Template.textDialog.helpers({ value: function(){ var fieldSelector = {fields: {}}; fieldSelector.fields[this.field] = 1; var char = Characters.findOne(this.charId, fieldSelector); return char[this.field]; } }); Template.textDialog.events({ "change #textInput": function(event){ var input = event.currentTarget.value; var setter = {$set: {}}; setter.$set[this.field] = input; Characters.update(this.charId, setter); } });