Cornerstone Curriculum, Official Certification Edition

44 / CORNERSTONE CURRICULUM STUDENT WORKBOOK

Toxic Poverty Work

Dr. Alvin Sanders

CONTENT

Toxic Poverty Work outlines the type of poverty work that naturally arises from our sinful nature. We’ll talk about what our work will produce if we do not practice self-awareness. Our objectives for this lesson, Toxic Poverty Work , is to enable you to: • Renew your thinking concerning the poverty work you practice. • Reflect on how you may have participated in doing toxic poverty work. • Identify the marks of toxic poverty work. Healthy poverty work begins when we grapple with the foundational weakness built into our work – the idealistic belief that we can rescue people from their circumstances.

Summary page 31 & 2

2

R edemp t i v e P ov e rt y W ork

I. Savior Syndrome: Taking on a Role God Never Intended Us to Have

Video Outline page 32 & 3

A. Through our good works, we attempt to rescue people or neighborhoods in poverty.

B. Our good deeds do not grant us superhuman powers to rescue people.

C. Consequences of savior syndrome:

1. Poverty work becomes our identity.

2. We can become relationally isolated.