The Complexities of Unemployment and Underemployment

Complexities of unemployment and underemployment

What happens when someone wants work but can’t find it? What happens when “the one who has been stealing” wants to do “something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need” (Eph. 4:28), but can’t get a job? What happens when they find work, but it is so temporary, unsteady, or poorly paid that they can’t even get off government assistance, much less have something left over to share?

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The Five Causes of Poverty—Part 3: Individual Brokenness

The Five Causes of Poverty: Individual Brokenness

Adapted from A Field Guide to Becoming Whole, 125-134. We’ve been exploring the five causes of poverty in this series of posts, and it’s important to remember that any one of us can be impacted by all five causes—false stories, destructive practices, individual brokenness, systemic brokenness, and demonic forces. These factors are so intertwined it’s…

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Refocusing Ministry Through Innovation

Grace Chapel

When we’re walking with people in poverty, we sometimes want a recipe to follow. But real-life complexities often demand a more innovative approach. Hear how one local church has started shifting from meeting material needs to building relationships with people.

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Why Talk About Work?

Why Talk About Work?

Work is good. It is the most effective way to provide for our material needs, but also provides ways for us to interact with the world around us and contribute to our community. How can we creatively shift our ministries to help people discover their God-given capacity for meaningful work?

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Nobody Gave Her a Dollar: Leya’s Story

Leya and members of her savings group

Editor’s note: As we’ve been sharing about the importance of walking well with churches in the majority world, we’ve made mention several times of Chalmers’ partners in this work. This story is from our partners at HOPE International, who have faithfully expanded church-based savings groups in multiple countries over the past several years.  Just before…

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Building Community on Tiny Screens?

Building Community on Tiny Screens

“Are you going to adapt the 12-week Faith & Finances class into a virtual format that we can offer our participants?” In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the Chalmers staff have been asked this question a number of times over the past few months. Man, we get it. We’ve all had to scramble to pivot…

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Doing All Things Well

Doing All Things Well

The right approaches to poverty alleviation are not quick fixes, but often decades-long processes that you can’t control. That’s why it’s so important to focus on being formed into people who can walk the long road of mutual transformation by the power of Christ.

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The Stories We Tell

Illustration of a woman

At Chalmers, we want to be story-driven whenever possible. What makes a good story? One that reflects God’s story, and demonstrates how Jesus brings lasting change in the life of a person, family, or community.

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Churches Supporting Churches

Kingdom Partners

In some places, there are churches on every corner—but they often stay disconnected. Listen to this episode of Rethink Poverty and hear how one local ministry is working to change that.

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We’re All Poor

Illustration of people standing in line

People in a middle-class community often see the materially poor as people we need to “fix.” But what if everyone is affected by the same underlying brokenness that contributes to material poverty?

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