A Few Words With Brian Fikkert
Dr. Brian Fikkert is the director of the Chalmers Center for Economic and Community Development, housed at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Tenn.
What is the purpose of the Chalmers Center?
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ came preaching the good news of the kingdom of God in word and in deed to the poor. We exist to help churches do just that, but to do it in such a way that the poor are equipped to become financially self-sustaining.
What is the purpose of the Chalmers Center?
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ came preaching the good news of the kingdom of God in word and in deed to the poor. We exist to help churches do just that, but to do it in such a way that the poor are equipped to become financially self-sustaining.
Why is it important to find ways to help the poor without creating dependency?
Poverty is not fundamentally about resources. Rather, it is about not being fully human in the sense of being all that God created us to be. When our efforts to help the poor undermine their capacity to work and to exercise their creative gifts, we actually increase their poverty.
What does the Christian faith say about working with the poor?
In the Scriptures, one of the primary evidences of true saving faith is showing compassion for the poor. It is hard to imagine a group of people to whom these teachings should be more relevant than the white, middle-class, evangelical church in the U.S. But you rarely hear sermons about this topic. It's like we have somehow become inoculated against one of the central teachings of Scripture.
What are practical ways Christians can reach out to the poor?
A variety of things can be helpful: jobs training, financial counseling, housing programs, etc. Chalmers has helpful training and resources in all these areas. But the most important thing is to reach out and love the people around you. Friends don't lecture one another or throw programs at one another. Friends join hands, laugh together, cry together, and learn together. In the process, both you and your newfound friend become more like the people God intended, and that is what economic development and spiritual transformation are all about.
Poverty is not fundamentally about resources. Rather, it is about not being fully human in the sense of being all that God created us to be. When our efforts to help the poor undermine their capacity to work and to exercise their creative gifts, we actually increase their poverty.
What does the Christian faith say about working with the poor?
In the Scriptures, one of the primary evidences of true saving faith is showing compassion for the poor. It is hard to imagine a group of people to whom these teachings should be more relevant than the white, middle-class, evangelical church in the U.S. But you rarely hear sermons about this topic. It's like we have somehow become inoculated against one of the central teachings of Scripture.
What are practical ways Christians can reach out to the poor?
A variety of things can be helpful: jobs training, financial counseling, housing programs, etc. Chalmers has helpful training and resources in all these areas. But the most important thing is to reach out and love the people around you. Friends don't lecture one another or throw programs at one another. Friends join hands, laugh together, cry together, and learn together. In the process, both you and your newfound friend become more like the people God intended, and that is what economic development and spiritual transformation are all about.
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Liz Frazier
Hattiesburg, Mississippi