Summer is in full swing. Many churches experience a temporary down-turn in attendance because of vacations and outdoor activities. You may allocate less time to reading during this season yourself. But the needs of missionaries never take a vacation. With those two realities in mind, this week’s resources will be short and sweet. Enjoy your summer, but remember your friends on the field.

 

LIFE ON THE FIELD

Why is Sabbath rest important on the mission field? Katelyn Byram can help you answer that question. You should forward this to all the global workers you know. Even if they already believe this, the reminder won’t hurt.

 

Finding fun on the mission field can take quite an effort. But as Beth Tillotson reminds us in this post, it is worth every bit.

Enjoying one another is essential for thriving overseas.

Beth offers some good suggestions that your friends on the field might appreciate.

Sally Pim reinforces the concept with her piece on perspective. Fun can look different for everyone; it is a short-term pleasure with long-term effects.

 

Know anyone who has experienced a pregnancy loss on the mission field? You might want to send them this article by Nikki Simpson. She speaks from experience about this difficult topic.

 

Here is a fun article about savoring the moment. I am becoming more and more convinced that savoring should be a spiritual discipline, especially for global workers who are constantly pressured to perform. Slowing down enough to savor could be a key component to longevity on the mission field. Share this with your friends.

 

TRANSITION

Susan McCrary continues her series on wisdom for returning home. She writes with the hope of “softening the landing” of those who come back to a place that should feel like home but often doesn’t. Who do you know in that category?

 

The amount of time that it takes a returning missionary to feel settled again can sometimes stretch them beyond their comfort zone.

Keep pressing forward.

If you know anyone who fits that description, perhaps you can send them this post by Denise Hughes.

 

MKs/TCKs

Dr. Rachel Cason continues her series on safe places with this piece on community.

A safe place nourishes us. A safe place reminds us of who we are.

We all need a place to belong, but MKs may have trouble finding such a place when returning to their passport country. If you know any, forward this article to them. They should find it useful and encouraging.

 

Adult TCK Marilyn Gardner penned this very helpful list of ways to welcome the TCKs who cross your path this summer (or any time). She also cautions against some common mistakes made by well-meaning people.

 

EVENTS

Coming up in September: Orient, hosted by Train International. “This two-week pre-departure training aims to equip people headed overseas with skills to help them navigate transition, stress, culture shock, and relationships who they can be more prepared and stay effective in whatever surroundings they find themselves.”

 

There are a couple annual gatherings of care providers that you may want to consider attending. They are great opportunities to build upon your skill set and develop a network of like-minded people for the enhancement of your ministry to missionaries. The CareGivers Forum is one event. It will be held October 21-24 at the Green Lake Conference Center in Wisconsin. The other event is PTM: Pastoral Training in MemberCare, to be held at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Asheville, NC October 2-5. If you live in the area and cannot attend the whole event, you may want to consider coming to the pre-conference workshop to be led by Neal Pirolo. His topic will be “developing and building a church-based member care plan.”

 

Registration is now open for the Thrive retreat to be held in the Philippines October 29-November 1. Did you know that you could apply to be a volunteer to help facilitate Thrive retreats? You can find more information for attendee and volunteers here.

 

EQUIP YOURSELF

Here is an older post about some basic ways to care for those we send out. Are you aware of them all?

 

What people often need is not someone to tell them what to do, but someone to run alongside of them. That’s the point of Kelsey McFaul’s post about the stewardship of relationship. Though written within the context of finances, there is some good stuff to ponder as you seek to come alongside the missionaries God has placed in your life.

 

BUMP IT UP A NOTCH

Christina Baird continues her series on conversations we need to have in the missionary care community.

For missionary care to express being Holy Spirit led we need to wrestle with what it means to be visionary and prophetic.

What do you think? Where do you see unmet needs in the realm of missionary care? Christina asks some hard questions worth pondering. Be sure and read the other five installments in her series.

 

Want to get an advanced perspective on missionary care issues? Are you looking for a place to network with professional care providers? Mental Health and Missions may be for you. Hosted by Barnabas International and held in northeastern Indiana, registration is now open for this November 15-18 event.

 

That’s it for now. May God continue to enhance your effectiveness as expressions of his care for sent-ones.

 

New on my bookshelf:

• Receiving Them Well, by Lisa Ennis & Lori Bryan
• Inspired: Slaying giants, walking on water, and loving the Bible again, by Rachel Evans
• Understanding Gender Dysphoria, by Mark Yarhouse
• Gen Z: The culture, beliefs, and motivations shaping the next generation, by Barna
• Insurgence, by Frank Viola
• Desiring the Kingdom, by James K.A. Smith
• Sojourner’s Workbook: A guide to thriving cross-culturally, by Connie Befus
• Christianity at the Crossroads: How the second century shaped the future of the church, by Michael Kruger
• Innovation in Mission: Insights into practical innovations creating kingdom impact, by Jim Reapsome and Jon Hirst

What I’m reading this week:

• Formed for the Glory of God, by Kyle Strobel

• The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, George Long trans.

• How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth, by Gordon Fee
• Emotionally Healthy Leaders, by Peter Scazzero

• Winston S. Churchill: World in Torment: 1916-1922, by Martin Gilbert

Just finished reading:

• Finding Home, by Rachel Pieh Jones
• New Seeds of Contemplation, by Thomas Merton
• Home James, by Emile Steele Jackson
• Missionaries are Real People, by Ellen Rosenberger
• Imagination Redeemed: Glorifying God with a neglected part of your mind, by Gene Edward Veith and Matthew Ristuccia
• Scripture and Cosmology, by Dr. Kyle Greenwood

Up next:

• The Bible Tells Me So, by Peter Enns