Fund-Raising for Short-term or Long-Term Missions
Want to know the key to raising resources for a life-time of ministry or for a short-term mission trip – its Effective Ministry Partnership Development (MPD). We’ll address how correct thinking, biblical principles and practical principles are the key. This session will explain “why people give,” “how to effectively gain their support and involvement,” “ways to grow your list of prospects” and “what the basis is for successful long-term financial partnership.” Anyone wanting to increase the involvement of others in the ministry and increase their financial partnership should attend this session.
Scientific and technical advances are often seen as the key to best medical practice and have become the aspiration of both developed and developing countries. But to focus only on biological processes is to ignore other powerful influences on the causes and management of illness. A solely mechanistic approach fails to deal with the basic requirement of patients to be cared for as people - in body, mind and spirit.
This session will explore the broader practice of patient care defined by the phrase ‘whole person medicine’. Beginning with a biblical basis for this approach, and taking evidence from history and research, we will examine its core component of compassion including its practical application in healthcare delivery and teaching.
The increasing globalization of society has paradoxically led to a fragmentation of cultural homogeneity. In the past, cultural competence meant that you knew enough about a country or society to avoid offending the people with whom you interacted. You can no longer assume that the social context of any geographic region, even your own home, is culturally unified. This is an even greater problem when working with short-term teams that include members without cross-cultural experience. In this session we will discuss the challenges of team building with culturally diverse team members. Our discussion of Trans-Cultural Intelligence (T-CQ), an innovative approach to building effective multi-cultural teams, will benefit both short-term and long-term missionaries. The session focuses on simple effective ways to develop shared motivation, information and trust and the importance of these characteristics when strategizing in the context of culture diversity.
The Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven shaped every aspect of Jesus’ ministry - - his healing, prayers, teaching and even his identity . As we follow him in health care missions, the Kingdom should also define our goals, methodologies, and ways of relating with those we serve and with our co-workers. It should fuel our hope and our perseverance.
Worldview is the lens through which we see and understand the world around us. As such it colors everything we do and say. Without an adequate understanding of the target audience's worldview, our response, medical or theological, will likely be less effective than it could be. In missiological terms, our response to medical and spiritual needs will not be contextual. Understanding their worldview and how it differs from my worldview is a fundamental first step in cross-cultural ministry.
