Caring for Others
Missionary Conference

The goal of this week-long missionary conference is to better equip missionaries to care for the relational, emotional, and spiritual needs of each other. Directed by trained and experienced facilitators, our missionary care conference offers that which is not readily available to global Christian workers, namely learning how to minister to one’s colleagues by developing better listening and pastoral care skills.

Format

This missionary conference is a highly interactive week of skill development. We focus on missionary debriefing, becoming better listeners, and hearing from God to help others - and ourselves. New relational tools and skills are learned and practiced that can be taken back to the mission field to increase one's effectiveness with team members, and with most other relationships.

Built into this member care conference are sessions where missionaries learn from each other through structured interaction designed to improve relational skills. Missionary guests can bring ministry issues, personal concerns, or decisions they are facing to a group of caring colleagues to benefit from their experience, Godly wisdom, and support.

In addition to learning from each other, we include times of quiet reflection and solitude to increase our self-awareness so we can hear from God and what he has for us.

Distinctives

This is not your typical missionary conference. It’s not a week of listening to speakers, nor is it a retreat or vacation. It is all about developing better relational and pastoral care skills through structured reflection and interaction with other missionaries in a safe and confidential environment.

Our intent is that by the end of this missionary conference our guests will leave with improved listening and pastoral care skills, greater confidence in one’s ability to help others, and a new hunger to better reflect the image of God to people in need of hope and encouragement.

Who Should Attend?

Any missionary or person who works with one

Field leaders or any missions' leader wanting to see more effective member care done at the field level

Member care specialists desiring to improve their pastoral care and listening skills

Team members who want to better care for their colleagues

Church mission committee members

In evaluations we received, 100% of our guests indicated they would recommend our missionary conference to other missionaries. Specific comments include:

“The skills taught and the safe atmosphere were amazing. It actually surprised me that these skills were new to me and that I had never heard of them before. They are so needed among missionaries I serve with. The more we know and practice them, the better we can help each other serve better.”

- K.G. serving in Papua New Guinea

“I cannot stop thinking about the week we had together! I am so grateful for digging into my heart so that I can come to grips with all that we have been through! Thank you for loving us and for pouring your lives into ours! I am more than thankful for you.”

- N.D. serving in Italy

"This week I learned the importance of listening and giving people the opportunity to process through the emotions they’re feeling. I learned a lot of tools that will help with team dynamics in the future."

- K.P. serving in China

“The modeling of all the skills you taught us and the hands-on use of them was far greater than listening to any lecture on member care or team unity. This week was so helpful because we tried it all, with our spouse and with others. We didn’t just take notes.”

- H.F. serving in Russia

“Our mission agency does a great job of lining up top-notch speakers for our conferences. But it is all about information, which is certainly important. Your approach, however, is all about transformation, which is something I appreciate so much. Thank you!"

- F.H. serving in South America

"I was challenged to focus on others more than myself which was harder than I expected. I loved how you didn’t just teach “strategies,” but you used the strategies as a way for us to share our hearts."

- K.O. serving in China

"The conference helped give me clarity as to where I should go from here in my spiritual journey. It has given me the tools to use and the time to use those tools and think things through. "

- M.G. serving in Papua New Guinea

“I appreciated how listening was modeled. I learned a lot about eliciting people’s stories in a loving way in order to understand them better, with the goal of loving them better and sinning against them less.”

- F.H. serving in Bolivia

"I was challenged to live by the love I saw demonstrated in all the facilitators. I was challenged to listen - really listen - to put my own issues aside."

- P. K. serving in the US

"I didn’t expect to grow to care for strangers so quickly. And it was amazing how sharing one’s story and struggles was healing even for those listening! I was challenged in how I go about caring for others and how much more there is to learn about caring for others."

-E.G. serving in China

"I was challenged in so many ways to relate more gently and patiently with those around me. I feel a fresh wave of energy to press forward in my walk with Christ."

- A.D. serving in Italy

"The most valuable part of the conference for me was the freedom I felt in talking to the various facilitators about issues in my life and feeling truly listened to and accepted."

- A. B. serving in China

2012 Schedule & Location

For the first time since 2006 when he began holding this conference, we had to cancel our 2011 conferences due to an insufficient number of registrations.

We’re not sure what the Lord has in mind for 2012. But we are prepared to hold the conference almost anytime, almost anywhere. If you have suggestions for a time and place that works for you please contact us. We use two retreat centers in the Midwest, but this missionary conference can he held almost anywhere.

The conference is designed to start Monday evening and conclude Friday morning. We also hold 1-3 day versions for churches and mission agencies as well. We’re open to whenever and wherever the interest is.

For More Information

Please Contact Us

Telephone: 262.641.9600

Caring for Others
Attn: Missionary Conference
13355 Paddock Pkwy
New Berlin, WI 53151

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