Member Care Updates Expanding the global impact of member care
Working together for wellbeing and effectiveness
Special News—July 2025Global Pearl: 7Abiding in 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 (#195) 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 Article--Reflecting on Organizational Change: Frontiers as a Case Study (April 2025) by Steve and Kitty Holloway. Summary: "Frontiers started as a new organization focusing on reaching Muslim peoples through team ministry more than 40 years ago. The Holloways outline changes Frontiers has made over the years as they have responded to interpersonal and ministry challenges, and the strain of growing larger as an organization. This has included developing a specific approach to conflict management, changing mission and goal statements, and a significant change in ministry approach across the organization."Podcast--"How Is Coaching Different?" by Dr. Rich Hansen (27 minutes). This presentation is one of the free introductory sessions of his Coaching for Transformation Course (2024). Rich is the founder of the Leadership Coaching Network (LCN) which is committed to "empower African leaders as agents of transformation for individuals, organizations and society." He is also a joint author of chapter 18 in GMC 3--Caring for Mission Leaders Through Coaching: Good Practices in the Global South.Multi-Sectoral Tools--International Day of Hope--12 July "Hope is not just a feeling—it is measurable, teachable, and scalable. The International Day of Hope, celebrated annually on July 12th, recognizes Hope as a powerful force for transforming lives, communities, and our world. Established by global mental health leaders and formally recognized by the United Nations, the International Day of Hope is a call to action: to make Hope a public health priority and recognize it as a protective factor against violence, addiction, and suicide." We are grateful for Kathryn Goetzke's visionary and persevering leadership to see this special UN day come to fruition.Blog Post-- Supporting Good Governance and Good Management by Kelly O'Donnell. “Keep in mind that any guidelines are only as helpful as the skill levels of the managers who use them. I also note, sadly, that when guidelines are bypassed or inadequate, we may tend to make them up to our own advantage rather than with impartiality and in the best interests of everyone in mind. As one colleague has shared with me, somewhat skeptically, Poor organizational management is all about the other “golden rule” in which the person with the most gold, rules.” (excerpt from chapter 7 of Global Member Care Volume 1) See these Member Care Updates Staff Wellbeing and Effectiveness: Managing-Supporting-Working Well ( June 2021)Unreached Peoples: Reviewing and Renewing Our Roots (April 2019)Jesus Christ—The Lord of Member Care (September 2015)
News and NotesMarjory Foyle (1921-2025) We encourage you to watch and reflect on the archived video of Marjory's memorial service from 6 June 2025 at All Souls Church in London. It is a testimony to how special and beloved this amazing woman and member care pioneer was as she followed the Lord in mission.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: 7
Abiding in Jesus Christ
 Image from cover of GMC 3 Abide in Me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
John 15:4
--------------- Resource One--Special Article
Reflecting on Organizational Change: Frontiers as a Case Study (April 2025)
Steve and Kitty Holloway 
Image © KOD
Summary: "Frontiers started as a new organization focusing on reaching Muslim peoples through team ministry more than 40 years ago. The Holloways outline changes Frontiers has made over the years as they have responded to interpersonal and ministry challenges, and the strain of growing larger as an organization. This has included developing a specific approach to conflict management, changing mission and goal statements, and a significant change in ministry approach across the organization." Excerpts: [We began with] "Brave ideals, but how would they be reshaped within the crucible of cross-cultural ministry that commonly entailed sacrifice and suffering? At first, we called ourselves the new breed, the unstoppables. Of course, it didn’t take long to realize that these labels were mere hubris. Frontiers’ early teams faced stresses, temptations, and threats exposing our individual and corporate vulnerabilities. The grueling nature of the work brought moral weaknesses to the surface: unhealthy ambition, abusive leadership behaviors, deception, betrayal and dysfunctional family and team dynamics – all of which could undermine God’s work through us. By God’s grace, we gained glimmers of humility on the anvil of reality. These trials forced us to be more honest with one another... Being a network of semi-autonomous teams means our organizational structure has remained relatively flat. While this can be chaotic at times, working relationally rather than through centrally directed policies has allowed us to collaborate deeply, which in turn empowers field workers to adapt and innovate.
Generally, our teams work in difficult environments. This has prompted us to develop robust member care to foster resiliency. We are leadership-rich, so we invest in leadership development of team members as well as team leaders through peer coaching, mentoring structures, and on-field training." 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 July 2025 is a presentation on "How Is Coaching Different?" by Dr. Rich Hansen done in 2024 (27 minutes). Rich is the founder of the Leadership Coaching Network (LCN) which is committed to "empower African leaders as agents of transformation for individuals, organizations and society." He is also a joint author of chapter 18 in GMC 3--Caring for Mission Leaders Through Coaching: Good Practices in the Global South. This presentation is one of the free introductory sessions of his Coaching for Transformation Course. See the LCN YouTube channel to explore the many free presentations done by colleagues in this network as well as the LCN website for more resources on training and certification.
Opening excerpt: "Have you ever wondered how coaching is different from mentoring or consulting or counseling or other ways of helping people?...[We] will look carefully at the distinctions between coaching and mentoring and other ways of serving people so that we can understand how coaching offers a unique service that these other ways of helping people do not." See also: Loving Our Mission Workers--Staying the Course in the Missio Dei, Member Care Update (May 2022) and The COACH Model for Christian Leaders (2019) by Keith Webb which Rich uses in his course.
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.
Going Further
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)
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 Tools
International Day of Hope--12 July 
"Hope is not just a feeling—it is measurable, teachable, and scalable. The International Day of Hope, celebrated annually on July 12th, recognizes Hope as a powerful force for transforming lives, communities, and our world. Established by global mental health leaders and formally recognized by the United Nations, the International Day of Hope is a call to action: to make Hope a public health priority and recognize it as a protective factor against violence, addiction, and suicide." We are grateful for Kathryn Goetzke's visionary and persevering leadership to see this special UN day come to fruition.
Watch the two-minute video overview HERE. "Most people don't even realize that you can measure hope...and you can actually practice skills to become more hopeful." See the website to learn more about developing, teaching, and practicing hope and to explore ways to participate in this special day and throughout the year. See also: Perils, Paralysis, Hope: Sustainable Development-Sustainable Destruction? Global Integration Update (October 2022).
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 excerpts below are from chapter seven on organizational health, Supporting Good Governance and Good Management. Challenging and relevant!Pearl Seven--Supporting Good Governance and Good Management by Kelly O'Donnell. “Keep in mind that any guidelines are only as helpful as the skill levels of the managers who use them. I also note, sadly, that when guidelines are bypassed or inadequate, we may tend to make them up to our own advantage rather than with impartiality and in the best interests of everyone in mind. As one colleague has shared with me, somewhat skeptically, 'Poor organizational management is all about the other “golden rule” in which the person with the most gold, rules.' ” (page 117)
“I really appreciate a Middle-Eastern proverb which says. “The greatest crime in the desert is to find water, and remain silent.” I would like to suggest a rejoinder to this proverb: “The second greatest crime in the desert is to find poisoned water and remain silent” (see also Prov. 25:26). Sometimes mission/aid workers at all levels of organizations can get into trouble by blowing a whistle and confronting the poisoned water of dysfunction. This is not easy to do as we have said repeatedly. Neither is it easy to do well, nor to do well by oneself. It is often scary, risky and easy to make mistakes in spite of good intentions. There is often a high cost to pay when advocating for personal and organizational health, People need integrity and skill (Ps. 78:72) to consistently and resolutely act with moral courage both publicly and privately.” (page 135)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: March 2023: Developing Our Character--Being the People Our World Needs and our Reality DOSE! main article on organizational health and dysfunction.
--------------------- 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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