Anne Brown reveals the invisible causes of poverty: ideas. Examples from Guatemala, Zimbabwe, and India show the transformational effects that biblical ideas can have on impoverished communities—and the tragic consequences of destructive ideas.

Anne Brown is Regional Manager of Global Engagement at Food for the Hungry. If you enjoyed this episode, listen to Anne share the benefits of having personal relationships with the poor.

Also mentioned in this episode! Audio from Summit 2010: The Truth about Poverty is now online. Check out the workshops below.

The Truth about Child Sponsorship with Jewel Anita Hendrix
The Truth about Physical Poverty with Victor Cortez
The Truth about the Human Soul with Paul Wilson
The Truth about Serving with Steve Corbett
The Truth about Prayer with Darryl Delhousaye
International Staff Panel with FH field staff

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Why do people remain poor?

This episode addresses six obstacles to positive change for people living in poverty. When all six of these obstacles are lifted, the change process can occur.

1. Lack of education
2. Lack of resources
3. Human sinfulness
4. Satanic deception
5. Lack of supportive people
6. Presence of opposition

When I explained this lesson to my 5- and 6-year-old daughters, here’s the language they understood for describing the six obstacles.

1. No school
2. No money
3. Sin
4. Satan
5. Nobody helping
6. Mean people

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Many of you have asked about Food for the Hungry’s response in Haiti. Yes, our Emergency Response Unit is on the ground and working in Port-au-Prince! We need your help in giving and telling others. Read more on our relief blog or on the Food for the Hungry web site.

Thank you for your support.
Wendy

Good intentions aren’t always enough in missions. When churches and individuals go on short-term teams to communities in developing countries, they need to think carefully about the messages they send – not just verbally, but also through their actions. In this interview, Steve Corbett shares three mistakes to avoid when participating in short-term missions.

Other topics in this interview include the distinction between relief and development, choosing asset-based development rather than need-based development, and investing missions money wisely.

Steve Corbett is a featured speaker at Summit 2010. He is an Assistant Professor of Community Development at Covenant College and serves as a Distance Learning Trainer for the Chalmers Center. Steve Corbett co-authored When Helping Hurts with Brian Fikkert.

Hear Steve Corbett speak at Summit 2010, February 26-28 in Phoenix, AZ. Join us for a weekend of learning and networking, plus worship led by Sara Groves, whose album Fireflies and Songs was named 2009 Best Album of the Year by Christianity Today. Register by January 10 for the best deal!

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World AIDS Day is December 1, 2009. In this interview, Carolyn Wetzel shares the story of 36 African women who turned away from prostitution when they were shown a way out.

Carolyn Wetzel is Health Programs Coordinator for Food for the Hungry. She lives in Washington, D.C.

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Change for Life is a new way to bring hope to those suffering from the AIDS crisis, one of the most severe health problems the world has ever faced.

When you get involved with Change for Life, Food for the Hungry will provide your church, Sunday School class, workplace or other group with small containers to collect spare coins for six weeks. As the containers fill up, the accumulation of pocket change will fund programs like the one Carolyn discussed on today’s episode. Get started here.

HIV/AIDS is not only a subject of global concern–it’s an issue embodied by real people every day. In this interview, Kim Buttonow tells the story of a teenager named Claire and the courageous woman who saved her life.

Kim Buttonow is HIV/AIDS Programs Coordinator for Food for the Hungry. Based in Washington, D.C., Kim has worked with Food for the Hungry in countries around the world since 2001.

More listening options:
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Change for Life is a new way to bring hope to those suffering from the AIDS crisis, one of the most severe health problems the world has ever faced.

When you get involved with Change for Life, Food for the Hungry will provide your church, Sunday School class, workplace or other group with small containers to collect spare coins for six weeks. As the containers fill up, the accumulation of pocket change will fund the programs that Kim discussed on today’s episode. Get started here.

There are 132 million orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. In some parts of Sub-Saharan Africa,  one of every ten children is an orphan. The need for orphan care is staggering. In this interview, Chad Mower shares about a unforgettable 13-year-old he met in Ethiopia while on an open team. It’s a story of finding hope in a tragic situation.

Chad Mower volunteers as an Advocate with Food for the Hungry. He lives in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

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In this interview, Bryant Myers responds to three questions…

• What is your definition of poverty?
• What is your definition of transformation?
• What is the biggest challenge facing development workers today?

Dr. Bryant Myers is Professor of Transformational Development at Fuller Theological Seminary. Previously he served at World Vision International as Vice President for International Program Strategy. Myers’ most recent books include Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practice of Transformational Development and Working with the Poor: New Insights and Learnings from Development Practitioners.

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I had the opportunity to interview Brian Fikkert, co-author of When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor… And Yourself.

In this conversation, Fikkert discusses…

• Diagnosing the causes of poverty
• How Western materialism has infected Christians’ work among the poor
• How Christians can use their gifts to do meaningful ministry
• Ministering out of brokenness

Dr. Brian Fikkert is Associate Professor of Economics and the founder and Executive Director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College.

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In this third foundational episode, we look at the roots of poverty. If we provide food, health, and education to people living in poverty, will we solve the problem? Or does poverty run deeper?

Key thoughts:

1. Our understanding of how life works must be defined by God. (Romans 12:2)
2. When we don’t listen to what God says about how life works, poverty happens somewhere. (Matthew 12:33-35)
3. Our quality of life is based on the behaviors of ourselves and those around us, and those behaviors are ultimately rooted in beliefs and values.
4. We must address the root causes of poverty—beliefs and values—in order to make lasting change.
5. Before pointing fingers, American Christians should examine our own alignment to biblical values.

Mentioned in this episode:

• unChristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
• Take our Facebook quiz
• Order a copy of the Poverty Unlocked 4-week curriculum

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