Member Care Updates Expanding the global impact of member care
Working together for wellbeing and effectiveness
 Thanks for joining with us on this MC journey!
Overview
This Update (#202) is to let you know that we are taking a break from the monthly MC Updates which we have been doing since 2009. We also want to say a big thank you for your encouraging words of appreciation to us over the past 17 years (see below). We are very grateful for your supportive feedback! It has truly been a challenging and rewarding journey together!
Our perspectives and materials in the 200+ issues are shared to encourage us all in "expanding the global impact of member care" and "working together for wellbeing and effectiveness". These phrases are not meant to be mere slogans. Rather they are intended as practical orienting and rallying points--and core guiding yearnings in our hearts!--for active and responsible engagement in our world collaboratively as followers of Jesus Christ in member care and mission.
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. ---------- “Tolkien (1965, p. 325) has said it well: ‘All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost. The old that is strong does not wither. Deep roots are not reached by the frost.’
In the world of missions and member care, some of the choicest servants are unheard of, not necessarily professionally trained, and not usually invited to be plenary speakers at conferences. But they are solid gold—they sparkle internally, privately, out of the limelight; and they are sturdy folk, with deep roots in God, putting into practice the biblical call to “love one another.” It is not the member care specialists—as important as these are— who are the main practitioners of member care, even though some of them might be leading the member care charge. Rather, it is the missiological equivalent of “the average person on the street”—the missionary on the field. Herein lies the backbone and the future of member care: mutual support and spiritual nurture among missionaries, and between missionaries and the people to whom they are called. We member care workers primarily polish the gold that is already there. May God give us grace to follow their examples of sacrifice. And may we do our part in supporting them in their most holy work, serving with them unto the ends of the earth and until the end of the age.”
Final Thoughts in the Introduction—From the Ends of the Earth, To The End of the Age. Doing Member Care Well: Perspectives and Practices from Around the World (2002) _________ More Resources!
Staying the Course in Member Care and Mission
A Trio of Podcasts by Kelly O'Donnell with colleagues (January-March 2026)
We feature three presentations in which Kelly shares about his journey into the missio Dei, exploring global integrity, global mental health, and global integration. January 2026: A Psychologist's Journey into Global Integrity (interview by Dr. Manfred Kohl). Lausanne-WEA Global Integrity Network Conference--"Integrity and Anti-Corruption on the Frontlines" (30 April 2022). See also the written summary of Reflections and Resources for the Interview. February 2026: Global Mental Health in the Missio Dei--Seven Foundations and Directions Global Mental Health 1, School of Psychology and Counseling, Regent University (18 February 2023). Watch the video of the first half of the class (50 minutes, password is: +$EH?B1z) moderated by Dr. Emily Hervey (course instructor) in which the three guest presenters share about their professional and faith-based backgrounds and perspectives on Global Mental Health: Dr. Julian Eaton (UK--04'30"-22'30"), Dr. Smyrna Khalaf (Lebanon--23'-30'), and Dr. Kelly O'Donnell (USA--30'45"-49'30).
March 2026: Global Integration--My Journey into the Missio Dei Frontiers (to be uploaded on the podcast site) ---------- We conclude the Update with some personal perspectives on being "people of faith-hope-love" in the Christian tradition who embrace "common ground for the common good." It is an inclusive approach which encourages active learning and collaboration with a diversity of colleagues on behalf of wellbeing for all people and the planet for God's glory--ad majorem Dei gloriam. Suggested Applications--Making It Personal - Periodically review the MC topics over the past 16+ years and dive into some of them again. How can they help your work in member care and mission?
- Share this Update with your friends, colleagues, organization(s), and network(s). Discuss practical applications for your life and work.
Note These Summary MC Overviews:Warm greetings,
Kelly and Michèle
MCAresources@gmail.com
“You guys are making a huge difference as support ministry to those on the front lines. Keep up the great work!” USA Commending Our Colleagues--Member Care Update (May 2024)
“In spite of all the new and valuable works coming out now in member care, it is always refreshing to review the foundations you laid or gathered.” USA Missionary Care (1992-2022)--Member Care Update (September 2022)
“Thank you so much for sending the member care updates regularly. It's very much useful to me.” Asia Tough People/Teams for Tough Places/Times--Member Care Update (August 2021)
“Brilliant! Thank you for sharing! Blessings and kind regards! Praying!” Africa OCD: Hope and Healing--Member Care Update (April 2021)
“This is fantastic! Well done!” Europe MC and Unreached Peoples--Member Care Update (April 2019)
“...Through the years I think your fuller picture of all that is happening has allowed you to see the trends and future directions that others could not see while focusing in only on their own expertise. It has even lead you to lead out in giving voice to the possibilities others may miss. Blessings!” USA The Resource Highway!--Member Care Update (September 2017)
“Thanks for your very extensive and resourceful update! You guys are amazing in regards to resources…” Middle East The Resource Highway!--Member Care Update (September 2017)
“This is definitely the best email list I am on!! Encouraging, Supportive, Practical, Filled with new insights, and Useful!! May you be encouraged throughout 2016! Thank you!” USA Making Your Mark as Global lntegrators--Member Care Update (January 2016)
“Hi wonderful Member Care Associates team... Just wanted to thank you for all the wonderful resources, encouragement and challenges you send to me regularly. I and those God lets me touch appreciate you very much!” Asia Doing Field Consults Well--Member Care Update (December 2015)
“We love receiving your Member Care updates, thank you for continuing to include us...We believe so entirely in what you are doing and we do pray for you in all the stresses you face continually. You write ‘... at the core of partnerships are relationships--solid relationships, healthy relationships, resilient relationships, love-based relationships. Such relationships last through thick and thin...’ Although we worked with you for such a very little time we felt this is what we had with you - and still have; this sort of love lasts for all eternity.” Europe Resiliency Toolkit for Strengthening Ourselves and Others--Member Care Update (November 2015)
“I was so proud to tell [our Personnel Director] and others in member care consultation that you mentored me and what I am today I member care is because of you.” Asia Peace in a Perilous Age—Member Care Update (June 2015)
“Thanks for all the great resources in your e-mail addressing issues specifically to this area of the world. Well done!” Planet Middle East Middle East--Member Care Update (May 2015)
“I am so glad to see how great you have developed this service to humanity, Member Care. The huge amount of resources, links, shared experiences it is wonderful to see your dream fulfilled...now the Lord has put the important things in their place...And you have set in movement this needy and key service to our suffering world. Just wanted to encourage you to keep on. Yes it is a great truth: ‘No hay tan buen tesoro como el bien hacer; ni tan precioso oro, ni tan dulce placer.’ [Doing good is the greatest treasure—it’s better than gold and better than pleasure] Blessings” Latin America Lessons from the Humanitarian Trenches--Member Care Update (March 2015)
“I just wanted to say thank you for providing the information for all these resources. You care! And it makes my job of helping leaders in [our organisation] so much easier when I can point them to places where they can grow in the area of member care. God bless you!” Asia Training Opportunities--Member Care Update (April 2014)
“The tremendous contribution that you[both] have made to the global missions member care sector is not quantifiable. May God who sees in secret, reward you openly. When all is said and done, the Kingdom has been expanded and untold lives enriched and blessed because of the torch you carry for quality member care! Thank you and bless you for being faithful to His calling in your life! Yay, God! Yay, Kelly and Michele!” USA Strategies for Crossing Sectors—Member Care Update (February 2014) [note—100 issues include the previous MemCa Updates and Ethne Updates]
“We are excited to be in this field at a time when the momentum is truly building. We ..owe a debt of gratitude to those of you who have pushed on for years before [member care] became a popular subject...It seems that good memories of the people we touched or who touched us helps us, especially as we age, to keep pushing on with the things God has put before us. Thanks for being a catalyst to good memories.” USA Making History Better--Member Care Update (June 2013)
“As an encouragement to you, just to let you know the book (and others in the past) was very helpful in preparing training sessions for our field mission leaders last week: my husband and I were able to lead a day of training in member care global perspectives and issues.” Asia Global Letters for a Global Community--Member Care Update (May 2012) Thank you too!See the full list of colleagues' words of appreciation HERE.
Personal Reflections
Being People of Faith-Hope-Love  California Coastline USA--Image courtesy and © ENOD 2016
----- As people of faith who practice Christian spirituality, we are committed to responsibly engage with others in the challenges facing our world, locally through globally, while holding firmly to our belief that we are in God's hands. We pray that God's purposes "will be done on earth as they are in heaven;" acknowledge that prayer, repentance, and relationship with God are key to human-planetary wellbeing; and live in hope for the time when God through Jesus Christ will decisively intervene in human history with equity--righteousness and justice--to restore all things. And in the meantime, we seek to embrace lifestyles of integrity that prioritize a deep, practical love for truth, peace, and people--and this includes being willing to acknowledge, resist, and confront evil in its many forms (starting with ourselves, etc.)
We do not want to further problematize our world's plight by focusing primarily on the negative. Rather we want to also promote the many examples of the good going forward, as people of integrity find common ground for the common good.
Finally, we want to highlight that the despair and disillusion that result from seemingly intractable problems like climate, conflicts, poverty, and corruption can also be quite positive. They can embody a crucial existential message about reality that can be "revisited"--explored and heeded--rather than simply "resisted." They can point us to Someone who is bigger than ourselves, the SDGs, humanity, and our world--the knowable, Eternal One who is both in and beyond space-time and who loves us all dearly. The above thoughts build upon the Personal Reflections in Perils, Paralysis, Hope: Sustainable Development or Sustainable Destruction? (Global Integration Update, October 2022).
Member Care Associates
MCAresources@gmail.com
 Member Care Associates Inc. (MCA) is a non-profit, Christian organization working internationally from Geneva and the USA. MCA's involvement in Global Integration focuses on the wellbeing and effectiveness of personnel and their organizations across sectors (e.g., mission, humanitarian, peace, health, and development sectors) as well as global mental health and integrity/anti-corruption, all with a view towards collaboratively supporting sustainable development for all people and the planet. Our services include consultation, training, research, resource development, and publications. Click on these items below to access our:Member Care Updates, Global Integration Updates,member care books, and recent MCA publications.
Global Integration Global Integration (GI) is a framework for actively and responsibly engaging in our world--locally to globally. It emphasizes connecting relationally and contributing relevantly on behalf of human wellbeing and the issues facing humanity, in light of our integrity, commitments, and core values (e.g., ethical, humanitarian, human rights, faith-based). GI encourages a variety of people to be at the “global tables” and in the "global trenches"--and everything in-between--in order to help research, shape, and monitor agendas, policies, and action for all people and the planet. It intentionally links building the world we need with being the people we need.
Our Global Integration Updates are designed to help shape and support the emerging diversity of global integrators who as learners-practitioners are committed to the "common ground for the common good." 2015-2024 (100+ issues).
See the list-links for our GI Publications and Presentations (2011-2024)
Global Pearl
The Global Integration image used in this Update (the global pearl) is a cover detail from our edited book, Global Member Care (volume 2): Crossing Sectors for Serving Humanity (2013). William Carey Publishing. Information on all three volumes is on the book series website HERE.------ Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability;
it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be coworkers with God,
and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Letter from a Birmingham Jail (April 1963)
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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