Podcast

Any device capable of being connected to cyberspace can be subject to surveillance, hacked, and used monitor behavior in the physical world. The lowest level of threat is probably the thief who wants to steal your smart phone. The highest level of threat is the nation state monitoring you using that same smart phone, supposing you will compromise the local believers. Between these extremes are the criminals who call your contact list, tell them you have been kidnapped and demand ransom, and the criminals who seize your data with ransomware. Mission teams may need to turn to cybersecurity professionals to develop plans for working in closed countries and nations that are fundamentally hostile to the faith or are just corrupt. Knowing when this help is needed is critical to staying safe. This session will provide participants with tools and strategies to enhance their cybersecurity.

In view of a changing world context, what is the future of medical missions? Does the traditional mission hospital have a place in today's world? Where does medical missions fit into globalization and urbanization and increasing populations where there is high restriction on religion? What are healthcare strategies that will work in the 21st century? This session will review the history of medical missions, where we are today, and what are the new additional approaches that will meet needs and open doors for the Gospel.

The pathway to healthcare missions is not a linear pathway and there is not one right way. In this plenary session, we are going to hear from experts across the spectrum of healthcare missions, from the initial exploring stage, the preparing process, and beyond. We're going to look at the many varied expressions of healthcare missions, such as the traditional long term medical missionary, but also the non-traditional marketplace worker. We'll explore short term service opportunities, medical education fields, domestic service, and disaster relief. We'll learn about what healthy preparation looks like and end with stories and lessons about thriving in healthcare missions.

Why are you heading overseas as a healthcare missionary? What's your ultimate long-term goal? Is your dream, for example, to vaccinate multiple thousands of children against preventable childhood diseases or ... do you dream of launching movements of missional-communities (churches) among a Muslim group who will share Christ with their entire people group ... AND vaccinate all their children, too? The Kingdom needs missionaries who will do both. This workshop will help you learn key aspects of what to look for when joining a team, and how to form and prepare a strategic team to go and do it together.

Parenting is challenging in any situation, but raising children while living overseas and serving cross-culturally adds new complexities. Gleaming lessons learned from 15 years of field missionary experience, and siting practical examples, the session will explore tips and tools for providing missionary kids with academic, social and spiritual success.