Working With the Poor: New Insights and Learnings from Development Practitioners

How do Christian practitioners express authentically holistic transformational development? This is the challenge to World Vision development practitioners and to all non-government organizations concerned about community development that addresses the whole person and the entire community.

This dilemma is rooted in the western assumption that the physical and spiritual realms are separate and distinct from one another. Such a dichotomy leads to a belief among practitioners that restoring people's relationship with God has nothing to do with restoring just political, social and economic relationships among people. Even Christians often believe God's redemptive work takes place in the spiritual realm, while the world is seemingly left to the devil.

But the Bible never separates the physical from the spiritual - the rule of God permeates both. In this volume, development practitioners struggle to overcome the problem of dualism and find a way toward a more genuinely holistic approach to helping the poor. Experienced development practitioners reflect on:

- Understanding poverty
- Participatory learning and action
- Appreciative inquiry
- The Bible and transformational development
- Sustainable economic development
- Community transformation in the urban context
- Community development and peacebuilding

Everyone wanting to engage in transformational development will find new insights and essential learnings from these hands-on practitioners.

Dr. Bryant L Myers is vice president for International Program Strategy at World Vision International. He is author of The Changing Shape of World Mission, The New Context of World Mission, and co-editor of MARC's cases in holistic ministry series that includes Working with the Poor in Africa. He is married to Lisa Anne and they have two children. The Myers reside in southern California.