BIGGER THAN A PAYCHECK

One of the few good things about February is this: it's a great month to stay inside and read!

After recently picking up Becoming Whole by Fikkert and Kapic, my boss at Mission Resource instantly became a spokesman for the book. (The subtitle is Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn’t the American Dream.)

Dave recommended it to me and now I see what he saw: a striking confirmation of Mission Resource’s out-of-the-ordinary approach to poverty alleviation. 

The authors write, “The goal [of ministry among the poor] isn’t to turn Zimbabwe into the United States or to turn decaying neighborhoods into wealthy suburbs. Rather, the goal is to turn all these places into the New Jerusalem [as found in Revelation 21].”

Fikkert and Kapic explain that material poverty is merely one symptom of an even more pressing relational poverty affecting all of humanity. It is only within the Kingdom of God that we - and those we minister to through Mission Resource loans – find wholeness, purpose, and true wealth. 

One unique feature of our approach that doesn't get a lot of attention is the fact that we are working through local churches in Ghana - not usurping them. 

As important as putting food on a table is, the goal of Mission Resource on behalf of the individuals, families, and churches that we serve has always been much greater than a paycheck. 

BECOMING WHOLE

Recently, my boss at Mission Resource, Dave, got all excited about a book on the topic of effective ministry among the poor: Becoming Whole by Brian Fikkert and Kelly Kapic. 

The subtitle is Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn't the American Dream.

Fikkert is best known as the co-author with Steve Corbett of When Helping Hurts, a book that I found frustrating.

At least in the first edition. 

I felt that When Helping Hurts made beneficial ministry among the poor seem so complicated, and well-intentioned-yet-harmful actions so unpredictable, that many readers would give up trying to help at all. 

So I wasn't overly enthusiastic about Dave's recommendation of the newer book.

But it turned out to be an incredibly pleasant surprise.

Becoming Whole doesn't just shine light on basic pitfalls in charitable work. It traces those failings back to a weak foundation within American Evangelicalism itself. 

And I think Fikkert and Kapic nail it. 

Of course, it could just be a case of confirmation bias on my part - they conclude the Church struggles with poverty ministry based on her own impoverished understanding of the gospel: a give-your-heart-to-Jesus-then-wait-to-go-to-heaven message instead of a full-bodied exploration of redeemed humans operating here and now as restored Image Bearers in the growing Kingdom of God. 

Exactly. 

Not only will the book help us clarify best practices within Mission Resource, it has also given me fuel for my dissertation work. 

That's a real win-win.