Member Care Updates Expanding the global impact of member care
Working together for wellbeing and effectiveness
Special News—April 2025Global Pearl: 4Being Chosen by 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 (#192) 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 ResourcesMagazine--Spiritual Formation at the Edges, Mission Frontiers (March-April 2025). "What would you emphasize in telling your story of spiritual formation?...My guess is that some of these testimonies [in the 13 short articles] will surprise you, a couple may provoke you, others will neatly fit into your paradigm, and hopefully all of them will encourage you to dive deeper into Jesus." (quote from the editor, page 2)Podcast--What We Wish Mission Workers Knew About Mental Health and Wellbeing, presentation by Grace Shim. This is a concise, compelling, and compassionate overview about prioritizing people's mental health during their mission work. It is based on the perspectives of member care counselors at Cornerstone Counseling Foundation in Thailand.Multi-Sectoral Tools--Navigating the Storm, interview with Dr. Lucia Berdondini by Melissa Pitotti the host of the Embodying Change podcast. In this recent episode (21 February 2025--#58), Dr. Berdondini "discusses how grief and uncertainty are affecting the humanitarian workforce amidst recent challenges, and how we can support ourselves and others through this transformative period."Blog Post--Resources for Good Practice by Kelly O'Donnell. “…the objective of stress and trauma management is not merely to protect local and expatriate staff but to encourage them to grow, flourish, and sow the seeds of well-being among colleagues and communities in which they work and live…One of the most effective ways both to protect and to flourish is to maintain excellent social relationships within and outside the work environment." This quote is from John Fawcett's book, Stress and Trauma Handbook--Flourishing in Demanding Environments. It is from one of the seven resources in the blog post.See these Member Care Updates Nurturing Our Spiritual Vitality (September 2023)Unreached Peoples: Reviewing and Renewing Our Roots (April 2019)Jesus Christ—The Lord of Member Care (September 2015)
News and NotesMember Care Journal (March 2025--Issue 3) beginning with a summary of the 4th Global Member Care Network Consultation followed by six articles8th Asian Member Care Network Consultation with the theme “Ministry and Sacrifice–Sustainable Service” in Penang, Malaysia (7-11 April 2025)
Global Integrity Day-9 June 2025Empowering People to Defeat Corruption--Developing Resilience, Virtues, and SkillsThis is a special day "to reflect, teach, and collaborate on ways to integrate integrity in all we do throughout the entire year..." We coordinate it and its website.The International Society of Frontier Missiology (ISFM) focuses on people groups with no progress and/or no engagement— the "frontier mission task." 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, Following and Serving Jesus Globally: A Framework for Engaging with Our World (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: 4
Being Chosen by Jesus Christ
 Image from cover of GMC 3 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you
so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—
and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
John 15:16
--------------- Resource One--Special Magazine
Spiritual Formation at the Edges, Mission Frontiers (March-April 2025)
 "What would you emphasize in telling your story of spiritual formation? What does someone new in the faith emphasize versus someone in the second half of life? How does a former Buddhist who has contextualized his faith differ from an American who grew up in church? How does someone new to the field differ from a veteran of twenty years, and how do the lessons learned in those early years shape the spiritual life of that veteran? My guess is that some of these testimonies [13 short articles] will surprise you, a couple may provoke you, others will neatly fit into your paradigm, and hopefully all of them will encourage you to dive deeper into Jesus." (quote from page 2 by the editor)
See also: Soul Care—Spiritual Formation for Mission Workers, Member Care Update (February 2022)
 The Staying the Course in Mission and Member Care podcast (STC) featured for April 2025 is a presentation by Grace Shim (a consulting editor for Global Member Care Volume 3), recorded in 2021 for the Church Mental Health Summit. This novel overview on staff care and wellbeing is full of key concepts and seasoned advice mingled with compassion. It is a concise and compelling apologetic for prioritizing people's mental health during their mission work. Note: Grace was the Executive Director of Cornerstone Counseling Foundation in Thailand when this presentation was recorded and currently is the Executive Minister of Serve Globally with the Evangelical Covenant Church. See also: Connecting Member Care Colleagues—Messages from Chiang Mai to Us All, Member Care Update (March 2020)
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)
Resource Three--Multi-Sectoral Tools
Navigating the Storm, interview with Dr. Lucia Berdondini
by Melissa Pitotti the host of the Embodying Change podcast
 Image © KODIn this recent episode of Embodying Change (21 February 2025--#58), "we hear from Dr. Lucia Berdondini, a Gestalt therapist and humanitarian, who shares her journey and the importance of embodying change in times of crisis. She discusses how grief and uncertainty are affecting the humanitarian workforce amidst recent challenges, and how we can support ourselves and others through this transformative period.
Key points: The power of "embodying change" and how it applies to both personal and professional crises. Grief and emotional responses in times of uncertainty: why they don’t follow a linear path. The role of community and peer support in navigating crises and finding agency. The importance of creating spaces to reflect and support each other, particularly in the humanitarian sector. Practical strategies from Dr. Berdondini's portal for supporting humanitarian workers’ well-being." (quote from podcast description) See also:
--More resources from Melissa to support the wellbeing and effectiveness of humanitarian workers HERE (many are especially oriented for women).
--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. Challenging and relevant!Pearl Four--Resources for Good PracticeFlourishing in Demanding EnvironmentsBelow is an excerpt from Stress and Trauma Handbook: Strategies for Flourishing in Demanding Environments (2003) by John Fawcett. It is one of the seven resources featured in chapter four of GMC 1: Learning to be Safe, CHOPS Adjustment Inventory, Flourishing in Demanding Environments, Self–Care and Lifestyle Balance Inventory, Team Feedback Form, Books for a Member Care Library, and Healing the Body.“In the context of complex humanitarian emergencies and the rigours of life in developing nations, aid workers arrive on the scene expecting to enhance life, not just to neutralise pain. Humanitarian work is, afterall, a celebration of life, not homage to death and despair. …International aid is a challenge to the power not only of hunger, war, and poverty, but to cynicism. Faith-driven or secular, the workers who bring aid…are the living embodiment of a human conviction that wrongs not only must be righted, but that they can be righted.” (p.1)
“…the objective of stress and trauma management is not merely to protect local and expatriate staff but to encourage them to grow, flourish, and sow the seeds of well-being among colleagues and communities in which they work and live…One of the most effective ways both to protect and to flourish is to maintain excellent social relationships within and outside the work environment. (p.5) …Our findings suggest that strong relationships afford the best protection in traumatic and stressful environments.” (p.6)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: How Are You Doing? Tools for Wellbeing and Growth, Member Care Update (February 2024).
--------------------- 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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