In responding to Christ's command in Matthew 28:19 to "go and make disciples of all nations," our International Workers are choosing to leave the relative safety and security of Canada to live among the least-reached peoples of the world.
Many are in places where there is political instability, terrorist activity, religious intolerance, high rates of crime and corruption, environmental hazards, poor medical care, diseases for which they have no immunity, etc.
Embracing such risks is part of responding to God's call. It is not humanly possible to eliminate all the stresses and challenges that accompany the cross-cultural call. But what is our responsibility, as a family of Alliance churches, to come alongside and provide the extra support and care that our International Workers and their families need?
Caring well for our workers and their families begins long before they go to their field of ministry. Comprehensive medical and psychological screening and assessment allows the Global Ministries Department to place people in a context where they can thrive.
Following appointment, new International Workers attend a two-week pre-field orientation where they learn more about Global Ministries administration and financial services, partnering with their home and cluster churches, transition issues, and other challenging topics. We ask each new worker to develop a personal Wellness Plan, and establish growth goals in each area of their walk with God and with others.
Our International Workers have wonderful resources available to them through the professional staff at International Health Management in Toronto. Physician Dr. Ken Gamble and psychologist Dr. Duncan Westwood are available to provide advice and support for workers and families on the field.
Those facing a medical emergency are assisted to find the best possible care locally, or in some cases, to evacuate to Canada for care. During every home assignment, each International Worker meets with Drs. Gamble and Westwood for a personal debriefing.
We are grateful for a growing network of member care specialists who can support our workers, such as the Mobile Member Care Team (MMCT) located in Ghana, West Africa.
In the case of a crisis such as a kidnapping, political unrest, etc., MMCT specialists can respond immediately and be anywhere in West Africa within 24 hours to provide the critical on-site debriefing and support necessary. We also have a number of counsellors and psychologists across Canada who provide excellent care for workers during home assignment.
The Greatest Commandment
One pitfall which many vocational Christian workers face is the temptation to focus all their energies on working for God, to the detriment of their relationship with God. This is also true of International Workers. The extra time needed to attend to the practical realities of life and ministry in a third-world country can crowd out the need for quality time and intimacy with God.
The leadership of Global Ministries wants to be very intentional about modelling and communicating the importance of Great Commandment living. Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength . . . love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:29-31).
So, a critical part of caring for International Workers is to provide encouragement, resources and training to empower them to live out the reality of the Greatest Commandment as they go about their ministry of reaching the least-reached peoples.
How can you help?
Sending churches play a critical role in supporting and encouraging their International Workers, not just through financial support, but also through their ministry of encouragement and accountability.
These days, there are so many ways to keep in close touch with people living halfway around the world?through Skype, Facebook, Twitter and so on. Knowing that friends and family at home can keep up on what is happening in their lives and ministry overseas is a huge encouragement to International Workers and their families.
Participating in a short-term missions trip with your local church or cluster of churches is another way to encourage International Workers. Being able to come alongside to assist them in their ministry, see the context in which they live, experience some of the joys and challenges they face . . . all these things go a long way to increasing your understanding of their lives and in helping you pray for them with deeper insights.
A growing area of need is for spiritual intercessors who can partner with us in reaching out to the least-reached people groups. Our people live in places where there is significant spiritual opposition which can manifest itself in the form of sickness, discouragement, loss of visas, and in some cases, attrition.
Our International Workers want to identify gifted intercessors who can partner with them in bringing the light of Christ into some of the darkest places in our world.
