Good intentions are not enough.
We need a different framework for thinking about poverty. Rather than simply defining it as a lack of material things, this approach addressed the roots of the issue: broken relationships with God, self, others, and the rest of creation.
What does this mean for your church's short-term mission trips to materially poor communities?
Helping Without Hurting in Short-Term Missions: Leader's Guide guides team leaders through the process of planning and executing effective short-term trips, both international and domestic, by blending research, stories, practical guidelines, suggested resources, and reflective questions. Based on the core ideas of When Helping Hurts, this two-book guide with free, online video content equips leaders to design healthy short-term trips and shepherd team members toward lasting engagement with missions and poverty alleviation.
This is an ideal resource for church leaders, missions directors, and youth pastors who are seeking to move beyond good intentions, doing short-term missions without doing long-term harm.
