About the Chalmers Center
Since 1999, the Chalmers Center has helped the Church rethink poverty and respond with practical, biblical principles – so that all are restored to flourishing.
With the publication of When Helping Hurts in 2009, authors Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett showed how popular ways of helping people in poverty fail to reflect God’s design for human flourishing. On top of that, they don’t work. These approaches leave people trapped in poverty and create dependency. They leave ministry leaders feeling stuck.
Since then, we’ve developed a slate of tools for ever-changing contexts, equipping followers from American urban centers to villages in rural Togo with better practices for relief and development.
Our signature trainings include Faith & Finances, Work Life, Restore Savings Groups, Innovate, and Helping without Hurting in Benevolence Ministry.
Together with books, talks, media, courses and a growing network, we’re here to help you care in more effective ways.
Our Approach
Our approach to poverty alleviation combines God’s story of change, the local church, and transformational development.
God’s Story of Change
We recognize that poverty is more than a lack of material goods, and the solution isn’t simply to baptize the American Dream. Jesus isn’t just saving our souls so that we can go to heaven when we die. He is reconciling all things to himself (Col. 1:20). We believe the gospel can permeate every aspect of our work as we walk alongside people living in material poverty. In taking this holistic approach, we expect to experience mutual transformation.
The Local Church
Because the local church is where God dwells, it plays a central role in restoring people to flourishing. Both people living in material poverty and people working to alleviate it need the ministry of the local church. We desire to see all of our stakeholders involved in the life of the local church where they can hear the gospel, participate in community, and receive the sacraments.
Transformational Development
Our Ministry Design Principles weave together biblical principles, best practices, and a commitment to long-term relational ministry. Relationships are mutually transformative as we walk alongside our neighbors. Over the past 20 years, we’ve developed proven economic development programs that are bringing this transformation to communities all over the world.
Partners
We’ve worked with thousands of churches and organizations of all sizes across the globe, including:
What We Believe
The Chalmers Center has adopted the Lausanne Covenant as our statement of belief. We are deeply committed to:
- The inerrancy and ultimate authority of the Bible
- Living out our faith under the authority of God’s local church
- Sharing God’s love for people in poverty
- Relying on God’s strength through prayer
- Being empowered with the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit
