Not All Help Is the Same

by Reba Collins

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. Matthew 25:34-36

Do you feel an urge to be part of a faith community committed to helping the poor and marginalized? Jesus said and showed us a lot about caring for those who are poor, weak, sick, lonely, marginalized, and disconnected. Jesus’ words in Matthew pass on this responsibility to us as His followers. As the hands and feet of Jesus, the local church is to take up Jesus’ ministry with the poor and empower members to do the same.

Many local churches point to this exact piece of scripture as a guide for outreach ministry to the poor. Food banks, free meals, funding for water wells in Africa, radical hospitality, clothing closets, prison ministries, and health clinics are just a few common ministries churches offer to serve the poor.

Recently, though, visits to two different churches reminded me that not all ministries to the poor are the same. God calls each church and each person to a special assignment in relieving the many burdens that contribute to a culture of poverty. Some are even called to eliminate the culture of poverty in their community. Which one you choose depends upon matching their commitment to your own.

In their book, When Helping Hurts, Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert identify three ways churches can engage in ministry with the materially poor.

1.       Relief – Relief ministries address urgent or temporary emergency aid needs for the poor. They are a band aid. The primary relationship is provider to receiver. Ministries “give to” or “do for” the poor. Clothing stores, food pantries, free meals, and many fundraisers for special causes are examples of relief ministries.  

2.       Rehabilitation – Rehabilitation ministries focus on restoring lives before the crisis occurred or helping people transition from one stage of life to another. The poor aren’t just served by others. They contribute to improving their situation. Relationally, the dynamic moves to “doing with” in a shared effort toward a specific goal. Habitat for Humanity, natural disaster restoration work, and recovery ministries are primary examples of rehabilitation ministries.

3.       Development – Development ministries are long-term investments in working with the poor. The goal is to walk with people as they do the hard work of moving out of their own form of poverty. The primary relationship is “walking with” others to develop a more abundant life. Development ministries are expansive yet intimate. They combine relief and rehabilitation ministries, training, and long-term mentoring relationships toward specific populations and specific types of poverty. The key to spotting churches focused on developmental ministry is that their outreach ministries don’t stand along from other church ministries. Outreach ministries are toward a specific population and include relationships and resources beyond relief and rehabilitation. Some developmental churches even run their outreach ministries as separate non-profits.

     

When you decide to work with those in poverty, make sure you know exactly what your local churches are doing. More importantly, see how they are doing it. Find the one that helps you satisfy what God has called you to do to help the poor around you.