Toxic Charity

Author: Robert D. Lupton
Publisher: HarperOne
ISBN: 9780062076205
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Public service is a way of life for Americans; giving is a part of our national character. But compassionate instincts and generous spirits aren’t enough, says veteran urban activist Robert D. Lupton. In this groundbreaking guide, he reveals the disturbing truth about charity: all too much of it has become toxic, devastating to the very people it’s meant to help. In his four decades of urban ministry, Lupton has experienced firsthand how our good intentions can have unintended, dire consequences. Our free food and clothing distribution encourages ever-growing handout lines, diminishing the dignity of the poor while increasing their dependency. We converge on inner-city neighborhoods to plant flowers and pick up trash, battering the pride of residents who have the capacity (and responsibility) to beautify their own environment. We fly off on mission trips to poverty-stricken villages, hearts full of pity and suitcases bulging with giveaways—trips that one Nicaraguan leader describes as effective only in “turning my people into beggars.” In Toxic Charity, Lupton urges individuals, churches, and organizations to step away from these spontaneous, often destructive acts of compassion toward thoughtful paths to community development. He delivers proven strategies for moving from toxic charity to transformative charity. Proposing a powerful “Oath for Compassionate Service” and spotlighting real-life examples of people serving not just with their hearts but with proven strategies and tested tactics, Lupton offers all the tools and inspiration we need to develop healthy, community-driven programs that produce deep, measurable, and lasting change. Everyone who volunteers or donates to charity needs to wrestle with this book.

When Helping Hurts

Author: Steve Corbett
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN: 0802487629
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 355

Book Description
With more than 450,000 copies in print, When Helping Hurts is a paradigm-forming contemporary classic on the subject of poverty alleviation. Poverty is much more than simply a lack of material resources, and it takes much more than donations and handouts to solve it. When Helping Hurts shows how some alleviation efforts, failing to consider the complexities of poverty, have actually (and unintentionally) done more harm than good. But it looks ahead. It encourages us to see the dignity in everyone, to empower the materially poor, and to know that we are all uniquely needy—and that God in the gospel is reconciling all things to himself. Focusing on both North American and Majority World contexts, When Helping Hurts provides proven strategies for effective poverty alleviation, catalyzing the idea that sustainable change comes not from the outside in, but from the inside out.

Charity Detox

Author: Robert D. Lupton
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062307290
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 118

Book Description
The veteran urban activist and author of the revolutionary Toxic Charity returns with a headline-making book that offers proven, results-oriented ideas for transforming our system of giving. In Toxic Charity, Robert D. Lupton revealed the truth about modern charity programs meant to help the poor and disenfranchised. While charity makes donors feel better, he argued, it often hurts those it seeks to help. At the forefront of this burgeoning yet ineffective compassion industry are American churches, which spend billions on dependency-producing programs, including food pantries. But what would charity look like if we, instead, measured it by its ability to alleviate poverty and needs? That is the question at the heart of Charity Detox. Drawing on his many decades of experience, Lupton outlines how to structure programs that actually improve the quality of life of the poor and disenfranchised. He introduces many strategies that are revolutionizing what we do with our charity dollars, and offers numerous examples of organizations that have successfully adopted these groundbreaking new models. Only by redirecting our strategies and becoming committed to results, he argues, can charity enterprises truly become as transformative as our ideals.

Toxic Charity

Author: Robert D. Lupton
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062076221
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 110

Book Description
Veteran urban activist Robert Lupton reveals the shockingly toxic effects that modern charity has upon the very people meant to benefit from it. Toxic Charity provides proven new models for charitable groups who want to help—not sabotage—those whom they desire to serve. Lupton, the founder of FCS Urban Ministries (Focused Community Strategies) in Atlanta, the voice of the Urban Perspectives newsletter, and the author of Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life, has been at the forefront of urban ministry activism for forty years. Now, in the vein of Jeffrey Sachs’s The End of Poverty, Richard Stearns’s The Hole in Our Gospel, and Gregory Boyle’s Tattoos on the Heart, his groundbreaking Toxic Charity shows us how to start serving needy and impoverished members of our communities in a way that will lead to lasting, real-world change.

Seeking Shalom

Author: Shawn Duncan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781978166806
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 96

Book Description
Seeking Shalom: Leader's GuideThe Seeking Shalom Leader's Guide provides group facilitators with notes for leading six highly interactive sessions that reimagine our response to poverty in ways that will transform lives and restore communities. Each session is shaped by the videos on the Seeking Shalom: DVD. The Leader's Guide offers notes for teaching, instructions for creative learning exercises, and guidance to set up small group interactions. Class interactions, as well as weekly reflection and application exercises, is guided by the Seeking Shalom: Participant's Guide.

Beautifully Toxic

Author: Charity Parkerson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781946099716
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
A famous drummer. A homeless teen. It's hard to tell which one is the savior.When Jessie Thunder, a famous drummer, learns a homeless person had been sneaking into his home, Jessie decides to help him out. The eighteen-year-old "boy" is too old to go in the system and Jessie can't stand the thought of anyone going hungry. He also hopes rescuing Theo will ease his soul. Otherwise, there's nothing redeeming left of him. Even though Theo doesn't trust Jessie's help, he doesn't have anywhere else to go. At first, Jessie's attention feels like heaven. He's never had anyone care about him, especially someone as amazing as Jessie. Everything seems perfect. That is until Theo realizes Jessie's beauty is only a mask. Inside, Jessie is poison and Theo has to get out before he finds himself in worse shape than when he lived on the street. With Theo gone and no one to save him, Jessie has to make a choice. He can either rescue himself or drown in the toxic waste his life has become. Only one of those roads leads back to Theo. Beautifully Toxic is the first book in bestselling author Charity Parkerson's series, Candied Crush where the men are like candy-rich, irresistible, and bad for your health.

Radical Charity

Author: Christopher Marlin-Warfield
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532665865
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 190

Book Description
Right now, there is a movement in churches and nonprofits arguing that charity is toxic, that helping hurts, and that the entire nonprofit sector needs to be reformed to truly lift people out of poverty. These charity skeptics are telling Christians that traditional charity deepens dependency, fosters a sense of entitlement, and erodes the work ethic of people who receive it. Charity skepticism is increasingly popular; and it is almost certainly wrong. Radical Charity weaves together research and scholarship on topics as diverse as biblical scholarship, Christian history, economics, and behavioral psychology to tell a different story. In this story, charity is the heart of Christianity and one of the most effective ways that we can help people who are living in poverty. Charity--giving to people experiencing poverty without any expectation of return or reformation--can save the world and help make God's vision for the church a reality.

Toxic Charity

Author: Robert D. Lupton
Publisher: HarperOne
ISBN: 9780062076212
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Doing Good, Great

Author: Scott George
Publisher: By George Books
ISBN: 1940243815
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 316

Book Description
“In Doing Good, Great, Pastor George has captured the true essence of these Orlando leaders and shares their unique qualities that propel them to the next level. Pastor George himself is truly one of these great leaders. . . . While this book shares the stories of some of Orlando’s most impactful leaders publicly, the fact is, every day they do good, Great while no one is watching. This book will inspire you and encourage you to serve others in a way that will leave a lasting impact.” Buddy Dyer Mayor, Orlando, Florida “Scott George has been an inspiration to me and so many in Central Florida by modeling the living out of the Gospel through “doing good” (The Great Commandment) and sharing the life-changing message of the Gospel—“good news” (The Great Commission). The Community Food and Outreach Center and Scott are shining lights in our community.” Jack McGill President, Elevate Orlando “If anyone is qualified to give secrets to living beyond ordinary, it is Scott George. On his own personal journey of stewardship in his community, Scott obviously has many uplifting and exciting stories to tell about his successes and the successful people he meets along the way. He humbly quotes others as being “wiser people” than himself, yet the wisdom he provides and the compassion he adds to back it up are life-changing!” Bill Mills Florida Prosperity Partnership “Scott has filled this book with powerful principles and life-changing stories that will inspire a little spark of advocacy for so many in need. They show how one can take the ordinary and do extraordinary work for those who are lost.” Dick Batchelor Advocate, DBMG, Inc. You Were Born for Greatness . . . to Leave a Beyond Ordinary Legacy There are leaders who do good, Great and make a lasting impact on the world while leaving an enduring legacy that will inspire generations to come . . . and there are those who do not. What sets them apart? In Doing Good, Great: 11 Secrets to Living Beyond Ordinary, leadership authority Scott George, author of the powerfully inspiring books Living Beyond Ordinary: Discovering Authentic Significance and Purpose and GPS: Guiding Principles for Success, explores the lives of renowned and respected local and international leaders and reveals eleven key qualities and practices that make them great. You will discover life-changing truths and principles from great leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Bill Gates, and many others who achieved greatness by doing good, Great. Have you believed for years you were meant to live for so much more, but continued to settle for an ordinary life? Or, are you looking for a new level of living a beyond ordinary life? In Doing Good, Great, you will be inspired by the lives of those who refused to be average and encouraged to make an awesome impact on your world, just like them, and to live a life beyond ordinary. [email protected] [email protected] www.doinggoodgreat.org www.communityfoodoutreach.org Twitter: @RevJScottGeorge Facebook: J scott george Video: http://www.jscottgeorge.com

The Learner

Author: Thomas Franklin Warren
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532651392
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 180

Book Description
The ministry is difficult. So much is asked of you, and expectations are high. It's hard to please everyone, and hurt can fester and grow, especially when matters stay unresolved. In The Learner, young pastor Christopher Ek confronts the challenges of leading his church, while trying to become a better golfer. Golf--when taken seriously--is hard. Some say it's a metaphor for life: just when players think they have discovered its secrets, the game turns on them. Nothing works. But a gorgeous shot on the last hole of a disappointing day will bring them back for more, and suggest that there is hope. And there is, for a while, but the Sisyphean cycle continues, no matter the skill of the player. Like life and church, golf is a game full of hope and frustration. Grappling with these matters, Pastor Ek confronts the forcefulness of the youth of his church, who are learning about homelessness in their midst. Before long, they develop big ideas and seem to be taking over the congregation. Out in the pews members are asking: "What are our children up to? Are we a place of G-o-d or g-o-l-f?" and "who is this foxy new liturgist?"