Poverty, broadly defined, cannot be alleviated outside the local church. In recent years, evangelical Christians seem to have become increasingly involved in the fight against poverty. However, this renewed focus on poverty relief is doomed to failure unless it is grounded in the local church, God’s means of drawing the oppressed into a transforming relationship with himself. Emphasizing the priority of the gospel, Mez McConnell and Mike McKinley, two pastors with successful ministries among the poor, offer biblical advice and practical strategies for planting, revitalizing, and growing churches where it is difficult, whether in our own communities or around the world. AuthorsMEZ MCCONNELL (BA, Moorlands College) is the senior pastor of Niddrie Community Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is the founder of 20Schemes, a ministry dedicated to planting gospel-centered churches in Scotland’s social housing communities. MIKE MCKINLEY (M.Div., Westminster Theological Seminary) is the senior pastor of Sterling Park Baptist Church in Sterling, Virginia.