When my dad taught me how to reverse our ‘83 Pontiac station wagon down the driveway, he wouldn’t let me turn to look through the back window. “Use the rearview mirrors,” he would say with his usual grin, “that’s what they’re there for.”
After denting the mailbox and leaving a few tire marks on the front yard, I eventually learned: it’s always good to check your mirrors.
I’ve been thinking about that lesson as Chalmers looks toward what’s ahead. Moving forward well means understanding what’s behind us. With more than twenty-five years to build on, we feel that the Lord is calling us to embark on a new season, one in which poverty alleviation meets deeper conversations, new ideas, and broader community.
Why now? In a shifting global landscape marked by division, seismic changes in funding, and the increasing complexity of poverty, we sense a growing question. Instead of asking “How do we help?”, many are asking, “Why should we help at all?” The Church is being called to answer, yet many churches and ministries feel ill-equipped for the complexity of the moment.
But while the task is immense, we are not alone. God’s people are called to not only respond together, but to work together.
Our contribution will be to expand how we equip and connect the Church. We are creating fresh forms of digital media, expanding the reach of our core tools, and will build more bridges between academic researchers and front-line practitioners. With renewed focus, we will grow our dynamic community of friends and ministries around the world.
Our first step will be to launch our new podcast this fall. In the introductory season, we will invite voices and stories from across our community to explore the question: Is the Church the place where people in poverty actually experience change?
But while we are focused on the road ahead, we won’t forget to check our mirrors – to remember our roots and where we came from. Crucially, our core mission remains the same: to help the Church rethink poverty and do something about it, in ways that are deeply relational and rooted in God’s redemptive story.
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