# When Helping Hurts - Review



## Backwoods Presbyterian (Apr 10, 2013)

Interesting review by Mez McConnell of the book "When Helping Hurts".

20Schemes » Is Our Helping Really Hurting?


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## Pergamum (Apr 10, 2013)

Yes, it is a very good book. Every church engaging in overseas missions ought to take a look at it.


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## Scott1 (Apr 10, 2013)

Overall, a worthwhile book.

While it at times almost elevates doing mercy to being an end unto itself, apart from evangelism, discipleship and witness for Christ, it is useful and well worth reading.

It does a good job broadening the definition of poverty, more toward how Scripture speaks of it.

And it is a big topic.


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## jwithnell (Apr 10, 2013)

Multiply causes of poverty need multiple solutions ... sounds like a good concept.


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## Pergamum (Apr 10, 2013)

Scott1 said:


> Overall, a worthwhile book.
> 
> While it at times almost elevates doing mercy to being an end unto itself, apart from evangelism, discipleship and witness for Christ, it is useful and well worth reading.
> 
> ...



Doing mercy is a good thing even apart from evangelism. 

One does not do good only to "buy" an opportunity to speak of Christ, but because another creature is suffering.


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## Pergamum (Apr 10, 2013)

Here is a section of our field's "Philosophy of Ministry" which tries to succintly come to grips with these principles:




> *Avoiding dependency and encouraging local ownership:*
> 
> Due to the unequal economic statuses which accompany most Western-indigenous relationships in our area of missionary service, this section attempts to address this specific topic of dependency and how to avoid it. Let it be noted that, in our attempts to avoid dependency, we are not to take a default position of stinginess, but that generosity and self-sacrifice ought to be clearly evident as we engage in ministry here.
> 
> ...


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## Pergamum (Apr 10, 2013)

Here is another good book on the same topic, _*To Give or Not to Give: Rethinking Dependency, Restoring Generosity & Redefining Sustainability*_ by John Rowell. I actually think this book is even better than _When Helping Huts_ because it seems to stress generosity more instead of mainly warning of the negatives of unwise giving.

To Give or Not to Give: Rethinking Dependency, Restoring Generosity, and Redefining Sustainability: John Rowell, Peter Kuzmic: 9780830857739: Amazon.com: Books


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## Philip (Apr 10, 2013)

I read this book as part of a class at Covenant (naturally) and found it very informative. I also think it helped me to see both positives and negatives of the types of community development I've seen or been involved with.


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## Scott1 (Apr 11, 2013)

Pergamum said:


> Scott1 said:
> 
> 
> > Overall, a worthwhile book.
> ...



Yes,
not to "buy," but because God has changed us from the inside so we are able to do it both outwardly and inwardly for the right reasons. 

It's not, e.g. about us being "good" people because we do things we think are "good."
The world is full of people who think they are "good" because of what they imagine themselves doing outwardly (or because of their selective words). In their own eyes, "good," and morally superior because they imagine themselves being merciful (in their own assessment).
For the believer, it's about obedience to God (love God, love neighbor), never apart from it.

This is a much deeper topic, but one that must be considered in the context of a book that seeks to lay a philosophical pretext for a broad topic for believers.


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