RESTORE Online Lead Trainer Certification is for small economic development organizations and local churches that want to start church-based savings groups.
Get Trained to Launch a RESTORE Savings Group
Get the training and support you need to launch a church-based savings group.
- Empower churches to bring lasting change with their own resources
- Create supportive groups to help people in extreme poverty
- Harness local resources and avoid creating dependency
Financial obstacles keep people trapped in extreme poverty.
- Broken relationships
- Lack of access to banking and capital for business investments
- Agricultural off-season and drought
- Life events (weddings, funerals, births, etc.)
How Savings Groups Work
Savings groups help people in extreme poverty weather the storms of life.
In a savings group, people gather weekly to worship, study God’s Word, and pray. Every week, each member also contributes a small amount of money to the group.
With the money they save together, members can invest in their businesses, pay for healthcare, or purchase necessities for their families.
Watch Savings Groups in Action
But there’s one big challenge…
Those who want to help often don’t have the experience to start a savings group and lack the resources to travel to get trained to start a savings group.
RESTORE Online Lead Trainer Certification can help!
We’ll train you how to launch a church-based savings group that will help restore participants to flourishing.
- RESTORE integrates holistic, asset-based principles, building on savings group best practices that have been tested and implemented over decades.
- The hands-on, practical lessons are designed for adult learners and adapted for diverse cultural contexts.
- RESTORE helps groups of 10-25 members to build strong relationships, access savings and loans, strengthen the habit of saving, and improve household economic resilience.
How RESTORE Online certification works
- Get Trained
- Complete the online certification program with a cohort of other leaders and a Chalmers Coach.
- Launch Your Savings Group
- Get buy in from local church leaders to help recruit and build relationships with participants.
- Stay Connected
- Get ongoing support as you complete a full savings group cycle and equip others to lead savings groups.
Meet your coaches
This training is led by Chalmers Coaches.
Our Coaches have successfully started savings groups at churches or nonprofits in the majority work.
They know what works, and what doesn’t—and they’ll guide you every step of the way.
Sara Mamami Anamor
Emily Mugisha
Kwasi Ayivi
Mawousse Tchegnon
Jude Thera
Jeanine Ayivi
RESTORE is trusted by:
2024/2025 Cohort Schedule
Join Us on Zoom
May 23, 2024 – May 15, 2025
Thursdays 11:00 am – Noon ET
RESTORE Online LT Certification includes 3 different sections.
- During Part 1, you will meet weekly for six-weeks with your Chalmers Coach and complete online learning assignments to learn about savings groups.
- In Part 2, you will complete a full savings group cycle and meet quarterly with your Coach. This section will last 9-10 months.
- During Part 3, you will meet weekly with your Chalmers Coach for four-weeks and complete the requirements to become certified as a Lead Trainer.
Work Life Site Certification Pricing
Start your savings group journey!
No travel for training required.
Until recently, RESTORE Lead Trainer Certification has only been available for large NGOs or for those who could travel to our training centers.
We’ve received many training requests from small organizations and church leaders, and we’re excited to make this training available online.
What you’ll learn during RESTORE training:
- A biblical foundation for helping people who are materially poor
- How to use the RESTORE curriculum effectively
- Best practices for weekly meetings
- Ways to help class participants engage with one another
- How to connect with church leaders
- How to finish your first savings cycle and train others to lead savings groups
Frequently asked questions
There are 3 parts, about 12 months total. Part 1: Church Facilitator Online Training, 6 weeks (~3 hrs/wk). Part 2: Form, train, and support a savings group (1 cycle, 9-12 months). Part 3: 3-week (4 hrs/wk) online Lead Trainer training, only after completing part 1 and a full cycle.
Online delivery significantly reduces cost. Individual: $425. Multiple participants from a church or organization: $375 per participant. Scholarships are available \u2014 reach out via the contact page.
Training is online and accessible anytime. Watch videos and complete assignments on the platform, plus weekly video calls with your coach and other leaders nationwide. Coaching calls are assigned to fit your time zone and schedule.
Traditional savings groups focus on economic alleviation only; RESTORE treats the materially poor as image-bearers deserving dignified, holistic engagement. Groups create opportunities for learning together, spiritual growth, and social connection.
Thousands of churches and nonprofits have started RESTORE savings-group ministries. Coaches provide ongoing support if you hit challenges.
See a curriculum sample. RESTORE covers roughly 18 topics: Overview of the RESTORE process; Church leadership orientation; 4 Key relationships; Typical savings group; Prepare to open a savings group; Benefits of savings groups; House of Principles; Forming a group and rules; Loans and emergency fund; Ledgers & calculations; Leadership selection; Practice facilitation; The savings meeting process; Record keeping; Group meeting with loans; Leadership roles; End of cycle; Testing what we learned; and a Reflection exercise.
Drop us a line on our Contact Us page.
Have more questions? Get in touch.