional definition of entrepreneur. Their models include social purpose businesses, earn-it models, work and entrepreneurship training programs, matched savings programs, and community development corporations, which are locally controlled developers seeking the improvement of a neighborhood for its existing residents, among others.

Trends & Insights: Interest in social entrepreneurship is rapidly expanding and Christians are becoming more involved in the field. Books like When Helping Hurts have accelerated the interest. Participants have a wide range of theological and political perspectives and have mixed opinions on modern capitalism. However, they agree on a holistic definition of poverty, the importance of opportunity, and the dignity of work. They reject the idea that the economy is a “fixed pie” that can only be redistributed.

Recommendations: Church leaders should preach and teach that care for the poor is central to a Christian’s responsibility and leverage congregational assets to build effective outlets for this duty. They should shift their mission funding from income-supplementing strategies to wealth-building strategies.

Domestically, they should explore the promise of wealth-protecting strategies like community land trusts and economic cooperatives. Entrepreneurs should redouble efforts to measure spiritual and social returns.

 

2) Investors

Investors are Christians who finance entrepreneurs and existing businesses that serve the poor, expecting a joint financial and spiritual return. These investors move beyond the “do no harm” approach of socially responsible investing to an “impact investing” mindset. Their platforms include specialized mutual funds, equity crowdfunding, and solo accredited investors.

Trends & Insights: Interest in impact investing is increasing among Christians but is far from dominant. Christian investors tend to prioritize spiritual returns over social or financial returns. There are few agreed-upon ways to measure spiritual impact, and measuring social impact is still a new concept.

Recommendations: Church leaders should teach that stewardship encompasses “not just your charitable giving, but your full balance sheet.” They should promote ways their congregations can invest for their own futures while simultaneously building the Kingdom of God. There are over 90 investment funds that use faith-driven investing; Christians should be made aware of them.

 

3) Capacity builders

Capacity builders are organizations that support and coach enterprises. In some cases, they support the poor directly, such as by equipping them to start their own businesses. In other cases, they support ministries that serve the poor such as social enterprises and work training programs. Some also promote and advocate for better government policy. Examples include groups like Jobs for Life, the Chalmers Center (a True Charity partner), the Acton Institute, and the True Charity Network.

Trends & Insights: As in the other two sectors, capacity builders are also expanding rapidly. Enterprises that use capacity builders like business incubators enjoy significantly higher success rates. These incubators are more successful when they focus on “hands-on” instruction and mentoring rather than just classroom assistance. Social enterprises accomplish more social impact when they focus on growing deep roots in their communities, rather than simply scaling as quickly as possible.

Recommendations: Understand the “Redemptive Entrepreneurship” framework as a means to guide social impact. Blend charitable contributions with investment capital to increase investor returns while offsetting costs to philanthropists. Focus business incubation efforts on clear business types to achieve better results.

 

Barriers

The report identifies five general barriers to the growth of enterprise solutions to poverty. These include a relief-oriented mindset among congregations and nonprofits, under investment in  employment-oriented programs, and a lack of investment in medium sized enterprises (investment tends to be concentrated on micro businesses and solo entrepreneurs).

The guide also points out that businesses owned by African-Americans tend to have a more difficult time launching and expanding because they have less personal capital and less access to informal capital networks that drive the growth of small businesses.

Finally, they identify an unhelpful “two-pocket” mentality by which Christians expect solely financial returns from their investment dollars and solely social returns from their charitable dollars. While there is room for market-driven investing and philanthropy, there is also a place for “social impact investing” (consciously choosing to accept below-market rate returns in order to equip people in poverty to provide for themselves).

Since American Christians hold 22 times more in investments than they give to poverty-related charities annually, even a small shift of some of those investment dollars to enterprise solutions could have a big impact.

 

Details We Love

We couldn’t agree more about the problematic nature of a relief-only mindset. Many of our True Charity Network members provide developmental and enterprise-oriented solutions to poverty, such as a work shuttle, education, social enterprises, and earn-it models.

This guide analyzes how each sector measures its outcomes—a critical element of making a real difference and something we strongly encourage our members to do.

We echo the challenge to Christians to view service to the poor and marginalized as integral to their lives, not merely as an isolated fraction of their budget. It’s encouraging to learn that Christians in the past few centuries have pioneered many of the enterprise solutions in this guide. 

 

Considerations

The report tends to use the word “charity” as a synonym for “relief,” which we don’t think is necessary. Our conception of “charity” is broader and includes empowerment—and it isn’t new. The Jewish Rabbi Maimonedes proclaimed in the 12th century that the highest level of charity was to help someone find employment “so that he will not need to be dependent on others.”

While we agree that social impact investing can certainly generate better spiritual and social returns when done well, it’s worth noting that normal, ethical investment also generates social returns, and not necessarily at lower rates.

Traditional investments seeking the best return in increasingly trade and investment friendly regulatory environments over the past two centuries has yielded a massive reduction in global extreme poverty from 94% to 10%. The many entrepreneurs, inventors, and investors who facilitated that explosive economic growth may not have always been “socially conscious,” but their positive social impact is beyond comparison. 

We do well to recognize the benefits of the current economic system before we begin work to repair its shortcomings. Some groups interviewed in the report lament that capitalism has failed, but there is a difference between a system with flaws and a system that needs to be jettisoned. All efforts to get the hundreds of millions with wealth to more effectively aid those remaining in poverty need never to lose sight of how we arrived at our current advantageous situation. Generally speaking, Christians should be encouraged to invest more and not merely repurpose existing investments to more socially conscious ends. All ethical investing leads to positive social returns.

 

Who Should Read This?

This is an interesting read for Christians who want to be better stewards of their whole giving and investing portfolio. Church leaders will benefit from exposure to a wide range of models, perspectives, and frameworks to help them engage congregations on the topic. Poverty fighters may want to skim the well-structured guide and find segments and case studies similar to their line of work and adjacent models that are worth considering.

While the length of this guide is equivalent to a short book at 170 pages, it is available for free online and intended for wide distribution to promote and advance the Enterprise Solutions to Poverty field.

 

Enterprise Solutions to Poverty field guide can be downloaded for free at https://www.enterprisesolutionstopoverty.com.