Caring for a Global Community

Caroline Peterson • Jul 03, 2023

This month we finish up our series on TEAM’s Defining Values by focusing on “Caring Community.” TEAM’s Member Care department exists to foster caring community within TEAM by providing emotional and spiritual support to global workers and staff. Caroline Peterson sat down with Director of Member Care, Steve Maybee to discuss the purpose and heart behind Member Care.

Called to Care and Support

Steve Maybee got into Member Care after getting his master’s in clinical psychology. He and his wife served overseas in Eastern Europe, and it was there that he saw the needs of expatriates (people living outside of their native country) and of the missionary community in general. Steve realized how important it was for people to connect with someone who understands the challenges. When Steve came back to the States, he took a job with Alongside as a full-time counselor for missionaries and pastors. He served there for 20 years before joining TEAM as the Director of Member Care.

“Transitioning to this role in TEAM was a great blessing for me,” says Steve. “I was excited to be able to move into more proactive care for missionaries. I eagerly looked forward to helping create a system in which cross-cultural workers are cared for and supported in ways that help them to be all that God has for them to be.”

A Community of Care

Member Care is important because of the unique stresses of cross-cultural work. Having someone who has served overseas and faced similar fears and pressures can help workers not to feel so isolated. Also, the Enemy wants nothing more than to destroy the work of the global Church, so that can’t be underestimated.

Despite the benefits, it is not uncommon for workers to be uncertain at first. “Some people can view Member Care as ready to pounce when people aren’t functioning at 100% and to send them home for counseling,” says Steve. “While we do recommend stepping away from ministry to focus on counseling in some circumstances, we really want to provide support as close to their area of ministry and with as little disruption to life as possible.”

Steve is blessed to be able to draw on his own experiences. “When my wife and I were serving on the field, we were required to return to the States for counseling,” Steve recalls. “We weren’t happy about it, but we did it. It turned out to be a wonderful, healing experience allowing us to return to the field with a stronger sense of who God made us to be and what He had given us to do.”

Steve says that the challenges he faced have allowed him to walk alongside others with increased understanding and compassion. “I can appreciate the angst that they feel and the sense of responsibility to their ministry as well as the shame that arises if they think they’re being told that they aren’t good enough,” he says. “I hope to communicate that it’s precisely because you have so much to offer that we want to see you grow so that the burdens you are carrying don’t weigh you down so much.”

TEAM’s Member Care team helps global workers and staff safely share with one another and find comfort, support, and encouragement as we journey together as a caring community.

A Safe Space for Workers and their Families

To be successful on the mission field, Steve stresses the importance of resilience and self-awareness, along with adequate relational support. Member Care plays a role in each of these by showing compassionate care, understanding, and patience as they come alongside global workers. Member Care creates a safe space for workers to process issues and talk about what’s going on with someone who understands but is outside their immediate context.

Another challenge for global workers is raising children on the mission field. One of the primary reasons families leave the field earlier than they originally intended is due to the struggles that “TCK’s” (third-culture kids) have.

“As parents, our primary calling is to our family, and the apostle Paul has told us that the one who fails to care for his family is worse than an unbeliever,” Steve shares. “That is a strong indictment! We want to see the children thriving even as we want to see the adults thriving.”

TEAM’s TCK Coordinator, Valerie Williams and her team of helpers are committed to finding resources for whatever needs may arise in the children’s lives. That may be an educational need, an emotional need, or a spiritual one. Valerie tries to stay connected with each child so that they are aware of additional caring adults that they can reach out to for support and so that their parents have someone to help them in the challenging responsibility of raising children in another culture.

The Heart of the Issue

Steve shares that the goal of Member Care is to truly live out John 13:35: “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples: if you have love for one another.” This is the heart of TEAM’s value of Caring Community. TEAM is blessed to be able to offer an extensive, equipped, and available Member Care team that is rare in the world of cross-cultural missions. Few organizations have ready access to a compassionate listening ear, informed assessment of challenges, and help in determining the best course forward.

Not only is this type of support a benefit to global workers, but it’s also a benefit to a watching world. “As we each take advantage of opportunities for our own personal growth, we model for the world what it truly means to love one another,” says Steve. “The world is desperate to see the Gospel truly at work in the Body of Christ. If they can see us sacrificially and joyfully loving one another, being real with one another, and serving one another and those around us, they will be much more inclined to believe the Gospel message. We in Member Care want to help facilitate that and create a safe place for each of us to be all that God has designed for us to be, individually and as a group.”

Loving Like Jesus Cross-Culturally (Part 1)

By Megan Lunsford • 23 Apr, 2024
When seeking to serve cross-culturally with an authentic love for others, there’s no better example for us than Jesus. If we sat around a table and threw out the question, “How do we love like Jesus?” I think we would have several commonalities as we respond. For example, Jesus loved all people right where they were. He loved those who were deemed the least, those hardest to love, or those who were His enemies. These are all beautiful realities of the heart of Jesus. When we step into relationships, it can be easier to take on the warmer, more gracious gestures of Jesus’ love, especially in cross-cultural relationships. Think about it––when doing life with those who look and act differently than us, we are already out of our comfort zones and would rather keep things as simple and familiar as possible. But there are other facets of Jesus’ heart we often overlook that can transform us and others even more into His likeness. Jesus is love because God is love. Everything Jesus did was out of love; it’s the mere definition of who He is. As followers of Jesus, He calls us to the same: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John:7-12) Every display of love we offer to others is an opportunity for them to encounter the ultimate love of the Father. That’s a pretty big deal! In this article, we’ll look at three expressions of Jesus’ love that we tend to overlook when engaging others cross-culturally. (Next month, we’ll look at three more.) 1. Jesus loved sacrificially. Everywhere Jesus went, crowds followed Him. We even see times in Scripture where Jesus had plans to step away for time alone but those who were hurting found Him and He had compassion on them and stayed with them. Can you imagine rarely having any time to yourself but, instead, constantly being surrounded by crowds of people wanting help from you? Jesus loved sacrificially. He welcomed all who came to Him with love and compassion, never turning anyone away. “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) In the same way, we can make room in our lives for Jesus to bring sacrificial interruptions which, in His eyes, are orchestrated encounters to transfer His love to others. It can be tempting to be so “on mission” that we are full steam ahead and find ourselves frustrated when the Holy Spirit sends an interruption into our path that we feel we don’t have time for. Or, perhaps, we have scheduled a meet-up but it’s the norm in another culture to be 30 minutes or an hour late. We anxiously think through how it will affect whatever we have planned next. While it’s normal to feel a little stressed, what if the very "interruption” standing in front of you was really a divine appointment sent by God? Or what if that person running late experiences how peaceful and gracious you are in adapting to their culture and therefore, they can encounter a beautiful display of Jesus’ love? To truly represent Christ, we should remain ready and willing for each assignment the Lord sends into our path, no matter the cost or how much we will have to re-route our day. He is always a hundred steps ahead and will work all things for His glory and our good. 2. Jesus loved by discerning each situation well. Think about how many situations Jesus had to respond to on a daily basis. We read in Scripture that there were lines of people waiting to be healed by Him, talk to Him, hear His teachings, or simply touch the hem of His robe. Jesus was fully dependent on His Father to discern each situation before addressing it. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) Another temptation we can have when in a relationship with those God has sent us to is to think we already know the solution or what God wants to do before we’ve even asked Him. We believe we are full of knowledge, so we just pull from the bank we have stored within and go with it. However, when we access what is familiar to us as our default, we risk missing out on a God-given solution that might truly be the key to unlocking whatever challenge is in front of us. What does this look like when interacting with others? We can simply ask, “God, what is on Your heart for the person standing in front of me?” Then we listen and respond as He speaks. When we make it a daily habit to pause and hear God’s heart for each situation before responding, we are guaranteed to be effective in loving those around us. He knows the heart of every person that will cross our paths. Imagine how impactful we can be if we first lean on His wisdom and discernment before moving forward. 3. Jesus loved by speaking truth. Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. If we are honest, this conversation makes us a bit nervous as none of us would be comfortable with Jesus calling out intimate details of our lives that we would prefer to hide. But Jesus went further than just airing her dirty laundry. He offered her the hope of the Gospel and a relationship with Him - a divine fulfillment that could never be found in an earthly relationship. Jesus modeled a powerful example of loving others well cross-culturally. He took the low place and spoke truth, truly out of love––speaking to her heart from His. Like Jesus, our goal in sharing the truths about Him and His Word is to bring hope and satisfaction through Him alone. When we speak truth from Scripture, we are calling others higher into all God has for them. The tricky part here is we should avoid speaking truth if it isn’t first fueled by compassion. If it merely comes from a place of judgment, condemnation, or self-righteousness, it will fall flat 100% of the time. But if it truly comes from love, you are likely to not only win a heart back to the Father but, like the story of the Samaritan woman, even an entire village! If you see someone living outside of God’s best for their lives, ask God to show you your heart before engaging theirs. Once your heart is properly postured, you can speak truth out of an overflow of God’s love and trust Him for a transformation in their lives.

Hospitality, Help, and the Hope of the Gospel

By Suzanne Pearson • 16 Apr, 2024
TEAM Canada provides warm welcome and trusted friendships for diaspora populations living far from their native countries. As TEAM Canada workers Peter and Ruth (names changed) drive from their home to a nearby community center, they pass numerous apartment buildings and townhouses. Most of the families who live there are immigrants. They’ve left their countries of origin due to political unrest, trauma, and other difficulties. They’ve left family, friends, homes, jobs, and personal wealth behind. They search for peace, justice for the oppressed, and rest from fear and weariness. And as they adjust to a new country and a new language, they are often very isolated from others around them. “The sad reality is most immigrants are never even invited inside a Canadian home,” says Ruth. Peter and Ruth and their team try to change that reality. For the last nine years, the team, which includes workers from partner organizations as well as volunteers, has held English classes at the community center. Three days a week, over 60 students from more than 20 countries come together to learn English as well as to fellowship together and receive practical help in assimilating to a new normal. Meeting Needs and Building Trust That practical help may come in the form of procuring furniture, clothes, or dishes for newcomers, assistance with creating a resume and finding a job, or teaching people how to navigate Canadian laws and the medical system. As these tangible needs are met, relationships are built. “We invite them into our homes for meals and games,” Ruth shares. “We take them on hiking trips, picnics, outings, and out for coffee.” This is particularly important in this type of ministry because most immigrants come to Canada from cultures that value hospitality. Conversely, Canadians do not typically prioritize hospitality and consequently many newcomers feel lonely and isolated. Inviting folks to various gatherings and outings allows the team to spend extended time hearing people’s stories, struggles, hopes, and dreams. When she speaks about building friendships, Ruth’s heart for the people she serves is evident. “Hearing their stories, it’s easy to love them, and many have become close friends,” Ruth says. “We recognize the value of steady one-on-one relationships.”
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