Chalmers Center

The Chalmers Center is dedicated to helping churches and ministries effectively address poverty by implementing biblical principles. They offer resources and training that encourage a thoughtful and sustainable approach to poverty alleviation, focusing on empowering individuals rather than providing temporary relief. Missions teams can use Chalmers Center's materials to train members, rethink their strategies on poverty, and educate community leaders and partners about creating long-term, impactful change through holistic, community-based initiatives.

The Chalmers Center's seminal work, "When Helping Hurts," co-authored by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, provides a transformative perspective on poverty alleviation. This book critiques traditional charity models that often lead to dependency, proposing instead that effective poverty alleviation involves empowering the poor through partnership and mutual respect, fostering long-term change rather than offering short-term handouts.

To accompany the book, the Chalmers Center offers "When Helping Hurts: The Small Group Experience," a video series that is designed to facilitate group learning and discussion, helping participants explore and apply the concepts presented in the book. This series is structured to deepen understanding of poverty from a biblical viewpoint and to encourage practical, compassionate, and effective engagement with the poor.

Additionally, the course "Helping Without Hurting: The Basics" is available online, providing an accessible way for individuals and church groups to further engage with the principles discussed in "When Helping Hurts." This course is aimed at those who seek to understand the root causes of poverty and learn methods to support the poor in a manner that leads to sustainable improvement in their lives and communities.

These resources are particularly useful for missions teams aiming to educate and reform their approaches to poverty alleviation. By incorporating these teachings, teams can better prepare to work effectively in diverse environments, ensuring their efforts align with the goal of empowering the communities they serve.For more detailed information on these resources, you can visit the Chalmers Center's website for "When Helping Hurts" and the course "Helping Without Hurting: The Basics".