STEM Press Number: WC.C122

Shipped From: This item will be shipped by WorldChristian.com from Colorado Springs CO within 2 business days.

Publisher: William Carey Library

ISBN: 0878084460

Description: What is member care? Editor Kelly O’Donnell defines it as “the ongoing investment of resources by mission agencies, churches and other organizations for the nurture and development of missionary personnel. It focuses on everyone in missions (missionaries, support staff, children and families) and does so ... from recruitment through to retirement.” Its aim is “to further equip sending organizations as they support their mission/aid personnel.” This should lead to a strengthening of mission and enable missionaries to grow as people, hopefully preventing premature return from the field.

The book contains 50 chapters written by a wide range of authors from a variety of backgrounds and from both old and new sending countries. They include pastors, medics, personnel directors, psychologists, church leaders, and missionaries themselves.

Part 1 is organized to explain something of the nature of member care and puts it in a biblical and historical context. Part 2 brings insights from the five major regions of the world. Part 3 looks at the various aspects of the provision of member care. It includes best practice guidelines on member care provision, health and safety abroad, training and development, team building, the care of families and missionary children, finance, crisis/contingency planning and debriefing. 576-pg paperback.