Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources

Feb 17, 2017 | Casual Friday, Fundraising

As we inch toward Spring around here we find ourselves on a climatic roller coaster. Pushing 70 degrees one day; highs in the 30s the next. One thing remains the same: the needs of missionaries. Encouragement, exhortation, refreshment…these are things that you can provide, with the help of resources like these.

EVENTS

Mind the Gaps

How do we engage the whole congregation in missionary care? This webinar will help churches promote the well-being, growth, effectiveness, and resilience of career missionaries through meeting their physical, spiritual and emotional needs.

Interlude

“A debriefing retreat for global workers. A time to process your story.” Provided by Barnabas International. June 13-16 in Carmel, IN, USA and July 31-Aug 3 in Littleton, CO, USA.

Thrive Conferences

Held at various places around the world “for U.S. and Canadian women who live and work cross-culturally.” Check out the upcoming event to be held in Colorado July 18-21. Not only can you pass this information on to missionary women you know who will be in the U.S. this summer, you can volunteer to help at the retreat or help sponsor someone who is going.

Becoming One: Skills for a Lifetime of Love

Hosts Geoff and Kriss Whiteman teach skills that will help couples connect deeply. Missionary couples benefit greatly from periodic marriage enrichment. Contact the Whitemans to see how you could facilitate that for some couple you love.

FUNDRAISING

Paul Olmsted has offered his materials for Ministry Partnership Development to anyone who might benefit from them. Contact him directly for a free PDF.

MKs/TCKs

Michele Phoenix, one of the foremost experts on all things MK/TCK related, has an excellent series of videos covering a variety of topics. If you interact with MKs/TCKs, you will want to check these out.

While you’re at her site, pick up a copy of this guide to praying for MKs/TCKs.

LIFE ON THE FIELD

Jonathan Trotter talks about the gift of grief. If you are involved in missionary care to any extent, sooner or later you will be called upon to come alongside someone in their grief. Jonathan can help you with that.

And speaking of grief…Have you ever tried to find a greeting card for a hurting friend and come away disappointed in the standard fare? Emily McDowell has. So she decided to create her own line of cards. She calls them empathy cards. I’ll bet you can find something from her collection that will work for your situation.

She is also the co-author of the book There Is No Good Card for This. I recently heard an interview with her and this book sounds amazing. You will probably want a copy. (I know I do!)

Singles on the mission field—especially single women, and there are many more of them than single men—have unique needs that are often overlooked. Amy Young shares about one of those. Her post will help you understand and recognize opportunities to come alongside your single missionary friends.

EQUIP YOURSELF

Empathy Bootcamp: Tools that Support Relationships When it Really Counts

Taught by Dr. Kelsey Crowe (co-author with Emily McDowell above), this is an opportunity to hone your skills as a caring individual. Our missionary friends would surely benefit from our improved capabilities! March 3 and Stanford University.

SEND International is offering this free guide to praying for missionaries. Download this PDF to expand your prayer life.

International Training Partners “provides practical, interactive, biblical training in interpersonal relationships for Christian workers.” Since relationship problems is one of the most prevalent reasons for missionary attrition, anything we can do to help in this area will yield important results. Consider taking a SYIS (Strengthening Your Interpersonal Skills) workshop to enhance your abilities.

Crosswired is “an online learning community that connects and equips people for mission.” They have dozens of video courses and information packages for all levels of missionary care. Check out the “Features” section of their site in particular.

Here’s a challenging thought:

Member care exists because community doesn’t. (Christina Baird)

Keep growing, my friends! Drink deeply of Christ and let the living waters flow out of you to refresh the thirsty souls of his global workers. Until next week…

What I’m reading this week:

  • You Are What You Love, by James Smith
  • Accelerate, by John Kotter
  • Rejoicing in Christ, by Michael Reeves

Just finished:

  • Seven Days That Divide the World, by John Lennox
  • Delighting in the Trinity, by Michael Reeves
  • Crito, by Plato
  • Called to be Saints, by Gordon Smith

Up next:

  • Life of the Beloved, by Henri Nouwen
  • The Golden Sayings of Epictetus