CCDA Principle #5: Empowerment

“Don’t do for people what they can do for themselves!” 

This is the motto for this week’s Christian Community Development principle of Empowerment. The word “Empowerment” might sound like you’re giving power to someone else. This is partially true, but it also means supporting neighbors to help them realize their own power and agency. In the principle of “Empowerment,” we trust the Holy Spirit to help us while building genuine relationships with community members. And empowerment can happen anywhere!  In the CCD practice, empowerment is rooted in the idea that everyone has inherent worth, dignity, and agency because “God created mankind in his own image” (Genesis 1:26). 

Empowering others is often more challenging than acts of charity. Sometimes, we all have needs that are immediate, so charity can be helpful. But other times, we have needs that can’t be immediately met. This is where empowerment comes in. It may take more time, but empowerment can both meet those needs and create lasting change in a person’s life.

“Empowerment is a potluck, and not a soup kitchen,” says Keturah Kennedy, CCD practitioner and Executive Director of Mika Community Development Corporation. “It’s things that have mutual relationships. Empowerment is hiring someone from the community… hiring people that lack job skills and doing that intentionally, even just with one person.” Empowerment calls us to practice mutuality. It involves trusting that community members have something to teach us just as much as we have something to teach them. In short, we are not called to be the hero. We are called to listen to neighbors, learn from them, and work with them to strengthen communities. 

Another way to practice empowerment is to acknowledge the pain others have gone through and connect through our shared humanity. According to Keturah, we often don’t talk about our struggles because it’s painful. She says, “And yet I think of times where I didn’t share things in my own life, and then even as the healing comes, it almost doesn’t feel as significant, because you want to share those things in community. You want people to celebrate with you. You want to celebrate with others. So when you connect in pain, you connect in your humanity.”

 John 11:1-44 illustrates this beautifully. When Lazarus died, and Jesus came to Mary and Martha, He could have raised Lazarus immediately. But He didn’t. Instead, Jesus wept. He mourned with Lazarus’ community because Jesus loved him too. Jesus was present in the pain of His friend’s death before raising him. For healing to happen, for people to be heard and empowered, we must acknowledge and enter into our neighbors' hurt. We must be vulnerable and listen to each other in order to understand and connect with each other. As Keturah claims, “You don’t get one without the other.” 

Through Mission Waco’s programs, we are committed to building mutual relationships, empowering people experiencing poverty, and offering opportunities for neighbors to use their God-given talents to help communities flourish. One of our programs is The Manna House. The Manna House provides Christian-based inpatient treatment for men with alcohol and drug addictions through a structured, disciplined schedule that addresses the root cause of the addictions. The key part of the treatment is that the person struggling with addiction is challenged to meet the goals established by The Manna House. At The Manna House, men are empowered to connect with others through shared struggles and find healing in a community of grace. The relationships that men have at The Manna House affirm their dignity and give them space to create change in their lives. That way, when they return to their communities, they can empower others as they have been empowered.

Empowering others is hard. It takes a lot of time and effort to practice. But it is a lifestyle that is dignifying and honors the humanity of all. And that’s what makes empowerment worth practicing.