Not Optional: How Member Care Supports Cross-Cultural Ministry

By Sue Eenigenburg

We knew serving across cultures would be hard, but we couldn’t have anticipated all of the challenges we faced in our years overseas. A bomb went off down the street from our apartment. Terrorists went on a spree attacking tourist spots, trying to disrupt the ruling government. Our mail was routinely opened and phone calls often tapped. Sexual harassment was so prevalent it became expected; women sometimes needed to build up their courage to go out. Children experienced culture stress and sometimes ridicule. Poverty and beggars were everywhere. The threat of deportation for sharing the gospel hovered over many ministry opportunities. An earthquake struck. Invitations to talk with the police came. Government officials detained or deported global workers.

We had expected some of these challenges, but others we hadn’t anticipated. Many were completely unfamiliar, and at times, we needed help. This is where member care steps in.

What is member care? Simply put, it means caring for our members! The Global Member Care Network defines it as “the ongoing preparation, equipping and empowering of Missionaries for effective and sustainable life, ministry and work.” Cross-cultural life and ministry is challenging, and by caring for those who serve in this way, we demonstrate that we value them and their work.

This care can come from numerous sources. Global workers are encouraged when they receive care from people who love and know them well, such as members of their sending and supporting churches. Member care also comes from dedicated staff and loving teammates within mission agencies. Ideally, churches and agencies work together to minister to those who are sent. This article, though, will focus mainly on how mission agencies provide member care.

Member care is proactive, not just responsive.

The goal of member care is to help workers thrive wherever they live and serve, and this begins before they go overseas. Member care providers help prepare and train new workers, coaching them in how to set good boundaries and handle conflict, as well as giving suggestions for spiritual practices and sharing life-giving principles. At Christar, this also includes personality tests and other assessments to help them understand themselves better.

Throughout cross-cultural workers’ ministries, member care staff continue to provide counsel, webinars and resources specifically geared for the unique challenges they face. They also teach and model soul care through training, retreats and conferences. Through personal interaction and various assignments, member care providers help workers grow in their understanding of how they respond to stressful situations and become better able to navigate what they encounter.

Member care helps with normal adjustments.

Global workers know to expect culture stress, but often, when they arrive on the field and experience it, it is worse than they anticipated. Their marriage feels less stable. Their children seem angrier. Loneliness and isolation become their constant companions. A lot of this is normal, but if workers think they must manage it all on their own, despair can be a looming response.

Member care providers understand what that is like. They know how to help and can come alongside those dealing with these challenges because they often have experienced the same emotions and stresses. As they do, global workers feel understood and encouraged. They start to think they can make it.

Member care can be like a tuneup.

Global workers juggle a lot. They learn the language, adapt to the culture, begin serving or start new ministries. Their team meets weekly. Their neighbors want to get together with them. They need to keep track of paperwork for visas and permits. They connect with others and try to keep their supporters informed so they can pray. They also have their normal day-to-day chores—things like laundry, cooking, eating, cleaning and the list goes on.

Day after day, week after week, and before they know it, it has been a long time since a worker has had a day off or a vacation. Having a member care provider check in with them can be life-changing. When someone asks how they are doing and listens to them, they have time to process all they've been feeling. When they’re invited to get away for a retreat, they remember the need for restorative habits and good rhythms. With effective member care, they can serve in healthier ways and are less likely to burn out. They discover changes they need to make so they can thrive in ministry and remain on the field.

Member care is available when grief comes knocking.

Sometimes, when a global worker receives sad news from faraway loved ones, they struggle with guilt on top of the sadness and uncertainty. Should they try to go home? Even if they left right away, could they get to the hospital in time? How will their extended family react if they can’t return for a funeral or a sudden illness?

As workers wrestle through loss, member care providers lend a listening ear and ask helpful questions, helping them manage all those overwhelming emotions and doubts. A huge part of making it through grievous situations is knowing someone else knows and cares. When that caregiver is well-trusted and proven, the load, though heavy, seems bearable.

Member care helps during a crisis.

When cross-cultural workers are deported, they must pack in a hurry and often need to leave possessions behind. They go through police questioning and are treated with suspicion and harshness. Their children get uprooted from their homes, friends and school routines. The move causes financial stress as they’re forced to start over in a new place. They trust God, but they still wonder why.

With that kind of upheaval, how can they process all the emotions in a healthy way? Having supportive, loving people walk alongside them makes a significant difference. They learn to grieve well. They start to sense that maybe this isn’t the end of their career in ministry and begin to feel more hopeful. And they start to explore: Has God been preparing them for a new opportunity? Has He provided an open door somewhere else?

Member care providers also walk workers through conflict when it happens, because it does occur. Teams, even those that are well-trained, can implode or explode. And when the conflict becomes a crisis, an objective and skillful person can help guide the reconciliation process.

Member care providers aren’t church planters, but they play a vital role in planting churches.

Planting churches involves people, time and energy, all of which are limited in quantity. Needs are often greater than time to meet them. Opportunities abound but energy doesn’t. Strategies, visions and personalities differ even when the goal is the same. As a result, church planters can grow discouraged and weary. They can long to go back to their home country, where it seems like life and ministry would be easier.

Member care providers can step in and help those who are struggling, whether through an in-person visit or virtual meetings. They care for global workers in numerous ways—encouraging, training and offering listening ears—helping these workers feel supported, persevere and serve in healthier ways.

And when these workers see fruit from their ministries, they know they were not in it alone. God used others, including member care providers, to play a part of what He was doing in and through them for His glory among the nations.