The Gifts, Skills, & Talents of
Individuals
A community’s biggest asset is its
individuals; therefore, people are the soul of ABCD. The process of ABCD
involves interviewing individual neighbors and taking inventory of their gifts,
skills, and talents. To fully engage and utilize the gifts, skills and talents
of individuals requires us to stop marginalizing people. (To marginalize someone
is to make someone or something seem not important or relevant and to prevent
someone from having power or influence) [1].
Susan A. Ran’s expounds:
“All communities are first composed of
individuals, each of which has gifts she or he brings to the group. The best
and most creative communities are aware of these gifts and provide
opportunities for them to be given. Asset-based community development is about
finding ways in which to create connections between gifted individuals. Making
these connections, building relationships, is the heart and soul of community
building…[2]”
Image-Bearers
In their book, “When Helping Hurts”
Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert write,
“The goal is
to restore people to a full expression of humanness, to being what God created
us all to be, people who glorify God by living in right relationship with God,
with self, with others, and with the rest of creation.” [3]
Many Christian community development
practitioners have realized the benefits of using “asset-based community
development” as they strive to facilitate the reconciliation of their neighbors
to God, self, others and creation. ABCD aligns with the belief that God has
blessed every individual and community with a multitude of gifts, including
land, knowledge, education, creativity, etc. ABCD emphasizes what materially
poor individuals do have and asks
them, “What is right with you? What gifts
has God given you that you can use to improve the livelihood of yourself and
your neighbors? How can the individuals and the organizations in your
neighborhood work together to improve your community?” Rather than looking beyond the individual
or neighborhood for resources and solutions, ABCD begins by asking individuals how they can be stewards of their own gifts
and resources, committed to restoring individuals and communities to that God
has created them to be. The very question “What gifts or talents do you have?”
affirms people’s dignity and includes them in the overcoming of their poverty.
As people testify to us of their gifts and abilities, we can begin seeing them
as God does, ridding us of our sense of superiority.[4]
The goal of ABCD is not to ignore the
needs and brokenness of individuals and neighbors. The goal of ABCD is to
realize from the beginning that poverty is rooted in the brokenness of
relationships between the individual and God, self, others and creation. Brokenness
and wrongdoing will eventually
surface; but by beginning with what is right, we can transform the dynamics
that have tarnished the self-image of those in poverty and that have birthed a
sense of superiority in ourselves.[5]
After the assets, gifts and talents of
an individual have been identified, it is time to ask the individuals in the
community: “What needs can you identify
that must be addressed? What problems do you see that must be solved? How can
you use your assets to address those needs and to solve those problems?” [6]
I will use the story of a woman participating
in Upstream Impact’s poverty alleviation program as an example. This woman
communicated early on to our staff and the other participants that she
possesses knowledge, gifts and talents related to auto maintenance and repair.
We have had plenty of opportunities to utilize her knowledge and skill. Our
participants are constantly facing problems with their vehicles. She has
joyfully and voluntarily lent a helping hand to other participants and the
staff. Her assets have both helped her make a little extra money and helped improve
the livelihood of others.
We cannot be ignorant and marginalize
individuals. I used to look down on people, thinking that they had nothing to
contribute. I would reach out to people with a ‘helping hand’ out of love and
concern; however, I did not consider the possibility that they already
possessed gifts or talents. At best I figured I could help them develop a
talent or engage in a hobby. I know differently now. Even the most marginalized
people in society--the disabled, mentally ill, elderly, homeless, urban teens
and welfare recipients--possess gifts, skills and talents, that can cause both
them and their communities to flourish.
[1]"Marginalize."
Macmillan Dictionary and Thesaurus: Free English Dictionary Online. http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/marginalize
(accessed February 26, 2013).
[2] Susan A. Rans, Hidden Treasures: Building Community
Connections by Engaging the Gifts of * (ABCD Institute, 2005), 3.
[3]
Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate
Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself (Moody Publishers: Chicago,
IL, 2009), 126.
[4]
Ibid., 126
[5]
Ibid., 127
[6] Ibid.
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