Yep, I’m the one that seemingly does awkward things, things that always look better in my head than in real life. Standing up at a conference and yelling “Member Care” at the top of my lungs, with my arms raised in the air, was no exception. During the long 5 seconds of silence where you could hear a pin drop, I had a moment to ponder if I had regretted what I did, and you know what? I didn’t. I can’t help it – Member Care is something I’m passionate about! It may have begun years ago when I took a “Self-Care in Mission” class in Seminary. In that class, one of our assignments was to interview an individual or couple who had been on the field for a long time. I knew right away who I wanted to call, an amazing couple I deeply respected. I ended up hearing so many amazing, yet heartbreaking, things about their story. And while some things have naturally changed since they’ve been on the field, like the introduction of modern technology, which has drastically helped us all feel more connected than we used to, it seems that much of what they experienced in the way of Member Care is not that different than what current missionaries experience today. The most basic idea of Member Care is about an environment and structure that fosters care-givers being cared for in holistic ways. The idea of Member Care, though, is not that it would only benefit…
Source: Member Care from Scotts – Eurasia