Community DevelopmentA transformational process in

which a community is enabled to meet its own needs: physical,

spiritual, emotional, psychological, social, economic and political.

Process is more important than the product.

The fundamental purpose of Community Development is the restoration of fallen man and his community to a right relationship with God through the salvation of

Jesus Christ.

Reconcile – “to make right relationships”… literally, “to change to the same position… restoration to favor.”

Reconcile – Papagkasunduin; magkasundo; magtugma, magbati.

Bryant Myers, a leading Christian development thinker, argues that in order to diagnose the disease of poverty correctly, we must consider the fundamental nature of reality, starting with the Creator of that reality.

Myers notes that the Triune God is inherently a relational being, existing as three-in-one from eternity. Being made in God’s image, human beings are inherently relational as well. Note that human life is not all up for grabs! God designed humans to be a certain thing and to operate in a certain way in all of these relationships.

FOUNDATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

1. Relationship with God 2. Relationship with Others

3. Relationship with Creation 4. Relationship with Self

a. Relationship with God – This is our primary relationship, the other three relationships flowing out of this one. The Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches that human beings’ primary purpose is

‘to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.’

This is our calling, the ultimate reason for which we were created.

B) Relationship with Self – People are uniquely created in the image of God

and thus have inherent worth and dignity.

C) Relationship with Others – God created us to live in loving

relationship with one another. We are not islands!

D) Relationship with the Rest of Creation – The ‘cultural mandate’ of Genesis 1:28-30 teaches that God created us to be stewards,

people who understand, subdue, and manage the

world that God has created in order to

produce bounty.

Because the four relationships are the building blocks for all human activity, the effects of the fall are manifested in the

Economic System Social System

Religious System Political System

that humans have created throughout history.

Christian Views of the poor and Responses (from Corbett)…

If we believe the primary cause of poverty is…

• A lack of material resources

• A lack of knowledge• Oppression by

powerful people • The personal sin of the

poor

Then we will primarily try to…

• Give “things” to the poor

• Educate the poor• Work for social justice• Evangelize and

disciple the poor

Fall of ManAdapted from Myers, “Walking with the Poor”

Social System

EconomicSystem

ReligiousSystem Political System

Fall of Man Adapted from Myers, “Walking with the Poor”

Poverty of Spirit

GOD

A) Poverty of Spiritual Intimacy – denying God’s existence and

authority; materialism; worshipping false gods

and spirits.

B) Poverty of Being – god complexes; low self-esteem

C) Poverty of Community – self centeredness;

exploitation and abuse of others.

D) Poverty of Stewardship – loss of sense of purpose;

laziness/workaholics; materialism;

ground is cursed

One of the major premises of this book is that until we embrace our mutual

brokenness, our work with low-income people is

likely to do far more harm than good.

And now we come to a very central point: one of the biggest problems in many poverty-alleviation efforts is that their design and implementation exacerbates the poverty of being of the economically poor – their feelings of inferiority and shame.

The way that we act toward the economically poor often communicates –albeit unintentionally – that we are superior and they are inferior. In the process we hurt the poor and ourselves.

Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation.

Material poverty alleviation is working to reconcile the four foundational relationships so that people can fulfill their callings of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruit of that work.

The Dilemma . . .

NEED BASED:• People and communities• have deficiencies and needsASSET BASED:• People and communities• have skills and talents

TWO GENERAL CATEGORIES OFHUMAN NEEDS

1. Acute - These needs arise from disaster events such as wars, famine, earthquakes, floods, etc., and are highly unpredictable as to when or where they will happen. They can and do open windows for the team usually of shorter duration periods than chronic needs.

TWO GENERAL CATEGORIES OFHUMAN NEEDS

2. Chronic - Human suffering due to hunger, poverty, poor health, etc., and are generally massive in proportion. Because the problems causing chronic suffering are deeply rooted in societies and cultures, they require long term,transformational, education-based solutions.

RELIEF VERSUS DEVELOPMENT…

RELIEF…1. Acute needs2. 24 hours

response3. 3 to six months4. Mercy oriented

DEVELOPMENT…

1. Chronic needs2. Long-term3. 3 to five year

programs4. Transformational

Community Development

Is not a PRODUCT but a PROCESS.

Products (The What)

1. Improved roads2. Schools/buildings

3. Water systems4. Food projects

5. Income generation6. Health Centers

7. Livestock8. Etc., etc., etc.

Process: (The How)

How the community prepares for CD How they implement CD plan

How they manage improvement of their community…

Emphasis:

How THEY, the community, getto a self-sustaining solution!

Pitfalls of Poor Planning

✘ Addressing “Symptoms” and not major issues

✘ Relief instead Development solutions✘ Misdiagnosing underlying problems

✘ Outsiders are seen as experts✘ Solutions that create ongoing

dependency✘ No local ownership or autonomy

✘ Time consuming✘ High profile in a non-secure area

WHOSE REALITY COUNTS?

Whose knowledge counts?Whose values?

Whose criteria and preferences?Whose appraisal, analysis and

planning?Whose action?

WHOSE REALITY COUNTS?

Whose monitoring and evaluation?Whose learning?

Whose empowerment?Whose reality counts?

Ours or theirs?

DO’S AND DONT’S FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TEAMS

1. Do let local people determine your project.2. Do undertake projects that are sustainable by local

people.3. Don’t create expectations that will burden future

short-term mission teams in that place. Most problems of poverty and disease are long-standing and have no simple solutions, so it is better to do the little that the short-term mission can do without making promises about what will be accomplished.

4. Don’t do anything that they can do for themselves.