A strengths-based leadership development model of community engagement
To paraphrase the theologian and urban missionary Charles Ringma, everyone has strengths, even those living in poverty.
Ringma suggests that true empowerment begins with meeting people where they are and recognizing the value they already bring. It assumes that everyone, including those on the margins, have gifts, skills, and resources to contribute to others.
At its heart, empowerment is about unlocking and nurturing the often-hidden potential within individuals and their communities.
Sociologist, Wolf Wolfensberger argues that not everyone is equally valued in society. He notes that individuals living in poverty, among others, are especially vulnerable to being devalued. This devaluation in turn limits their opportunities to participate meaningfully in community life.
So, in the context of understanding the reflections of both Ringma and Wolfensberger, how do we develop a culture that creates opportunities for people who live in poverty? How do we maximize their potential to meaningfully participate and take leadership in their social space?
Perhaps a few reflections from our COACH Mentoring and Empowered Faith Communities thinking might shed light on this.
Creating opportunities for leadership among those experiencing poverty begins with forming deep, authentic friendships across social barriers. Drawing from some of John Maxwell’s thinking, as we form relationships, we are listening, learning, and recognizing the hidden potential in each person’s story.
Through these connections, we can offer intentional mentoring that highlights strengths and fosters self-belief, laying the foundation for empowered leadership from within the community.
The journey in the social space of poverty may also call us to prefer what we refer to as “participation over polish”. This means welcoming and affirming someone’s contribution in their real time struggles, even if it’s messy and inconsistent. It means being supportive and flexible in moments of struggle over the need for presentation and perfection.
True empowerment means sharing power. Why not invite those with the “smallest voices” into decision-making spaces so their experiences shape solutions? This reflects the COACH Network’s mentoring approach, which promotes problem-solving by presenting options and facilitating choice. It also echoes our Empowered Faith Community training, where we emphasize the value of doing things with people and not to or for them, as the most effective practice.
I am of the view that from a Christian social justice perspective, developing relationships that reveal strengths and share power is important. Why so? Well, every person is made in the image of God and carries inherent dignity, worth, and potential. Jesus consistently elevated the voices of the marginalized and challenged systems of exclusion, calling his followers to do the same.
Empowering those experiencing poverty to lead is not charity—it is discipleship, justice, and the outworking of the Kingdom of God on earth.
Mark Matthews
Empowered Faith Communities – Co-founder
COACH Community Mentoring – Co-author
