Child Development and Community Development: Is One Better Than the Other?
How we go about fighting extreme poverty contrasts with how other organizations work toward the same goal. We fight poverty personally; whereas, many organizations fight communally.
I don’t mean that other organizations aren’t personally invested or committed to eliminating extreme poverty. I mean that a child focused, child development approach to fighting poverty is distinctly different than a broader community development approach.
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Rescuing the Future
The people who suffer the most from extreme poverty are children. These children are the reason why we need to speak up for those who are unable to speak for themselves.
Don’t Believe the Lies
The Enemy wants us to lose hope. He wants us to feel as disempowered and discouraged as the children we’re trying to rescue.
Paper Angels All Year Long
The actions of the Christian community serving the poor are what show them there is something truly different about this Jesus… something that is, in fact, life changing.
Words of Encouragement are Always Needed
Even though you smell like sewage on the outside, you smell like Jesus on the inside.
When Does a Boy Become a Man?
A boy becomes a man when he understands and consistently demonstrates through humble surrender to God that the Lord’s strength abounds in human frailty.
Poverty’s Other Lie
Sadly, millions have bought into the lie of poverty. We see it in sullen, desperate faces and hear it in tearful cries of anguish. Yet poverty’s other lie, the lie believed by some of the wealthiest people in the world, is just as powerful.
Challenging the Mindset of a Child in Poverty
Children are given the freedom to start dreaming. They are told they have hope for a future, one that doesn’t have to be controlled by poverty.
Poverty is a Lie
“At its very core, poverty is a mindset that goes far beyond the tragic circumstances. It is the cruel, destructive message that gets whispered into the ears of millions by the enemy Satan himself: ‘Give up! You don’t matter. Nobody cares about you. Look around you: Things are terrible. Always have been, always will be. Think back. Your grandfather was a failure. Your parents couldn’t protect or take care of you. Now it’s your turn. You, too, will fail. So just give up!'” — Wess Stafford
Is It Safe to Challenge the Status Quo?
Challenge is an aggressive word. It suggests victory … or loss. It implies a struggle and change, possibly forced change. Change creates uncertainty for people. And uncertainty breeds worry and fear.
Asking people questions about what they believe and why they believe it is challenging. It’s often deemed unacceptable. People feel threatened and get defensive. It’s uncomfortable. Should we do it?
Who Cares About the Poor?
If I cared, I’d be more like Bono or Mother Teresa or even Wess Stafford — someone with influence and name recognition, someone with a story. If I cared, I’d do more, right? If I cared, I’d dedicate my life to serving the poor — as their champion, as their savior.
