Who Cares?
By Bill MacLeod, Director, MissionConnexion
The Bible is full of references to feet and the role they play when it comes to the spread of the good news both in the Old Testament as well as the New. In fact, when the familiar verse Romans 10:15 talks about “beautiful feet” it is referring to Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
But who cares for those beautiful feet?
The upcoming Care Connexion conference this May 5-6 does! This unique conference will address the topic: “Preparing and Caring for Beautiful Feet – Learning together how to care for today’s Global Workers on their journey”. Care Connexion is a conference where you can learn practical and tangible ways to care for your missionary. The missionary journey is often strenuous and difficult. At this conference we will learn how to prepare, support, and encourage missionaries throughout their career-long missionary journey.
The Care Connexion planning team has been actively working this past year to bring this popular, focus event back after a six-year hiatus. They have assembled a strong cast of presenters and are convinced you and members of your church who look after the workers you send out and support will benefit greatly by attending.
Speakers include…
Connie Befus Ph.D. is a psychologist with 35 years of experience in providing for the mental and spiritual health needs of international cross-cultural workers. She grew up in Africa, the daughter of career international workers and served with her husband in Latin America for 17 years. She has also worked in private practice, as a psychological consultant for six sending organizations, and as Director of Member Care for sending organizations for 17 years. She has two adult Third Culture Kids. Her doctoral research explored effective helps for people in the midst of cross cultural adjustment. She is the author of Sojourner’s Workbook: A Guide to Thriving Cross-Culturally.
Lauren Wells is the founder and CEO of TCK Training and author of Raising Up a Generation of Healthy Third Culture Kids, The Grief Tower, and Unstacking Your Grief Tower. She is an Adult TCK/MK who spent her teenage years in Tanzania, East Africa. She sits on the board of the TCK Care Accreditation as Vice Chair and is part of the TCK Training Research Team focusing on preventive care research in the TCK population. We are also looking forward to learning with Lauren Wells of TCK Training at our pre-conference workshop on “Standards for Missionary Family Care” – Friday, May 5th, 1-4pm.
20 Workshop Sessions are designed to help you better understand how you can better address issues your workers and their families face on the field and here at home. Experienced presenters come from clinical, mission agency, local church, and seminary backgrounds. Some of the topics these practitioners deal with include… local church missionary care…dealing with team conflict on the field…how churches and agencies can help those with sexual addiction…preventative care for missionary kids…singles on the field…pitfalls missionaries need to avoid…member care …cultivating resilience for global workers…how to use coaching for transformation…and many more.
Who should attend? Pastors, local church mission committee members, those considering becoming global workers, retired workers looking for ideas on ways they could serve their home fellowship, missions pastors, a counselor or coach, a missions educator, a missionary care provider, a missionary supporter, a friend or family member… maybe you are the missionary yourself… this conference is for you!
Village Church, 330 SW Murray Blvd., Beaverton, Oregon 97005 will host our event, Friday and Saturday, May 5 and 6.
To Register or to find out more information, click here.
* Some conference content will be made available for a modest fee post-event. We look forward to seeing you in person!
