International Member Care Retreat
November 19-20, 2000
An International Member Care Retreat was held in Indiana, USA, from Novemner 19-20, 2000. Sponsored by the Member Care Task Force (MemCa) of the WEF Missions Commission, along with the Narramore Christian Foundation, the Retreat brought together 26 member care leaders from 18 countries and six continents. Participants first attended the annual Mental Health and Missions Conference at the same location (now in its 21st year and attended by 260 people), and afterwards met for the Retreat.
There were three purposes for the Retreat.
It was an informal and personal time to meet together and to seek the Lord and worship Him. Assembling some key member care workers/leaders from around the world, and in one place, was very timely and special.
It was a time to share about our respective work and pray for each other. We heard first hand about the issues, approaches, and good things that the Lord is doing in member care around the world.
We were able to discuss some ways forward for member care regionally and internationally. This however, was less of a concern, as we felt that the "flow of relationships" that were forming would be the best way to produce an ongoing " flow of plans/joint efforts".
During our two days together, we reflected on two parables from the book of Luke: Serving the Lord (Luke 17), and being Served by the Lord (Luke 12). Many of us were touched as we shared about the challenges of going the extra kilometer and the pressures in our work, along with how the Lord has been so close and faithful to us. The Lord's presence was especially sensed during the final time of prayer for one another and for the unreached peoples in our respective regions.
Here are some of the main areas that we discussed:
Developing a "Flow of Caregivers"--especially by having several member care workers from different regions and ministries meet and provide services at major inter-mission gatherings;
The central role of the Great Commandment--loving one another--in fulfilling the Great Commission;
Ways to continue to "knit the net" of member care resources together, especially on behalf of the Newer Sending countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America;
Additional ways to further provide and develop member care resources, such as supporting the proposal to research/write Best Practice Guidelines for Missionary Selection; encouraging the formation of member care hubs/facilities; affirming/contributing to the work of regional member care affiliations and the publication of member care materials in different languages; and continuing to exchange information via the various email member care forums and the WEF member care web site (ww.membercare.org).
Names and Locations of Participants:
Terina Khoo, Hong Kong
Gracia Wiarda, Singapore
Ruth Baek, Korea
Sarah Yap, Malaysia
Naomi Famonure, Nigeria
Marina Prins, South Africa
Gladys Mwiti, Kenya
Anke Tissingh, Spain
Debbie Lovell, UK
Kathy Narramore, USA
Laura mae gardner, USA
Tonika van der Meer, Brazil
Friedhilde Stricker, Germany
Annemie Grosshauser, Germany
Harry Hoffman, Thailand
Moon-gap Doh, Korea
Chris Shaw, Argentina
Kelly O'Donnell, France
Bruce Swanson, USA
Dave Pollock,USA
Bruce Narramore, USA
Don Smith, New Zealand
Roger Brown, Kenya
David Huggett, UK
Future Directions
Some of the participants are discussing the need for a similar Retreat to be held in the Eastern Hemisphere, possibly in Asia towards the end of 2001. The work of MemCa will continue, along with that of the various regional and national member care affiliations (e.g., Asia, Europe, South America, Africa; and Malaysia, Brazil, Singapore, The Netherlands, Germany, etc.) .Our heartfelt desire is to work more closely together to support mission personnel, on behalf of the unreached, and for the Lord's glory.
This final quote below was shared at the end of the retreat, and will now be shared to conclude this summary.
"Finally, I am convinced that the time has come to actively pull together the many pockets of member care workers around the world. it is also time to systematically train and mobilize many others for this strategic ministry. And the time is here for anointed leaders to step forward and help steer this field in response to the Lord's direction." AN Agenda for Member Care In Missions, excepted from Missionary Care.
