Jeffrey described his situation: he felt isolated, experienced frequent interpersonal conflict, slow ministry results, had run out of ideas, and felt his vision for ministry slowly draining from him. I felt a lot of compassion for Jeffrey, who had endured these difficulties for most of the past three years.

He lived in an isolated region with four other foreign families from his organisation spread out in various villages, but all within an hour’s drive of each other. Jeffrey became team leader more or less by default, he moved there eight years ago and the other team members joined over the past five years.

Jeffrey needed more than an encouraging pat on the back.—much more than a couple hours of listening and advice. He needed someone who would walk through these challenges with him over the critical next few months. Who could do that?

Jeffrey’s case is not unusual, in fact, I’m observing it to be all too common. Field personnel may receive adequate pre-field training, but often inadequate on-field development. On-the-job field development is a key factor in missionary longevity and effectiveness.

Limiting Factors in On-Field Development

Sending groups such as mission/church organisations point to a lack of experts, time and money constraints, geographical distance, or simply a lack of follow through.

• Experts. By far, I hear leaders lament that there are just not enough experts to mentor field workers. Much of my work is with mission/aid personnel working in least-reached people groups (LPGs). By definition, there are no experts in their mission field. Otherwise, the group would be reached!

• Time. Those who do have expertise in field work are usually the ones with the busiest schedule and the most fruitful work. Many are reluctant to give time to newer workers instead of the local co-workers or converts with whom they partner.

• Money. Some sending groups try to visit their staff once a year, and have their staff gather somewhere for a conference once a year. Twice a year simply isn’t effective for on-going development. The results of conferences tend to be largely motivational and relational, but the effect also can quickly dissipate after returning to the field.

• Geography. Many LPG workers live in remote locations. Agency leaders are stretched with time and money constraints in getting out to where their field workers live.

• Reality. Many organizations have field mentoring or member care plans that include regular monthly meetings. In reality, however, these plans often break down because of one of the above factors, or simply because the plan looks good on paper but it doesn’t work.

What’s the answer here? I believe the answer is in rethinking how we help people develop, where that’s done, and who can do it. Coaching is one answer to effectively develop mission/aid workers on the field. Let me explain what I mean by coaching, then I’ll tell you how things turned out with Jeffrey.

Using Coaching Skills to Empower Leaders

Coaching is an ongoing conversation that empowers a person or team to fully live out God’s calling—in their life and profession. The goal of coaching is to develop a person or team to more effectively reflect, correct, and generate new learning. It’s learning new ways to learn, listening to the heart and the Holy Spirit, and taking action to reshape their lives around that learning.

Coaching is an advanced form of adult learning. Adults learn better through dialogue and discovery rather than someone teaching them. Maybe you can relate to Winston Churchill when he said, “I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”

Coaching focuses on learning rather than teaching. Coachees (those who are coached) are in the driver’s seat. Coachees choose their own growth goals. Coachees reflect deeply about their current situation. Coachees think through their options. Coachees decide their next steps. All the while, the coach actively listens and asks reflective questions, supportively challenging limited beliefs and behaviours. Advice-giving is kept to a minimum so that the coachee can discover Holy Spirit-inspired solutions.

Holy Spirit-Based Learning

Coaching works because it brings out a person’s best—what God put in. Coaching is based on the theological understanding that every believer already has an advisor— the Holy Spirit.

Jesus explained the Holy Spirit’s role in a believer’s life: “But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). Christian leaders are not a substitute for the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we forget. We too often jump into teaching or advice-giving before the coachee has had a chance to reflect and hear from God.

Coaching Maximizes a Person’s Potential

God uniquely created each person to become someone special and to do something special. This is calling. Calling is not just for certain people. Every believer has a calling in at least three areas of his or her life: calling to character or personal holiness (Eph 1:4), calling to relationship with God (Eph 1:5), and calling to ministry—a unique contribution to God’s Kingdom (Eph 2:10). Coaching honours the uniqueness of people and their calling by not assuming an advice-giving role.

Coaching believes that coachees can find their own answers but may need help getting there. Coaches provide a supportive environment to help a coachee to “discover” what God has for them. This process prepares coachees to find their own answers when the coach isn’t around. Mission/aid workers particularly require this ability because of their often isolated locations.

Time after time a coachee comes up with a brilliant insight or idea that never occurred to me. These experiences reinforce my willingness to trust the Holy Spirit, listen well, and ask questions to go for the “discovery”!

Coaching Cuts Travel, Saves Time, and It’s Doable!

Most coaching is over the telephone. I coach people from literally around the world. If I can meet the coachee in person, then that’s a bonus, but not a requirement. Even when we live in the same city many coachees enjoy the focus of 60-minute telephone coaching session twice a month.

Even those with a tight budget can affordably receive coaching these days with discounted international telephone or free Internet communications like Skype.com…. Compare the cost of an hour telephone call to that of an airplane ticket. A person could be coached for years for the same cost of just one conference or trip back “home.” And which would have longer lasting impact? My experience says coaching.

Coaching by telephone allows an organization to utilize trained staff as coaches no matter where they live—and even if they are busy. Travel costs are no longer a factor. Neither is time away from home or work. Even the busiest person could coach a couple of people by phone twice a month for an hour.

Coaching Well Requires Skill

Coaching uses some of the counselling, facilitation, or mentoring skills that you may have already learned. My observation of Christian leaders, however, is that many know about active listening and inquiry, for example, but don’t regularly practice them.

Coaching requires a special set of skills. Skills take practice and you need feedback to improve. Here’s some of the top coaching skills I’ve identified:

• Listening: Taming the Tongue

• Inquiry: Provoking Reflection

• Feedback: Speaking the Truth in Love

• Expanding: Facilitating Discovery

• Focusing: Designing Actions

• Following-up: Supporting Progress

In addition, there are many techniques and models that can enhance your effectiveness as a coach. I’ve found it to be worth my time and effort to gain skills in coaching others. Feel free to visit my website for training and other resources. www.CreativeResultsManagement.com…

What Happened with Jeffrey?

Jeffrey and I began a telephone coaching relationship. We spoke every two weeks for an hour to an hour and a half. Each time I allowed Jeffrey to focus the topic of the conversation based on his need. During the first call we explored why he wanted to leave the field, what his original vision was, and identified a continuing, yet discouraged, passion for ministry in Bangladesh.

In the next few calls Jeffrey worked through a conflict with a team-mate, how to find additional school resources for his teenage daughter, getting his spiritual development back on track, and further exploring the job position in Europe. Each topic came from Jeffrey. As we talked, I asked questions, listened, challenged and supported him as he moved ahead. Together we searched for God’s direction in it all. Jeffrey made several important discoveries about himself. Each call produced several action steps—homework—that Jeffrey decided on and would do before our next call.

Within three months, Jeffrey had regained his confidence, and was enthusiastic about the future. He resolved the conflict with his team-mate and helped the team to set up new ground rules for how the team would communicate and interact. He encouraged his wife to use the phone—and thus spend money—to call overseas to find school resources. She did. Jeffrey changed his devotional pattern and reinvigorated his walk with the Lord. He explored the job with his father in Europe and quickly realized that its attraction was mostly to escape his current role. Last, Jeffrey re-evaluated his calling, identified his gifting more clearly, and began reshaping his work roles around that understanding.

Unusual? Not really. Through coaching I’ve seen many people make similar discoveries and progress. But it can’t be done with one-off meetings or calls, because it requires an on-going process and coaching skills.

There are few short cuts in helping people develop. “Efficiently” helping people through a newsletter, conference, or yearly visit isn’t enough. People need on-going personalized help. But, they don’t need the same amount of help all the time. Jeffrey required an larger time investment the first six months. After that, we spoke on the telephone only once a month.

Are you getting the help you need? Is your sending group providing on-going development to all your staff? Coaching may be part of the solution. n

Introductory Books on Coaching:

Ogne, Steve, & Tom Nebel. (1995). Empowering Leaders Through Coaching. An excellent training set (tapes and workbook) for learning the skills of coaching those in Christian ministry. www.churchsmart.com…

Stoltzfus, Tony. (2005). Leadership Coaching: The Disciplines, Skills and Heart of a Coach. Currently the only Christian book that explains how to coach. www.amazon.com…

Whitmore, John. (2002). Coaching for Performance: Growing People, Performance and Purpose (3rd ed.). London: Nicholas Brealey. Clear, concise, hands-on and widely available. This secular guide is one of the best introductory books on coaching.

Keith Webb works with non-profit organizations to multiply their impact through on-field leadership development and coaching systems. He can be reached at www.CreativeResultsManagement.com…. “Jeffrey’s” identity and details were drastically changed to maintain confidentiality.

So, let’s ask: what would “team” look like? What would a team do? How would it function?

Teams will come from diverse places. First, let’s realize that teams will come from all sorts of places around the world. Several groups have goals to mobilize hundreds of thousands of workers: PMA, Back to Jerusalem, NEMA, to name just a few. Most teams will likely be ethnically the same, yet they will also be connected with other teams from other places, other ethnicities, other languages, etc.

Teams will have varied funding structures. There are many arguments and views on how to structure the financial support of a pioneer team. Since these teams will be pioneering new work amongst unreached peoples, they likely will initially have a mix of support from remote locations and local support. It seems obvious a team that is globally connected and at ease communicating with people from all over the world will gain support from other places, but the majority of their support will come from sources that are local to their ministry area.

Teams will be focused on raising up and serving others. A pioneer team cannot generally reach 100,000 people on their own. Instead, they will focus on working to make initial converts and to raise up local indigenous ministries. So, for example, we might find a team of Nigerians who labor in Egypt, make some converts of local Egyptians, and help them start ministries that can impact 100,000 people. In this role, the pioneer team would operate very quietly, seeking neither credit nor glory. The intent is to move the Gospel as close to the culture as possible, as rapidly as possible.

Teams will have clear goals to work toward. A pioneer team should have a clear vision and specific, actionable goals. They will be working in a measurable way. We know that church planting movements and people group movements come about as a result of God’s work, and we can’t dictate to God what will happen (He is “not tame lion,” after all). The point, however, is that we should be about the business we are called to, doing everything we can to seed and water the ground for harvest.

Teams will have a long-term commitment. In order to do these things, a team will have to have a long-term commitment. You cannot learn a language or a culture in 2 weeks—it may take more on the order of two years. Some peoples cannot be reached on a tourist visa. A team will have to have a long-term presence, which will require by definition a platform other than a tourist or a student.

Teams will work in the context of other teams. Nearly every unreached people group cluster, at this point, has some kind of partnership working amongst them. Some are bigger and some are smaller, but nearly all exist. Teams, therefore, must anticipate they will work at least partly in partnership with other teams.

Teams will be connected more than ever before. In our age of globalization, we can generally expect that teams will maintain significant connections with partners all over the world, including donor churches and individuals. They must have a clear vision of what they are attempting to achieve, so that they don’t get drawn off-course by the well-meaning desires of these partners. Likewise, they will have to manage their time and informational connections wisely. In connection-rich Western countries, many people think nothing of forwarding the most recent e-mailed joke, virus warning, or video—not realizing that in many places in the least-reached world, people pay by the kilobyte. Security, too, obviously will be an issue.

These are not your typical teams. They require a certain amount of ability, calling, and training. We need to next think through what is required to raise up these teams.

Although this has been known for some time, it was driven home in January 2007. For the last two decades, the International Bulletin of Mission Research has published a one-page statistical summary of world evangelization. The latest one, edited by David Barrett, Todd Johnson and Peter Crossing (of the World Christian Encyclopedia) and available at www.globalchristianity.org…, shows the number of unevangelized people rose from 1.7 billion in 2000 to 1.8 billion today, and will likely continue to rise to 2.1 billion by 2025.

This is not new to those of you who follow Momentum or the many other fine mission journals available. The question is, what should be done about it? But if our mission is help believers quickly, passionately and effectively reach the least-reached 27% of our world, then “losing ground” does not constitute success.

In Luke 10, Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” This was said in the context of sending them out. With the next breath he adds, “Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” Jesus solution to the the lack of workers was both to pray and to send workers out.

In September 2006 I drafted a long article about what it takes to make a difference. In it, I suggested what was needed was 40,000 or so mission teams, or 160,000 people. Further, the best structure for recruiting, deploying, and sustaining them would be a swarm.

This issue’s analysis looks at some of the characteristics of these teams. Among other things, they cannot be short-term. A short-term team cannot adequately see 100,000 people reached, brought to faith in Christ, discipled, and transformed within the span of a two-week period. (Short-term teams can do many great things, but you still need long-term teams in place. And we do not have enough of those.)

Short-term teams generally cannot be long-term in restricted-access countries on tourist visas, and most of these countries don’t accept people on missionary visas. Therefore, by default, 50,000 long-term pioneer teams will have to be on a non-tourist, non-missionary platform. This fits in well with the Abrahamic covenant to bless the nations—something every good Perspectives student is familiar with.

There are two “tools” in the mission toolbox that can move you a little closer to that situation. One is the concept of “tentmaking” and the other is the idea of “business as missions.” The difference between them, in my view, is fairly simple. As a tentmaker, you are locally employed by someone. You might be a doctor, or a teacher, or a government employee, or a corporate employee, or whatever. Tentmaking is “employment as mission.” If you are involved in business as missions, on the other hand, you are an entrepreneur who owns a business, and you employ other people.

There are many people who are involved in both aspects. Unfortunately we cannot have them all featured on the pages of this magazine, or we might be double the size of our West Africa issue! So, what we’re giving you is a “taste” or a “selection.” There are many, many resources and conferences available: explore the keywords mentioned in this issue on Google.com… to find out more.

Hopefully, this issue will give you something to talk about with your co-workers. The front cover of this issue raises a provocative question. What constitutes a church? When Westerners think of a “church” (and likewise, when many non-Westerners think of a church), we automatically think of a building. If we are really “bleeding edge mission workers” we might think of home groups. But what is the limit on a church? Could a church meet at a hawker stall? Can a church meet on the back of a camel? or can it move with a nomad’s encampment? Why don’t you write us via e-mail at editor@momentum-mag.org… with your thoughts. In our new web format, we’d welcome links to articles, or submissions for additional articles that we will post.

You will note that I have pointedly ignored talking about how these teams will be raised up. That, dear reader, is certainly a subject for a different issue. If you have thoughts on that, we would enjoy hearing them as well. n

Jeffrey described his situation: he felt isolated, experienced frequent interpersonal conflict, slow ministry results, had run out of ideas, and felt his vision for ministry slowly draining from him. I felt a lot of compassion for Jeffrey, who had endured these difficulties for most of the past three years.

He lived in an isolated region with four other foreign families from his organisation spread out in various villages, but all within an hour’s drive of each other. Jeffrey became team leader more or less by default, he moved there eight years ago and the other team members joined over the past five years.

Jeffrey needed more than an encouraging pat on the back.—much more than a couple hours of listening and advice. He needed someone who would walk through these challenges with him over the critical next few months. Who could do that?

Jeffrey’s case is not unusual, in fact, I’m observing it to be all too common. Field personnel may receive adequate pre-field training, but often inadequate on-field development. On-the-job field development is a key factor in missionary longevity and effectiveness.

Limiting Factors in On-Field Development

Sending groups such as mission/church organisations point to a lack of experts, time and money constraints, geographical distance, or simply a lack of follow through.

• Experts. By far, I hear leaders lament that there are just not enough experts to mentor field workers. Much of my work is with mission/aid personnel working in least-reached people groups (LPGs). By definition, there are no experts in their mission field. Otherwise, the group would be reached!

• Time. Those who do have expertise in field work are usually the ones with the busiest schedule and the most fruitful work. Many are reluctant to give time to newer workers instead of the local co-workers or converts with whom they partner.

• Money. Some sending groups try to visit their staff once a year, and have their staff gather somewhere for a conference once a year. Twice a year simply isn’t effective for on-going development. The results of conferences tend to be largely motivational and relational, but the effect also can quickly dissipate after returning to the field.

• Geography. Many LPG workers live in remote locations. Agency leaders are stretched with time and money constraints in getting out to where their field workers live.

• Reality. Many organizations have field mentoring or member care plans that include regular monthly meetings. In reality, however, these plans often break down because of one of the above factors, or simply because the plan looks good on paper but it doesn’t work.

What’s the answer here? I believe the answer is in rethinking how we help people develop, where that’s done, and who can do it. Coaching is one answer to effectively develop mission/aid workers on the field. Let me explain what I mean by coaching, then I’ll tell you how things turned out with Jeffrey.

Using Coaching Skills to Empower Leaders

Coaching is an ongoing conversation that empowers a person or team to fully live out God’s calling—in their life and profession. The goal of coaching is to develop a person or team to more effectively reflect, correct, and generate new learning. It’s learning new ways to learn, listening to the heart and the Holy Spirit, and taking action to reshape their lives around that learning.

Coaching is an advanced form of adult learning. Adults learn better through dialogue and discovery rather than someone teaching them. Maybe you can relate to Winston Churchill when he said, “I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”

Coaching focuses on learning rather than teaching. Coachees (those who are coached) are in the driver’s seat. Coachees choose their own growth goals. Coachees reflect deeply about their current situation. Coachees think through their options. Coachees decide their next steps. All the while, the coach actively listens and asks reflective questions, supportively challenging limited beliefs and behaviours. Advice-giving is kept to a minimum so that the coachee can discover Holy Spirit-inspired solutions.

Holy Spirit-Based Learning

Coaching works because it brings out a person’s best—what God put in. Coaching is based on the theological understanding that every believer already has an advisor— the Holy Spirit.

Jesus explained the Holy Spirit’s role in a believer’s life: “But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). Christian leaders are not a substitute for the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we forget. We too often jump into teaching or advice-giving before the coachee has had a chance to reflect and hear from God.

Coaching Maximizes a Person’s Potential

God uniquely created each person to become someone special and to do something special. This is calling. Calling is not just for certain people. Every believer has a calling in at least three areas of his or her life: calling to character or personal holiness (Eph 1:4), calling to relationship with God (Eph 1:5), and calling to ministry—a unique contribution to God’s Kingdom (Eph 2:10). Coaching honours the uniqueness of people and their calling by not assuming an advice-giving role.

Coaching believes that coachees can find their own answers but may need help getting there. Coaches provide a supportive environment to help a coachee to “discover” what God has for them. This process prepares coachees to find their own answers when the coach isn’t around. Mission/aid workers particularly require this ability because of their often isolated locations.

Time after time a coachee comes up with a brilliant insight or idea that never occurred to me. These experiences reinforce my willingness to trust the Holy Spirit, listen well, and ask questions to go for the “discovery”!

Coaching Cuts Travel, Saves Time, and It’s Doable!

Most coaching is over the telephone. I coach people from literally around the world. If I can meet the coachee in person, then that’s a bonus, but not a requirement. Even when we live in the same city many coachees enjoy the focus of 60-minute telephone coaching session twice a month.

Even those with a tight budget can affordably receive coaching these days with discounted international telephone or free Internet communications like Skype.com…. Compare the cost of an hour telephone call to that of an airplane ticket. A person could be coached for years for the same cost of just one conference or trip back “home.” And which would have longer lasting impact? My experience says coaching.

Coaching by telephone allows an organization to utilize trained staff as coaches no matter where they live—and even if they are busy. Travel costs are no longer a factor. Neither is time away from home or work. Even the busiest person could coach a couple of people by phone twice a month for an hour.

Coaching Well Requires Skill

Coaching uses some of the counselling, facilitation, or mentoring skills that you may have already learned. My observation of Christian leaders, however, is that many know about active listening and inquiry, for example, but don’t regularly practice them.

Coaching requires a special set of skills. Skills take practice and you need feedback to improve. Here’s some of the top coaching skills I’ve identified:

• Listening: Taming the Tongue

• Inquiry: Provoking Reflection

• Feedback: Speaking the Truth in Love

• Expanding: Facilitating Discovery

• Focusing: Designing Actions

• Following-up: Supporting Progress

In addition, there are many techniques and models that can enhance your effectiveness as a coach. I’ve found it to be worth my time and effort to gain skills in coaching others. Feel free to visit my website for training and other resources. www.CreativeResultsManagement.com…

What Happened with Jeffrey?

Jeffrey and I began a telephone coaching relationship. We spoke every two weeks for an hour to an hour and a half. Each time I allowed Jeffrey to focus the topic of the conversation based on his need. During the first call we explored why he wanted to leave the field, what his original vision was, and identified a continuing, yet discouraged, passion for ministry in Bangladesh.

In the next few calls Jeffrey worked through a conflict with a team-mate, how to find additional school resources for his teenage daughter, getting his spiritual development back on track, and further exploring the job position in Europe. Each topic came from Jeffrey. As we talked, I asked questions, listened, challenged and supported him as he moved ahead. Together we searched for God’s direction in it all. Jeffrey made several important discoveries about himself. Each call produced several action steps—homework—that Jeffrey decided on and would do before our next call.

Within three months, Jeffrey had regained his confidence, and was enthusiastic about the future. He resolved the conflict with his team-mate and helped the team to set up new ground rules for how the team would communicate and interact. He encouraged his wife to use the phone—and thus spend money—to call overseas to find school resources. She did. Jeffrey changed his devotional pattern and reinvigorated his walk with the Lord. He explored the job with his father in Europe and quickly realized that its attraction was mostly to escape his current role. Last, Jeffrey re-evaluated his calling, identified his gifting more clearly, and began reshaping his work roles around that understanding.

Unusual? Not really. Through coaching I’ve seen many people make similar discoveries and progress. But it can’t be done with one-off meetings or calls, because it requires an on-going process and coaching skills.

There are few short cuts in helping people develop. “Efficiently” helping people through a newsletter, conference, or yearly visit isn’t enough. People need on-going personalized help. But, they don’t need the same amount of help all the time. Jeffrey required an larger time investment the first six months. After that, we spoke on the telephone only once a month.

Are you getting the help you need? Is your sending group providing on-going development to all your staff? Coaching may be part of the solution. n

Introductory Books on Coaching:

Ogne, Steve, & Tom Nebel. (1995). Empowering Leaders Through Coaching. An excellent training set (tapes and workbook) for learning the skills of coaching those in Christian ministry. www.churchsmart.com…

Stoltzfus, Tony. (2005). Leadership Coaching: The Disciplines, Skills and Heart of a Coach. Currently the only Christian book that explains how to coach. www.amazon.com…

Whitmore, John. (2002). Coaching for Performance: Growing People, Performance and Purpose (3rd ed.). London: Nicholas Brealey. Clear, concise, hands-on and widely available. This secular guide is one of the best introductory books on coaching.

Keith Webb works with non-profit organizations to multiply their impact through on-field leadership development and coaching systems. He can be reached at www.CreativeResultsManagement.com…. “Jeffrey’s” identity and details were drastically changed to maintain confidentiality.

One of the truly exciting parts is meeting the many unique and diversely gifted people God has strategically placed throughout West Africa. It is fascinating to listen to them share their stories of ministry and how God has blessed them along with the difficulties that has brought them to us. My wife and I truly feel privileged to come alongside such a wonderful group to help to better do what God has called them to do. To help describe our work, we have organized it under the acronym of IMPACT:

I – Immediate. We see ourselves as a resource that can be quickly accessed during times of difficulty. Being nearby, we also hope to establish a quality reputation with mission leaders so we are a known quantity for providing help when help is needed. Additionally, we will be able respond as a fellow laborer in this part of the world who understands first hand the local realities.

M – Mobile. We can easily either go to missionaries or have them come to us. It has proven to be faster and less expensive than trying to receive help from their passport countries (often we can respond to a crisis within hours rather than days or weeks). Since we live on the field, the chance for an extended time of face to face involvement exists if needed.

P – Preventative. Our primary ministry hopefully will be one of prevention. Through conferences and seminars, we will provide tools and resources for the mission community to use before difficulties arise. Conferences on transition, teambuilding, interpersonal relationships, debriefing and marriage are some that have been seen as helpful so far. We would also like to organize times of refreshment for the mission community, perhaps by providing a yearly spiritual emphasis week.

A – Affiliations. We know we don’t personally have all of the resources needed for a community of the size of West Africa. Another important part of our ministry will be as a liaison between other resources in the world and the identified needs here. Hopefully, because this is our primary job, we can provide the time needed to link resources with the need. This process will help us become more focused in what we present in conferences and seminars as we know the areas of struggle missionaries are having in their areas of ministry.

C – Counseling. One of the realities is one-on-one counseling will be needed. We would be available for extended periods of counseling should the need arise for such a ministry. Additionally, we would be able to understand much of the reality/symptoms/causes that surrounds a given problem.

T – Transition Care. This is provided by our small retreat center for missionaries to come and take advantage of if the need arises. We primarily see three scenarios leading to its use: (1) long term counseling if Dakar is not where they are fielded; (2) a debriefing might require a longer and safer environment than might be available in their country of ministry from which to work through the issues; (3)  a missionary just needs a break from their ministry responsibilities (especially village ministry) and would come for a time of refreshment before heading back to their field of ministry. (We use the word transition because we hope to see hurting missionaries gain the strength and resolve to return or transition back to their field of service having successfully worked through the issues that caused them to seek out our services and receive the kind of attention available here).

We have received a lot of encouragement and support for this ministry from within the mission community. It has been fun to see God take a thought on our part and grow it into the ministry we have today. It will be interesting to see where God takes it.

One of our difficulties is the few colleagues in our area. Although others are doing a similar work in other West African countries, they are hours away by plane. We see each other about once a year but usually for a ministry purpose, not just to be together and dream and brainstorm or even talk about difficult situations. We are constantly looking for opportunities to confer and rub shoulders with those who are doing a similar work.

Finally, one of the things we have found true is we have to take much of the advice we give to others to heart. We really try to watch how stretched we become, and if we have a particularly busy season, to try and plan some recuperation time soon after. We realize we can’t do it all ourselves and so we try to be careful to act like it and not overscheduled ourselves to the point of getting run down.

We look forward with great anticipation to what God is going to continue to do in the area of member care in this area of the world.

Traumatic events such as evacuation, civil war, kidnapping, carjacking, armed robbery, rape, theft, assault, burnout and severe illness are increasingly common experiences for cross-cultural workers in West Africa. Crises such as these, in addition to the ongoing stresses of everyday life and the challenges of working on multi-cultural teams, contribute to attrition and discouragement among God’s workers.

There are approximately 10,000 cross-cultural workers in the 14 countries from Senegal to Nigeria (about half of these would be Africans serving cross-culturally with agencies which are in the beginning stages of developing member care services).

Workers in other regions of the world also experience crises, but some areas have different concerns such as chronic stress from living “under cover”, isolation, spiritual oppression, etc. Mobile Member Care Teams in those areas would need to adapt the MMCT services to those situations.

MMCT exists to strengthen cross-cultural workers for healthy, loving service in the midst of challenge, change and crisis with the following objectives in mind: equipping, preserving and restoring personnel. We envision multiple regional teams around the world providing these services for members of any organization in cross-cultural ministry.

An Global Advisory Board, established in 1998, launched MMCT West Africa in May 2000. This team was located in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire until December 2002, when the civil war forced them to relocate. They are now centrally located in Accra, Ghana. The Global Advisory Board passed its vision for MMCT International on to an International Governing Board, which it formed in 2006. The IGB is overseeing the process of developing MMCT Regional Governing Boards and teams in other parts of the world. The West Africa team is contributing to this process by consulting with and offering workshop slots and possible internships to interested key players from other parts of the world.

Personnel—

The West Africa multidisciplinary team currently consists of three resident staff: Dr. Karen Carr, a clinical psychologist who serves as the Clinical Services Director; Marion Dicke, the Member Care Services Director and Darlene Jerome, the Personnel and Training Director. Sherri Schneidermann will join as Administrator midway through 2007. In addition, there are several associate staff members who help out on a short-term basis with workshops or crisis response as well as a Regional Governing Board. The International Governing Board gives leadership to the development of new MMCT Regional Governing Boards and teams in other regions, and meets annually in Europe.

Overview of Services—

Equip: MMCT provides training through a number of workshops designed to help workers prepare for and meet the challenges they face. These workshops are held across the West African region and serve many different agencies with the added benefit of increasing cooperation and sharing of resources among agencies and their workers.

Preserve: Through these workshops, a network of inter-agency trained workers, who are able to provide practical help and “emotional first aid” in traumatic situations, continues to grow and develop.

Restore: The MMCT staff also responds directly to crisis situations by providing early intervention, consultation to peer responders and agency leaders, assessments, short-term counseling and referrals. Psychological assessments are also done at the request of individuals or administrators.

Member Care Training Workshops—

1. Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills (SYIS):

As of November 2006, MMCT-WA has facilitated 33 SYIS workshops with 743 participants. This workshop is designed to enhance cross-cultural ministry effectiveness by providing training in key knowledge, attitudes and skills needed for developing and maintaining healthy relationships. The SYIS has been developed over a period of nearly thirty years by Ken Williams, Ph.D., of Wycliffe Bible Translators (see www.itpartners.org…). Topics include listening, managing conflicts, living in community, grief, stress and encouragement.

The training is very interactive, utilizing various methods of adult learning. Learning activities include some lecture, small group tasks, whole group interaction, demonstrations of skills, practicing skills and prayerful reflection.

MMCT-WA hosted and staffed a SYIS Facilitators Training Workshop for International Training Partners in 2002 and will host a second in Ghana in November 2007.

2. Peer Response Training (PRT):

93 peer crisis responders have been trained in five PRT’s in West Africa. A six-day workshop, the Peer Response Training prepares workers to serve as peer responders within their community. PRT workshop topics include crisis theory and assessment; grief and loss; stress and burnout; crisis management; the cross and crisis, peer debriefing; secondary trauma and self-care; ethics and protocol. The workshop includes opportunities to practice these skills in coaching groups. Participants are also encouraged to further develop their own theology of suffering through Bible studies and times of reflection.

These trained peer responders serve as a “first responders” when a crisis occurs in their area of service. Their role is to assess, liaison with MMCT staff, help coordinate the response, give practical help, and provide debriefings. They receive ongoing mentoring and resourcing from MMCT staff. In addition to training workers for the West African area, MMCT offers one or two places in each PRT workshop for interested workers from outside the region.

3. Member Care while Managing Crises (MCMC):

Four MCMC workshops have been held with 147 organizational leader participants. This five-day workshop gathers together interested field leaders of cross-cultural agencies to share and learn about the strategic role they play in member care while managing crisis situations.

Topics include normal response to a crisis; stages of grief after loss or trauma; theology of suffering and risk; helpful policies, procedures and protocols; confidentiality and communication; assessment of vulnerable members; leadership style in crisis; the when, why and how’s of debriefings and how trained Peer Responders can be of service in their communities.

Like the SYIS and PRT, the format is very interactive and includes a variety of adult learning activities and opportunities to practice skills.

4. Member Care Providers Consultation and Retreat (MCPC):

Through the SYIS, PRT and MCMC workshops, our team has developed relationships with a growing group of member care providers serving with many organizations across the region. We coach and encourage them via email and visits, but many feel lonely in their role. This year we had our first six-day Member Care Providers Consultation and Retreat with 22 gathered at a hotel on a river in Ghana. Staff and participants ministered to each other and enjoyed resting, worshipping, playing, learning, networking and consulting with one another. Many supportive and mutual-resourcing relationships began and our team came away convinced that we want to offer this on a regular basis.

5. Other Workshops and Seminars:

At the request of mission leaders, MMCT at times facilitates short workshops on selected topics for a particular group, often at their annual conference or retreat. The content might include selected SYIS modules, team building, transitions or prevention of burnout. For an example of the work of MMCT, see The Mobile Member Care Team as a means of responding to crises: West Africa, at www.mmct.org….

Darlene Jerome is Personnel and Training Director; for more information, contact her via e-mail to http://www.momentum-mag.org/?p=169 The question flutters through the office like a butterfly, landing on each shoulder and whispering its wisdom into the ears of the staff, They should have told him: you don’t do that here!