Discussion Questions

Clyde says SALT’s “guiding star” is “sustainable church communities demonstrating Jesus in daily life,” not merely improved finances; what does that reveal about what God is after in people and communities, and how might that reshape what success looks like for “stewardship” work? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Clyde says SALT is about churches living like Jesus every day, not just having better money habits. What does that say about what God wants, and how might it change what “success” means in stewardship work?

Clyde contrasts “critical needs” (earthquakes, war, pandemics—relief) with “chronic needs” (learned dependency, poor management skills, absence of mentors—opportunity and teaching), even warning that Western help can “do harm”; where have you seen “relief” unintentionally create dependency, and what would it look like to practice mercy without weakening long-term responsibility? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where have you seen emergency “relief” help at first but later make people depend on outsiders? What would it look like to show mercy in a way that also builds long-term responsibility?

Clyde describes feeling almost “not qualified to get on the plane” if he wasn’t living the same outreach at home; what does that expose about God’s concern for integrity, and what are the hardest forms of “at home” obedience for people who love missions and big projects? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Clyde felt he shouldn’t go on mission trips if he wasn’t living that same kind of outreach at home. What does that show about God caring about integrity, and what kinds of “at home” obedience are hardest for people who love big mission projects?

The Altoona story includes a moment where the “ice” broke when Clyde asked the husband (a cook) to “make the burgers,” because “so many times we want to provide everything and there’s nothing for them to do”; what early-Christian assumptions about dignity, fellowship, and mutuality does that illustrate, and how does it confront modern charity models? JumpstartAnother way to ask: When Clyde asked the husband to cook the burgers, it helped break the tension because the couple got to contribute. What does this teach about dignity and sharing life together, and how does it challenge common charity habits today?

Clyde recounts that the couple “didn’t know how to pass food” at a family-style meal; what does that small detail reveal about hidden forms of poverty (social, relational, cultural), and what practices in your church life might unintentionally signal “this isn’t for you”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The couple didn’t even know how to pass food at a family-style meal. What does that show about hidden kinds of poverty, and what things in your church might quietly make someone feel like they don’t belong?

The speaker says the seminar attendees “deflated” when they realized “the kingdom of God works through people… not through a program,” and Clyde adds that what they’re teaching is “pretty costly”; what costs (time, emotional risk, reputation, inconvenience) do you think Scripture assumes Christians will absorb, and which of those costs do we tend to label “optional”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: People were discouraged when they learned God’s kingdom works through people, not just programs, and Clyde said this kind of ministry is costly. What kinds of costs do you think Christians are expected to accept, and which ones do we often treat as “optional”?

Clyde insists Jesus’ “abundant life” (John 10:10) is “not just a save from hell gospel” but a holistic gospel, and ties money to the heart (“where our treasure goes”); in what ways does your current approach to assurance, salvation, and discipleship shrink or expand what “gospel” means compared to what Clyde is arguing? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Clyde says Jesus’ “abundant life” is more than just being saved from hell, and that money shows what our hearts love. Does your view of salvation and discipleship make the gospel feel smaller or bigger than Clyde’s view, and how?

Track C starts with “disparity” and asks, “Why has God given so much to so few and so little to so many?… We didn’t choose where we’re going to be born”; what does this suggest about God’s intentions for wealth and responsibility, and what uncomfortable implications does that create for inheritance, lifestyle expectations, and “deservedness”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Why do some people have so much and others have so little, even though none of us chose where we were born? What might that mean about God’s purpose for wealth and responsibility, and how does it challenge how we think about inheritance, lifestyle, and what we “deserve”?

Clyde emphasizes “facilitator, not a teacher,” “participant, not a student,” and says the course avoids lists of “do’s and don’ts” in favor of principles and stories; what does that imply about how God trains His people, and how does it challenge modern evangelical instincts to demand quick rules, clear lines, and instant outcomes? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Clyde says they are facilitators, not teachers, and they focus on principles and stories instead of lists of rules. What does that suggest about how God grows His people, and why do we still want quick rules and fast results?

Nelson says transformation wasn’t “the program” but “Jesus,” and that their early meetings were often just story-sharing where “there were… tears,” plus he claims God “made up time” when he volunteered; how do these claims confront the way you measure spiritual fruit, manage your schedule, and decide what is “too much” time to give to the kingdom? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Nelson says the real change came from Jesus, not the program, and that their meetings often involved honest stories and tears; he also says God “made up time” when he volunteered. How does that challenge how you judge spiritual growth, plan your time, and decide when serving God is “too much”?