Unfeigned Christianity

Author: Asher Witmer

Becoming Christians who are theologically anchored, emotionally healthy, and loving others well.
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Savings Groups, Business as Mission, and Money as Fuel for Shalom | Joe Kuepfer
Episode 16
Wednesday, 15 July, 2026

Joe Kuepfer grew up in Kenya in the nineties watching people he knew die of AIDS and watching people he knew go hungry. He also watched a bicycle taxi driver put a little money into a co-op every week and start to climb. That second memory has shaped his life's work. Joe served eleven and a half years with Open Hands, spent time in Nepal, and has just gone back full-time with Detroit Junk Busters, a business whose profits support a Christian school in the city. In this conversation, he and Asher talk about savings and credit groups, how they differ from microfinance, why relief and development are both necessary and why confusing the two does real harm, and what it looks like for a business to be genuinely missional rather than just profitable with a Bible verse on the wall. Asher brings his own wrestling to the table: the mentoring relationships that went sideways, the handyman work in LA that was inefficient on purpose, and the idea he's been chewing on for a couple of years now, that money might be fuel for shalom. Learn more about Team Pulse at https://teampulse.us/signup?ref=asher-witmer. If you would like to grab the two months free, use the promo code Z867DH0O at checkout. Learn more about the Unfeigned Christianity Membership program at asherwitmer.com/member. Chapter Chapters 02:43 Understanding Poverty and Sustainable Living05:43 The Role of Savings Groups in Alleviating Poverty08:47 Microfinance vs. Savings Groups11:40 The Holistic Approach to Helping the Poor14:51 The Importance of Context in Helping the Poor17:36 Theological Motivations for Helping the Poor20:32 Using Money as a Tool for Shalom23:15 Discipleship and Community in Savings Groups29:43 Understanding Poverty and Addiction in the U.S.31:23 Business as Mission: A New Perspective36:30 The Role of Business in Community Development44:57 Lessons from Savings Groups and Community Support49:29 Getting Involved: Practical Steps for Mission-Driven Work