Member Care Updates Expanding the global impact of member care
Working together for wellbeing and effectiveness
Special News—September 2025Global Pearl: 9Being Friends with 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 (#197) 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 ResourcesCore Book--When Serving Gets Tough: A Thirty-Day Devotional for Missionaries by Carol Ghattas, William Care Publishing (2025). "Help me, Lord! This is hard. Life in the harvest fields is not for the faint of heart. Many who answer the call to serve among the nations will, at some point, hit a brick wall in their faith. In When Serving Gets Tough, veteran missionary and author Carol Ghattas shares her experiences, providing practical guidance and hope through Scripture. Each daily entry is designed to help missionaries reconnect with their faith, find strength in God’s promises, and press on in their calling despite difficulties. Ghattas acknowledges that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to ministry trials but emphasizes that there is one God always ready to help and heal." (quote from the back cover)Podcast--"Caring about Global Governance for the Sake of Human Flourishing" is a presentation by Dr. David Johnstone given at the EMS-ISFM conference (8 October 2022). David’s central message is that "God is carrying out His mission in the world (the missio Dei) through the church in the power of the Spirit and that part of the proclamation of the Good News in word and deed is to work for peace, justice and human flourishing. The Good News also includes giving others a concrete foretaste of the New Heavens and the New Earth to come, when all nations will serve God and one another in total peace and prosperity."Multi-Sectoral Tools--- Foundational Helping Skills Training Manual: A Competency-Based Approach for Training Helpers to Support Adults (2025), WHO and UNICEF. This training manual is a resource "for trainers and supervisors and explains how–using the EQUIP competency-based approach–you can teach foundational helping skills to helpers working with adults. Foundational helping skills include communication skills, empathy, collaboration, promoting hope, and other behaviours that are relevant to any helping role."Blog Post-- "Encountering Ethical Member Care" is an excerpt from chapter 9 of Global Member Care Volume 1. It lists five premises for ethical member care: intrinsic worth of mission staff; wellbeing of everyone in mission; normalcy of suffering and sacrifice in mission; work-life balance to run and rest well; and quality care that is provided carefully. See these Member Care Updates Unreached Peoples: Reviewing and Renewing Our Roots (April 2019)Multi-Sectoral Member Care: Venturing into the New and Relevant (August 2018)Go for It! Building Our Future Foundations Now! (March 2017)Jesus Christ—The Lord of Member Care (September 2015)
News and NotesRemembering Dr. Greg Livingstone, the founder of Frontiers, who passed away in July 2025, age 85. Read about his life and lasting contributions to mission HERE. Note his heart for member care--for mission workers!--in his short article, Reflections on Pastoral Care in Frontiers (1995). His final paragraph: "Thankfully...we have not lost our zeal for the Lord nor for pioneer church planting in the Muslim world. By God’s mercy we are applying valuable lessons about the need for character growth, community life, and pastoral care. We do not want to be the 'merry-go-round' mission, with co-workers going home as fast as the new ones come to the field. As Robertson McQuilkin wrote, 'Lord, enable us to finish well...and get home before dark.' ”Mission Frontiers"[This] is a bi-monthly magazine of Frontier Ventures...with innovative insights on a wide range of topics from field practitioners and thought leaders in missiology." The theme for the July/August 2025 issue is The Impact of AI on Missions.Africa Member Care Network Newsletter"This bi-monthly Email Forum is a service dedicated to glorify God through networking, discussion and sharing information on issues related to Member Care in Africa."
Webinar: From Burnout to Moral Injury: Workplace Mental Health Trends and the Role of Occupational Health; Thrive Worldwide (17 September 202, oriented for the UK context)ConferencesPastoral Training in Member Care ConferenceTheme: Taking CourageNorth Carolina USA (7-10 September 2025)NCF Counseling and Member Care Seminar
“Grow personally and spiritually as well as professionally through education and training, elective workshops, networking, and confidential consultation and counseling with staff.” Eretria, Greece (5-17 October 2025)
Geneva Peace Week
Theme: Peace in Action
Geneva Peacebuilding Platform (13-17 October 2025), in person and virtual
This five-day event with dozens of sessions and presentations "is a leading annual forum in the international peacebuilding calendar through which organizations in Geneva and their international partners come together to share knowledge and practice on a diverse range of topics related to peace across contexts and disciplines." More information and free registration is available in September. Note the mental health and psychosocial support-related sessions and events! Mental Health and Missions ConferenceTheme: With Grace and Truth: Pathways for Humble and Effective Service/CareTexas USA (20-23 November 2025)
International Days
--International Day of Charity (5 September)--International Day of Peace (21 September)See our framework for engaging in the world as followers of Jesus Christ:
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: 9
Being Friends with Jesus Christ
 Image from cover of GMC 3
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father
I have made known to you.
John 15:15 NIV
--------------- Resource One--Special Book
When Serving Gets Tough: A Thirty-Day Devotional for Missionaries (2025)
Carol Ghattas, William Care Publishing 
"Help me, Lord! This is hard. Life in the harvest fields is not for the faint of heart. Many who answer the call to serve among the nations will, at some point, hit a brick wall in their faith. In When Serving Gets Tough, veteran missionary and author Carol Ghattas shares her experiences, providing practical guidance and hope through Scripture. Each daily entry is designed to help missionaries reconnect with their faith, find strength in God’s promises, and press on in their calling despite difficulties. Ghattas acknowledges that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to ministry trials but emphasizes that there is one God always ready to help and heal.
Both new and seasoned missionaries will benefit from this book. It offers encouragement and wisdom for anyone struggling with the demands of cross-cultural service. Whether you’re facing doubts, loneliness, or exhaustion, this devotional provides a balm for weary souls." (quote from the back cover) See also: The interview with Carol HERE and Tough People and Teams for Tough Places and Times, Member Care Update (August 2021).
 This podcast is the latest episode (September 2025) of Staying the Course in Member Care and Mission (STC). It features a presentation by Dr. David Johnstone, "Caring about Global Governance for the Sake of Human Flourishing," given at the EMS-ISFM conference (8 October 2022). David’s central message is that "God is carrying out His mission in the world (the missio Dei) through the church in the power of the Spirit and that part of the proclamation of the Good News in word and deed is to work for peace, justice and human flourishing. The Good News also includes giving others a concrete foretaste of the New Heavens and the New Earth to come, when all nations will serve God and one another in total peace and prosperity."
"Today, every nation has signed on to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, 2015-2030) and these represent the best blueprint for eradicating extreme poverty and tackling the world’s greatest challenges, from pollution in our water and air, mitigating climate change, and designing more sustainable cities, industrial and agricultural production, so that we can live more peacefully and justly. The presentation highlights several Christians he interviewed who are involved in global governance, including a woman who was the permanent representative of the World Evangelical Alliance at the United Nations and is now active in several peacebuilding NGOs, one of the top academics consulting with and studying the G7 and the G20, and an Indian man who worked for 35 years in 13 different nations in a large NGO (HelpAge) serving the destitute elderly populations in developing countries." (summary by David)
Excerpts:
“Michael J. Gorman in his 2015 book, Becoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation, and Mission, contends that Paul in his letters to the churches sees these communities as embodying the ‘justice, peace and joy’ of God’s present and coming kingdom. These are signs of that eschatological kingdom; but even more, ‘they are, like the Spirit, a form of down payment, a guarantee that the age of justice, peace, and joy is not a pipe dream but a future reality that can be known, imperfectly and incompletely but really, in the present. That is what it means for the churches . . . to participate in the missio Dei.’ In other words, working for justice, peace, and human flourishing (joy) is to create a foretaste of the New Heavens and the New Earth to come."
"Godfred Paul is an Indian man in his sixties. He has worked for the British secular NGO HelpAge for 35 years in 13 different nations, mostly in Asia. For the last 5 years, he has directed its office in Myanmar. This is the only large NGO that focuses on the needs of the elderly, which are often dire in the developing world. He believes that the SDGs are a powerful tool to increase human flourishing, as long as NGOs work closely with the UN and local governments. He told stories of how his personal faith in Christ was not just a resource to navigate difficult interpersonal tensions as office director but also to help train a staff to be more harmonious and productive. He also has had many opportunities to share his faith in a very natural way." See also: David's blog, humantrustees ("to foster understanding and cooperation between Muslim and Christians"); his article Mission and Global Governance: A Convergence of Pneumatology and Human Flourishing, Missiology (December 2024)--abstract HERE; David's book (in press), The City Where All May Flourish: The Holy Spirit in Mission and Global Governance; and Flourishing, Member Care Update (February 2013).
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 (GMC 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.
STC Podcasts—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)
--How Is Coaching Different? (July 2025)
--The Unseen Journey: 50 Years of Gospel Advancement (August 2025)
--Caring about Global Governance for the Sake of Human Flourishing (September 2025)
STC Podcasts—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)
--Asia MC Network Conferences and the MC and Counseling Seminars (June 2025)
Resource Three--Multi-Sectoral Member Care
Foundational Helping Skills Training Manual: A Competency-Based Approach for Training Helpers to Support Adults (2025), WHO and UNICEF 
This training manual "is a resource from the joint WHO/UNICEF initiative on Ensuring Quality in Psychosocial and Mental Health Care (EQUIP). The manual is for trainers and supervisors and explains how–using the EQUIP competency-based approach–you can teach foundational helping skills to helpers working with adults. Foundational helping skills include communication skills, empathy, collaboration, promoting hope, and other behaviours that are relevant to any helping role. Competency refers to how well each skill is performed. The manual provides everything a trainer needs to teach the helping skills and assess competency in them to ensure that a helper can act in an effective and non-harmful way. The training is modular and can be adapted for varying needs and contexts. A full training course takes around three eight-hour days, including breaks, but it is also possible to run shorter courses focusing on fewer skills making it suitable for integration in an existing training programme." (summary from WHO website)
See also: How Are You Doing? Tools for Wellbeing and Growth, Member Care Update (February 2024).
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. Below are quotes from chapter 9 of GMC 1.Pearl Nine--Encountering Ethical Member Care Premises for Ethical Member Care
First, staff are humans with intrinsic worth and not just resources with strategic worth. We appreciate them for who they are as well as for what they do.
Second, ethical care is concerned with the well-being of everyone involved in mission/aid. This includes the well-being of the organization, its purposes, and its personnel.
Third, sacrifice and suffering are normal parts of mission/aid work. We acknowledge yet try to mitigate against the serious negative consequences that accompany work in risky places.
Fourth, we encourage balancing the demands of professional work with the desires for personal growth. Personnel need to find a good work-life balance so they can both run well and rest well.
Fifth, how we provide services to staff is as significant as the actual services themselves. We respect the dignity and rights of all people and thus provide quality care, carefully."(page 158 in GMC 1)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: Safety and Protection, Member Care Update (June 2010)
--------------------- 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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