abcd-strengths-based ministry values, faith & community building applying asset based community...

ABCD-Strengths-based Ministry

Values, Faith & Community Building

Applying Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) in a Faith

Context Mary Nelson


Unemployment Housing Projects

Poverty

Uninsured

Illiteracy

Child Abuse

Truancy Addiction

Crime

Teen Mothers Gang Members

Community Needs Map

Mentally Ill School Dropouts

Homeless

Delinquincy


TWO PATHS ---TWO SOLUTIONS

Needs Assets

(What is not there) (What is there)

Services to meet Connections & needs Contributions

Consumers Citizens

Programs are the People are the Answer Answer

Definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and

expecting different results.


LIMITS OF CHARITYCharity is not the answer to poverty. It only helps poverty to continue. It

creates dependency, takes away the individual’s initiatives to break through the wall of poverty. Muhammad Yunus

• Blessing snatchers• Labeled people• Sharing what works, not what’s wrong (appreciative enquiry)• Gifts of head, heart, hands, relationships


GOD’S VISION FOR COMMUNITY

God’s vision for the human community?

How should we live together?

Who’s at the table? Left out?

What’s difference between God’s vision and our reality?


VALUES & MOTIVATION• What are the values that come out of our faith

commitments?

• What are the common values that are shared with the community?

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are needed to see this picture.


BUILT on a ROCKfaith based

Glue, gasoline and gutsFaith focus:• God’s call to be about justice• God’s reminder that every person is sacred,

loved by God• God’s promise of victory sustains us with

hope (King quote)• God’s love can turn lives around• God’s plan for the human community is

without borders or barriers - community


Businesses Schools

Parks

Hospitals Nonprofits

Libraries

Churches

Social Groups Self-Help Groups

Block Clubs

Local Institutions

Associations

Income

Youth Elderly

Artists

Labeled/Marginalized

Gifts of Residents

Community Assets


FIVE LOAVES, TWO FISHES Identifying the gifts, talents, resources

Of your group (individuals, etc) Of your community

Assets ofIndividualsAssociationsInstitutionsEconomy, businessesPlaceFaith and hope


Building on Strengths - Individuals

• Create time/space to share gifts• Share self first• Learning interviews-Beyond

the labels to see the gifts, hopes• Gifts of head, heart, hands,

human relationships• Everyone has gifts, no

exceptions • Everyone must share their

gifts• Powerful communities create

a place for people to share their gifts

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. I Peter 4:10


Building on strengths- Institutions

• Identifying strengths within - group process; learning interviews -What do we care about?

• What do we have to offer? Asset mapping inside

• Identifying community institutions/associations; learning interviews

• What do they have to offer? What do they want?

• One on one -relationships inside & outside institutions

• Coming together around common issues; sharing


Assets- Community (physical, social capital)

• Recognize your physical assets & economic ones

• Look with new eyes• Bethel - abandoned school,

closed down hospital, transit stop, conservatory

• Build partnerships• Keep evolving


AN ABCD APPROACHAN ABCD APPROACH

• Identifies and mobilizes the assets of individuals & institutions, especially those who are “clients” of social services.

• Builds relationships among community members & institutions, especially those that are mutually supportive.

• Gives community members more roles and power in local institutions. Citizens lead efforts.


DISCOVERING ABUNDANCE

• Asset Mapping - teams of two (community and institution) - eyeballing– New eyeglasses– Learning conversations– Discovering with our feet– Discovering together


Learning Conversations to Discover MotivationTo Act

Less Successful More Successful Start with the answer Start with learning

conversations

Recruit people to implement Discover what people care the answer about, how they see the situation, & what they Look for answers to the to offer additional problem of “lack of motivation” Mobilize assets to action


LEARNING CONVERSATION

1) Tell us about something good that happened in the community recently

2) Issues & concerns you want to work on?3) Gifts, capacities & skill to share?4) Strong relationships with others

(associations/institutions)5) Further contacts you would suggest (other

people-name, phone, address)


Social capital - the connections among individuals, social networks-with reciprocity; the more relationships someone (or some institution) has in their community, the more likely to be

effective, employed, engaged, volunteer


PARTNERS: RELIGIOUS INVOLVEMENT IN COMMUNITY BASED DEVELOPMENT

Congregations Interfaith Religious Regional Individual Religious

Organizations JurisdictionsLeader

Advocate/Convenor

Enabler/Facilitator

Community Organizer

Resource Provider

DevelopmentPartner

Developer

Other


Tools for Action-Discovery

• Asset mapping -physical-eyeball• Mapping associations, institutions• Learning Interviews: Individuals - gifts

to share, want to learn (in congregation, in community)

• Neighborhood Learning Interviews: 1)3 best things about community 2) 3 things need working on3) what are you willing to work on?

• Putting it all together to move into action-1) get back to people, businesses2) connect people, institutions around ideas, issues; 3) ID role you will play


FIVE LOAVES and TWO FISHES

• Start with what you have • Asset based approach-gifts of

individuals, associations, institutions, physical; local economy

• Experience the abundance• Linkages and connections • Leveraging funds• Social entrepreneurship• Building poor


EXERCISE

• How can you link the resources of your people, organization & community to accomplish?

• What are the first 4 steps (and timetable) to get it done?


Partnering & Persistence

• Moses & Jethro (Exodus 18:13-27)

• Servants into friends (John 13:1-17)

• Widow going to Judge (Luke 18: 1-8)• Where are your scars? • Wounded healer


COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Go to the peopleLive among themLearn from them

Love themStart with what they know

Build on what they have;But of the best leaderswhen their task is doneThe people will remark

“We have done it ourselves.”


Resources for Action•Building Communities from the Inside Out -McKnight, Kretzman - ACTA [email protected]

•Asset Based Strategies for Faith Communities - ACTA (800)397-2282

•Power of Asset Mapping-How Congregation Can Act on its Gifts-Luther Snow; Alban Institute www.alban.org

•When People Care Enough to Act - Mike Green with Henry Moore & John O’Brien; Inclusion Press, 2006 (www.inclusion.com)

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.alban.org/

abcd-strengths-based ministry values, faith & community building applying asset based community...

Documents

strengths institutions

strengths individuals

based ministry building

community development

based ministry gods

barriers community slide

based ministry social

abcd approach