“Member Care is insuring that our workers feel cared for and supported by their agency and church, that they have the resources they need to work effectively, and to care well for themselves and their family. It is comprehensive- the ongoing preparation, equipping and empowering of missionaries for effective and sustainable life, ministry and work.” Global Member Care Network, 2008.

My first experience of Member Care was in my first term as a missionary to Turkey, I was on a team where there was no real member care, at the end of my third year I was going through a crisis of faith and didn’t know where to find help. I had nearly given up on finding help when a visitor from my UK missions training centre visited our team. Talking with them I experienced someone who really seemed to care about me personally and how I was doing on the field Emotionally- Spiritually- Physically.

As a result of their visit I took time off the field. I returned to the UK for a year and was part of a team that really practised Member Care, surrounded with people who invested and supported me on my journey.

This inspired me so much that it sparked something in me for Member Care. This grew stronger as I returned to Turkey a year and half later and joined a new team. After I married and my husband and I returned again to Turkey we were very much aware of the needs of our fellow missionaries and started to support them by giving them space and time to talk and off-load. It was such a privilege to show Member Care to our fellow workers who had given up so much to serve God in a foreign land.

Now we are living in another land not our own and do Member Care full-time for mission workers. One of the most affective tools we use in Member Care is debriefing.

Debriefing is a key way mission workers can keep healthy, whether its before being sent out or when they return after a time of service- be it after two years or twenty years.

Debriefing is an amazing tool that allows the person to process all they have gone through and unravel things in their mind.

A quote I heard recently:

“Debriefing allows the person to be heard so they can hear. “

Hear from God and also listen to their own inner thoughts. Reflection helps us learn from our story therefore helping us to move forward in our journey

Another reason debriefing is so powerful is because debriefing validates the experiences people have gone through, it shows honour to the person and says to them you are valued and heard.

Eternal benefits of Debriefing:

1. Debriefing draws us into a deeper relationship with God. God wants to hear our stories and heal our hurts. Through debriefing, our trust in Him grows and we love Him more.

2. Debriefing allows us to understand ourselves better in light of the Gospel. We learn who we are. Yes, we are sinners, who have been redeemed. And God wants to redeem our story.

3. Debriefing strengthens us to share our stories with our community of faith, where we can properly mourn with those who mourn. We are commanded to be a companion to those in pain.

4. Debriefing provides opportunity to grow. Through a good debrief we learn from what we have done well, but we often learn even more from what we have done wrong. Humbly placing our failures on the table is the best possible remedy for failure, because we learn what we don’t want to do in the future.

5. Debriefing moves us closer to forgiveness and reconciliation with others . As we process and own our own failures, it is easier to reach out to others, extend grace, and move forward in difficult relationships.

(Quoted from Outreach Canada)

In my own personal experience these truths about debriefing have been so true, what I have personally valued so highly is to have another person who understands cross-cultural living willing to listen to my story and rejoice with me and mourn with me.

At Oasis house we endeavour to be a safe place, a place of peace where people can come and be heard and understood and listened to, we want to be those that help mission workers find healing and wholeness and the strength to journey on.

Lynda Thomas

YWAM Oxford

Membercare Dept