Member Care Updates Expanding the global impact of member care
Working together for wellbeing and effectiveness
Special News—May 2025Global Pearl: 5Loving People as Jesus Christ  Image from cover of GMC 2Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold everything that he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:45-46-------------------- OverviewGreetings! In this issue (#193) we continue our 12 part series called Global Pearl to help shape and support good member care practice around the world. Throughout the series we emphasize Jesus Christ—the Global Pearl of Great Price (MT 13:45) as we collaborate to engage in mission among all peoples—the global treasure of great price (MT 13:44).Featured ResourcesRecent Book--Forests in the Seed: How Kingdom Movements Are Multiplying Across the Unreached World by William Dubois, Stan Parks, and Justin Long "[This book] is a testimony of what is happening now as men, women, and children raised to new life in Christ are denying themselves, taking up their cross, and following Him...Perhaps most incredible is a pattern weaved together of everyday people compelled by a vision of a resurrected Christ, who are being used in extraordinary ways to spread the Gospel in nearly impossible places." (excerpt from back of the book)Podcast--Resilience, Meaning Making, and Post-Traumatic Growth by Samuel Girguis. This one-hour training session was done in 2024 for the Flourishing In Ministry Coach Certification course.Multi-Sectoral Tools--Resources from the Headington Institute. This leading organization offers tools and trainings to strengthen the health and wellbeing of humanitarian workers and leaders and others across sectors working in adverse situations.Blog Post-- Unmasking Dysfunction by Kelly O'Donnell. "Dysfunction disables our people and purposes, but most importantly from a Christian viewpoint, it dishonors God (Romans 2:21-24)...unless we have the necessary life skills, training, and professional support...we can end up being 'wise as doves' as we interact with others who may be 'innocent as serpents.' (excerpt from chapter 5 in Global Member Care Volume 1) See these Member Care Updates Loving Truth, Peace, and People (August 2024)Unreached Peoples: Reviewing and Renewing Our Roots (April 2019)Jesus Christ—The Lord of Member Care (September 2015)
News and Notes
Remembering Marjory Foyle (1921-2025)--pioneering psychiatrist in mission and member care. See the Tributes section on the main MCA website for more information on her life and work. Marjory's foundational book is Honourably Wounded /Overcoming Missionary Stress (1987, updated 2001) and her autobiography is Can It Be Me? (2006).Global Integrity Day-9 June 2025 (GID)This year's theme is Empowering People to Defeat Corruption--Developing Resilience, Virtues, and Skills. This is a special day "to reflect, teach, and collaborate on ways to integrate integrity in all we do throughout the entire year..." We coordinate GID, now in its sixth year. See the GID website for information and many resources.The International Society of Frontier Missiology (ISFM) focuses on people groups with no progress and/or no engagement. It is shifting into an interactive discussion forum, including online consultations and with their International Journal of Frontier Missiology becoming an online journal (all free). Sign up HERE to be members of the ISFM.See also: Following Jesus Globally: Engaging the World through Global Integration, Lausanne Global Analysis (2020) and the expanded version (chapter 2) in Global Member Care Volume 3: Stories and Strategies for Staying the Course (2024). ----------------- Warm greetings, Kelly and Michèle   --See more resources on our MCA website and MCA Facebook page --Send us your ideas and resources for future MC Updates
--Forward to your colleagues and networksMCAresources@gmail.com
Featured Resources
Global Pearl: 5
Loving People as Jesus Christ
 Image from cover of GMC 3 A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 13:34
--------------- Resource One--Special Book
Forests in the Seed: How Kingdom Movements Are Multiplying Across the Unreached World by William Dubois, Stan Parks, and Justin Long
"Forests in the Seed opens a window into the 21st century of God's plan to multiply His Kingdom to everyone everywhere. Rather than a theory-based 'how-to' book, this is a testimony of what is happening now as men, women, and children raised to new life in Christ are denying themselves, taking up their cross, and following Him. The stories within this book are remarkable, supernatural in nature, and yet also lay out simple principles of multiplication found in Scripture.
Perhaps most incredible is a pattern weaved together of everyday people compelled by a vision of a resurrected Christ, who are being used in extraordinary ways to spread the Gospel in nearly impossible places. There is a spiritual revolution underway, and Forests in the Seed is your invitation to join and help change the world." (book description from the back cover)
See also: Tough People and Teams for Tough Places and Times, Member Care Update (August 2021).
 The Staying the Course in Mission and Member Care podcast (STC) featured for May 2025 is Resilience, Meaning Making, and Post-Traumatic Growth by Samuel Girguis. Dr. Girguis is the Director of the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at Azusa Pacific University and a consulting editor of Global Member Care Volume 3. This one-hour training session was done in 2024 for the Flourishing In Ministry Coach Certification course. It includes excerpts of presentations by two other psychologists along with emphases on understanding resilience and the holistic impacts of trauma, he importance of making meaning of adverse events, and personal growth and applications. See also: Healing Moral Injury–Reflections and Resources for Wounded Souls, Member Care Update (March 2022) and Confronting the Trauma Pandemic, Member Care Update (March 2019).
Note--STC podcasts (video and audio versions) feature our interviews with and materials from several of the 50+ contributors in Global Member Care Volume 3 (GMH 3). GMC 3 is a collaborative book with 20 chapters full of stories and strategies, and reflections and resources from colleagues around the world. It is inspired by the vision to see member care further develop globally to support mission among all peoples.
Going Further
STC Podcasts 2024—Featuring GMC 3 Chapter Authors
--Overviewing Global Member Care Volume 3 (August 2024)
--Prioritizing Frontier People Groups (September 2024)
--Developing Member Care in Indonesia (October 2024)
--Mental Health as Mission–Trauma Training and Care (November 2024)
--A Team Model for Pastoral Coaching (December 2024)
STC Podcasts 2025—Featuring GMC 3 Consulting Editors
--Trauma and Tragedy on the Mission Field (January 2025)
--Trauma and Soul Care (February 2025)
--Sharing My Father with the World (March 2025)
--What We Wish Mission Workers Knew—Counselors' Perspectives (April 2025)
--Resilience, Trauma, and Post-Traumatic Growth (May 2025)
Resource Three--Multi-Sectoral Tools
Resources from the Headington Institute
 ICRC staff in Yemen. Reposted from Global Geneva magazine.
Unbreakable? Recognizing Humanitarian Stress and Trauma (Oct/Nov 2017)
Resources from the Headington Institute. "We offer a custom set of tools and trainings that integrate the mind, body, and spirit to strengthen the health and wellbeing for individuals across the globe." (excerpt from website) Some of the many resources include videos, articles, inventories, and courses on stress, trauma, spirituality, and teamwork in humanitarian settings and more broadly "supporting staff and leaders in high-stress situations." See also: Helping the Helpers--50 Resources for Humanitarian Workers, Member Care Update (November 2017).
Global Member Care--12 Pearls
Twelve special blog posts to explore good practice
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband....
The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl.
Revelation 21:21
 Image from cover of GMC 1 This set of blog entries from 2011 explores member care by using brief quotes from the book, Global Member Care Volume 1: The Pearls and Perils of Good Practice ( GMC 1) . There is one excerpt from each of the book's 12 chapters. Each excerpt is like a huge pearl—a pearl gateway—that allows us to enter more fully into the global field of member care. The excerpt below is from chapter five, “Promoting Health in Mission/Aid.” Challenging and relevant!Pearl Five--Unmasking Dysfunction“Most of us have been part of both healthy and dysfunctional work settings. The healthy ones are personally rewarding and we feel we are contributing and growing, and challenged and respected. The dysfunctional ones on the other hand drain us, stealing our time, focus, effectiveness, and even our emotional and physical health...Dysfunction disables our people and purposes, but most importantly from a Christian viewpoint, it dishonors God (Rom. 2:21-24).” (page 88)“The problem is further complicated when there is not proper accountability in place, or when there is not enough relational history with a person or an institution to really confront it and require verifiable changes. Again I want to be clear that I am not talking about how to handle situations where folks simply differ or where both the normalcy of conflict and the need to work it through in helpful ways are understood. Rather I am referring to instances where there is significant personal and organizational dysfunction.
So in other words organizations and people, whether they are aware of it or not, and whether they are willing to admit it or not, are having an ongoing “toxic” influence on people. And as a result, unless we have the necessary life skills, training, and professional support (which would include being well-versed in the behavioral science areas of systems, recovery, and clinical disorders; and well-grounded in mediation practices and in the breadth of Christian scripture for dealing with conflict and dysfunction) we can end up being “wise as doves” as we interact with others who may be “innocent as serpents.” Truth without grace may be brutal, but grace without truth can be lethal.” (page 92,93)Reflection and Discussion--Recall one aspect of your life/work that relates to the quote above.--Connect the above quote with a current international area that interests/concerns you.--Discuss the quote with colleagues.See also: Revisiting Health and Dysfunction, Member Care Update (June 2014). Part one presents five “tasks” of dysfunction and part two lists 10 guidelines for handling dysfunction. See also Wise as Doves and Innocent as Serpents–a practical article on dysfunction/conflict management that is available in 12 languages on the Reality DOSE website.
--------------------- For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
Member Care Associates
MCAresources@gmail.com
Member Care Associates Inc. (MCA) is a Christian non-profit organization working internationally and across sectors. We focus on personnel development for mission, humanitarian, development, and health workers and their organizations; global mental health; ethics and good practice; and integrity/anti-corruption. Our services include consultation, training, research, developing resources, and publications. MCA is shaped by the Global Integration framework and the Missio Dei model of global member care (updated in Global Member Care Volume 3 in 2024). ----------
Our Special News-Updates 1) promote the wellbeing and effectiveness (WE) of staff and their families and sending groups and 2) support the diversity of colleagues with member care responsibilities. The focus is on the mission sector with applications for/from the overlapping health, development, humanitarian, and other sectors.
Global Integration (GI) is a framework for responsibly and actively engaging in our world--collaborating locally through globally for God's glory. It encourages connecting relationally and contributing relevantly on behalf of human wellbeing and the issues facing humanity, in light of our integrity and core values (e.g., ethical, humanitarian, human rights, faith-based). See more perspectives about GI HERE. |
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