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Purpose of this conference:
To provide further training and equipping in the “Stronger Together” series on missionary care.
To equip the church and mission personnel, as well as existing and future missionaries, and to find ways to bridge the gaps in missionary care among the four entities: the church, mission agencies, supporters and the missionary family.
To raise awareness of the need to coordinate missionary family support and care between supporting churches, sending mission agencies, personal supporters and missionaries, and to offer solutions as to how to encourage closer cooperation between these 4 supporting entities.
Invitees:
~ Mission Agency Member Care Personnel;
~ Mission Training Personnel;
~ Mission minded Church lay leaders focused on caring for their missionaries;
~ Church leadership – Elders, Pastors, Mission Committee Leaders
Conference description:
There are many gaps in the care needed for the missionary family. This conference unpacks the gaps and challenges us to collaborate effectively.
This day-long conference will provide people with the opportunity to consider the complicated team structure that missionaries work under: sending church(es), sending mission agencies, supporters, at times a business; all working to provide infrastructure, support and encouragement in a challenging cross cultural setting.
For those who attended “No Lone Rangers” and “Who Cares about Missionaries?” at Missions Fest Vancouver (Jan. 27/28), this will provide further insight and learning, and will serve to prepare us all for what we can do as senders and/or goers.
Our speakers:
Michèle Phoenix is an articulate and compelling speaker and author on the subject of missionary families and has served missionary couples and their children for several decades. Her recent novel, "Of Stillness and Storm", will be of interest to us as it provides a challenging perspective on the cost of missions. Based on true stories, her novel tells of a passionate missionary couple who experiences both trauma and dysfunction while working on the field. It shares difficult implications of a missionary NOT well mobilized, and provides a compelling story of what can and does happen once our missionaries are deployed.
Born in France to a Canadian father and an American mother, Michèle Phoenix is an international writer and speaker with a heart for MKs and the missionary family. She taught for 20 years at Black Forest Academy (Germany) and for the past 6 years has travelled globally to consult and teach on topics related to the missionary family. She loves good conversations, mischievous students, Marvel movies and French pastries.
John Best is the Global Ministries pastor at Willingdon Church (Burnaby). He’s served capably as a Missions Mobilizer with MB Mission and has worked in group homes for adults with developmental challenges. He has an MDiv from ACTS Seminaries, and is an avid choral singer. Married to Christy, he’s father to three children. He has a big heart and a steadfast love for Christ plus tremendous creativity in raising interest and awareness in Global Missions in and outside the church.
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