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ππ’πͺπ΅π© & ππͺπ―π’π―π€π¦π΄: Supportive Communities of Change
A little change can add up over time.
This was true with the cans of pennies, nickels, and dimes my dad used to collect, and it is true for people in Faith & Finances classes.
God Is Restoring What’s Broken: Kellie’s Story
As we look back on 2025, one theme rises above all others: God is restoring what is brokenβthrough His Church, through His people, and through partners like you. Kellie’s story is proof. Kellie arrived at Lighthouse Ministries in Lakeland, Florida with years of trauma, addiction, and loss weighing her down. But through Faith & Finances, one of Chalmers’ biblically-based poverty alleviation programs, everything changed.
ππ’πͺπ΅π© & ππͺπ―π’π―π€π¦π΄ Snapshot: Data That Tells a Story of Grace
Financial education for low-income citizens is crucial, though they face particular challenges that often mean their ability to make gains is more modest. But through Faith & Finances, we have the privilege of providing money management classes that see and cheer on those small first steps.
Transformation and Flourishing with ππ―π―π°π·π’π΅π¦: ππ°π€π’π
Chalmers is taking an exciting step in our partnership with the Free Methodist Church (FMC) in Latin America as we equip them to implement and scale Innovate: Local. This training prepares local churches and para-church ministries in the Majority World to use their own talents and resources to develop holistic poverty-alleviation ministries that meet the unique needs of their communities. Empowering participants to create and launch their own solutions helps ensure local commitment to long-term change.
For the Kingdom: The Impact of Influence
Across the globe, churches and ministries are stepping into hard placesβwalking with families facing poverty, isolation, and loss of dignity. The Chalmers Center exists to equip Godβs people to respond in a way thatβs rooted in biblical truth and practical love. By Godβs grace, from local churches and ministries to global NGOs, Chalmers has helped shape a movement of Christian economic development that restores relationships and fosters lasting change. This is the story of that influence.
Savings and Business: Empowering Communities Through Skills and Growth
Training savings group members in business skills contributes to economic growth and job creation in communities
Training to Help Your Ministry Help without Hurting
During the past 25 years, in addition to publishing books about poverty alleviation, Chalmers has been creating training for use in both the U.S. and the Majority World (of Africa, Asia, and Latin America). These field-tested programs are built on Godβs story of change and community development best practices to help you put a biblical framework for addressing poverty into practice.
Restoring Community Through Work
Tabatha shares that when she first connected with Restore OKC, she didnβt believe she was worthy of a job. Her journey through Work Life would soon help to shift that deeply held belief.Β
Recruiting and Equipping Effective Volunteers
When it comes to poverty alleviation ministry, itβs not uncommon for new volunteers to feel excited about getting involved. They canβt wait to make a difference. But if these volunteers arenβt well-prepared for the work theyβre joining, over time, they will likely begin to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. They realize that there are more needs than resources and there is always something else they could do to help. Walking through deep valleys with people wrestling with material poverty, the road is often rough and the way forward isnβt always clear. These sorts of challenges are part of the reason that The Chalmers Center regularly talks about the importance of training volunteers.
How Innovate Helped Restore OKC Strengthen Their Existing Programs
Restore OKC is a community development organization in Oklahoma City. Theyβre βfocused on the restoration of health, environment, reconciliation, and equity with neighbors in Northeast Oklahoma City.β For the past 6 years, Restore OKC has been committed to building relationships with the people in their community and working alongside them to bring about transformation.
Stories of Faithfulness: Learning the Value of Wholeness and Sustainability Through Innovate
Based in central Oklahoma, Branch15 was founded in 2013 to serve women in critical, life-controlling situations. Their mission has always been one of healing and restoration in the lives of their clients. Branch15βs main ministry participants have little to no support systems to address crises, which range from substance addiction to sex trafficking to abusive relationships to incarceration.
Equipping Ukrainian Church Leaders with HOPE International
Last summer, a team from Chalmersβ long standing partner, HOPE International, visited some of the Ukrainian church partners that they had supported in the early months of the war. While encouraged by incredible stories of life-saving relief work, they also detected challenges that often accompany sustained periods of relief: overextended church leaders, dependency from recipients, and frustration from volunteers.Β
Why Use Stories to Teach?
Godβs work in the world unfolds to us in the big story of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation, and in the individual stories told in Scripture. From the Garden to Noah to Abraham to Moses to David to the promise of the Messiah to Jesusβ life, death, and resurrection to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the church to the New Creation, we are so often given Godβs truths in narrative, not only in didactic lessons or abstract categories.
How to Build Developmental Classes that Actually Work
If weβre going to pursue relational poverty alleviation ministry that aims toward long-term development, one of the main outcomes weβre looking for from ministry participants is learning. We want to see the people weβre walking with learn new skills, rediscover their dignity, and grow in their capacity to navigate the complexities of life.Β
Building a Network of Poverty Alleviation Ministry Leaders in North America
Chalmers is opening enrollment for our next Ambassador cohort. Anyone with strong experience in relational poverty alleviation ministry and a solid background in the core principles of When Helping Hurts is welcome to apply to get certified and join our network!
Training to Help Your Church or Nonprofit Help without Hurting
During the past 22 years, in addition to publishing books about poverty alleviation, Chalmers has been creating training for use in both the U.S. and the Majority World (of Africa, Asia, and Latin America). These field-tested programs are built on Godβs story of change and community development best practices to help you put a biblical framework for addressing poverty into practice.
Helping Without Hurting in Africa Digital Book Launch
We recently hosted a live webinar to celebrate the launch of our latest resource, Helping Without Hurting in Africa. Watch a recording of the webinar here!Β