Workshops

Dr. Sam Rima – Director of Leadership Formation at DeoWorks, USA

After the 7th AMCN April 2023 Conference, 20+ members registered for the Soul Journey.  They have experienced the renewal and fresh expressions of personal soul care and intimacy with God.  As those called by God to provide spiritual care for others, it is critical that we engage in ongoing training and development in our own personal spiritual formation and soul care.

        Soul Journey is an 18-month program for seasoned ministry leaders that will help them assess and recalibrate their personal spiritual formation journey by providing a unique learning community that will together explore fresh expressions and experiences of personal soul care and introduce new spiritual disciplines that will assist participants in going deeper still in their relationship with the Trinity. Soul Journey consists of four in-person retreats and periodic Zoom gatherings between retreats. Each retreat has a unique theme: Retreat One – Waking, Retreat Two – Walking, Retreat Three – Wrestling, and Retreat Four – Working.

         Dr. Sam Rima served in a broad variety of ministry and leadership roles over the past 40 years. Spanning the church, academia, and the non-profit worlds, Sam has been a Lead Pastor, Executive Pastor, denominational Executive Minister (overseeing churches and ministries in five states), seminary professor, and certified Spiritual Director. Currently, Sam serves as the Director of Leadership Formation for DeoWorks and leads the Soul Journey: An Academy of Spiritual Formation and Direction for international leaders throughout the world. With a passion for spiritual and leadership formation, Sam has taught and spoken extensively through the U.S. and on five continents. He is the author or co-author of five books and is a certified Spiritual Director. Sam has earned a Doctor of Ministry in Transformational Leadership from Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Buckingham, UK, in Socioeconomics (Spiritual Capital).

Dr Mark Toh – Clinical Psychologist, Singapore

         Parenting well is crucial for the emotional development and mental health ofchildren. The failure to do so often means that adult children will reveal wounds or deficits as they face their own future. The challenges of missionary living and quality parenting are so often overlooked among missionary parents that their children are at risk of failure to thrive. This workshop lays out principles & practices to address this issue.

         Dr. Mark Toh graduated with his PhD in Clinical Psychology in 1995 from Fuller Graduate School in Pasadena, CA, USA. He graduated with his Masters in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1994, and his BA (Honors) from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada in 1985. In his 22 years of clinical practice, where he treats the emotional and psychological conditions underlying mental health problems, he has treated individuals across the lifespan: children, adolescents, adults as well as couples and families. He has taught clinical courses in children & adolescent treatment, as well as adult psychopathology at the Master’s program in Counseling at the Singapore Bible College. He has also been a consultant and clinical supervisor for graduate psychologists at the MSF (Ministry of Social & Family Development, Singapore). He has been a member of the American Psychological Association since 1995. He was also licensed to practice in British Columbia, Canada from 1996 until 2012 when he relocated back to Singapore. As part of his clinical experience over the different groups of people he has helped, he has a particular burden for helping missionaries and those in ministry as the emotional hazards of ministry pose unique challenges. Also, he is has a concern to help believers or churches where parents are challenged to integrate discipleship & parenting. (LifeFIT Consulting Tanglin Shopping Centre, 19 Tanglin Road, 04-01B, Singapore 247909)

Dr. Ashley Tee – Area Director, OM, East Asia

The workshop seeks to understand key challenges which majority world missionaries face. It will discover 7 retention methods and structure (THRIVES model) that enable missionaries to thrive in the context where they serve. It will also explore ideas to harness global collaboration that can shape the majority world mission endeavors to become a credible and sustainable mission movement.

         Dr. Ashley Tee has been involved in cross-cultural missions since 1997. He served in pastoral ministry and church planting for 13 years. He founded 3cmSpace ministry to support Chinese cross/cultural missionaries. Currently he is leading and caring for his teams in 17 countries in Asia with Operation Mobilization.

Dr. Wang Ling Huei – Member Care Provider, Taiwan

This workshop will try to address member care needs and their associated factors among Chinese cross-cultural missionaries. We will address Chinese cultural perspectives on mental health and Chinese cultural factors that challenge helping and caring. We will also explore ways to implement strategies and plans to care for Chinese cross-cultural missionaries. In conclusion, we will present some directions and practical steps for sending churches and mission organizations to support and care for their Chinese members.

Dr. Wang is a member care provider in Taiwan and has a Doctor of Ministry. She Is also a psychologist.

Dr. Kim Koh – Trainer and Counselor, Singapore

This workshop aims to utilize a sandtray therapeutic activity to create an environment where participants can pause to assess where they are at this point of their lives/ministries and gain insights through their created sand pictures and body ministry.

This workshop is limited to 8 participants per session. Participants are required to sign up and accept on a first come first served basis.

Kim has been a school teacher, counselor and a member care provider/trainer. Her training includes a Doctor in Intercultural Studies, M.Ed., M.A. in Human Services Counseling and graduate Certificate in Play Therapy. She is also trained in Critical Incident Stress Management.

Kim and her husband, Ronnie, have served in missions for over 30 years; they have two adult TCK children.

Jana Tan – Adult TCK, USA

The church and ministry organizations have traditionally provided support and programs for young adults, young married couples, and young families. However, there is a significant gap for career, single adults (ages 28-49). In this workshop we’ll discuss why this group is often ignored, the specific needs of this demographic, and what we can do to support this group going forward.

Jana Tan is a mental health advocate and adult Third Culture Kid. She grew up living in Ethiopia, Singapore, and the United States as a missionary kid. She now currently lives in Modesto, California where she substitute teaches and is working on a novel. Jana completed her college and graduated in 2012.

Dr. Sam Leong – Psychologist, USA

The tension between the competing priorities of ministry and marriage is very real and is further exacerbated when on the mission field. This workshop will unpack this dilemma as illustrated in the lived experience of novice pastors early in their seminary training to seasoned pastors and leaders. Survival through this tension may be a reasonable goal, but what does it mean to thrive in both areas? Do we have a serious problem with a flawed theology of ministry? Have we elevated the goal of a healthy marriage to become an idol unto itself? As attendees already know, there are no easy answers and no “one size fits all” solution ever works. We will explore some concrete steps for couples to take in re-aligning their calling to ministry and to make good their vows in marriage that increases the chances for thriving.

Dr. Sam Leong is a licensed psychologist and marital & family therapist who has served the San Francisco Bay Area Christian community for more than 40 years. For most of his professional career, he has been affiliated with Christian Psychotherapy Services, a multi-disciplinary group of mental health practitioners in private practice. He has extensive experience in providing psychological services to adults, adolescents, and families. He has also provided psychological evaluations for individuals and couples who are going overseas to be tentmakers since 2004. He’s also been an adjunct instructor in three different Christian graduate counseling institutions. For the past decade, he has focused his practice and teaching efforts on member care. He was blessed to go to India for the first time in 2013 to witness the amazing church planting work that God was doing there. He has returned to India four times to provide member care support through marriage and family seminars, self-care workshops, and consultation to the staff there. He is on the boards of the Friends of India Network and the North Pacific Member Care Network.

Aimee Rasmussen – Director, Chapel Soul Care, USA

In this world we have many opportunities to grieve. We grieve because something or someone we love is no longer with us. Grieving is not something we grow into or out of. We see an infant cry in distress when a parent leaves. We watch a senior adult cry for a dear friend who has just died. Grieving is to feel the complex emotions of fear, anger, sadness, and relief, in no particular order. Imagine, with every grief we have the opportunity to expand in holding these complex emotions. Many of us feel surprised by grief. Grief is not usually asked for, but it can be a doorway to personal growth. Looking back, we might find that grief has expanded our capacity to lovingly empathize with others in their grief. No matter where you are from or where you are going, let’s pause together and look for God’s love in the midst of our grief.

Aimee Rasmussen found herself in a place of profound grief in 2003. As her mother died and her husband left her and three daughters, she wondered what could be next. Out of this place of personal pain came a deep desire to help others through their pain and grief. This desire led her to Covenant Theological Seminary (M.A. Theology, M.A. Counseling) in 2006, which became a place of grieving and healing. She returned to her hometown where she and her daughters continued to heal. After 10 years of pastoring and counseling she met Bob Rasmussen, a widowed missionary. Through marriage they have blended a family of five daughters, four sons-in-law, and now four grandchildren. Marriage also brought a blending of ministry life. Together Aimee and Bob welcome refugees to their area, train churches to do the same, and provide member care for their missionary team and other gospel workers around the world.

Presently, Aimee is co-director and founder of Chapel Soul Care, a church-based counseling center in Turlock California. Her love of spiritual direction and counseling has given her many opportunities to see the goodness of God in the midst of grief.

Yana Ahn – Barnabas International, USA

Shepherd’s Apprentice is a five month journey for member care providers that deepen their lives as sheep and enriches their ministries as shepherds, resourced by a community of practice. Developed by Barnabas International, instead of adding another skills-based training, Shepherd’s Apprentice addresses spiritual formation for member care providers whose desire is to be ‘a shepherd after his own heart who cares well for his flock’ (Jer 3:15). Thus, it focuses on the biblical foundation of shepherding as well as the practice of shepherding, as an apprentice of the Good Shepherd. At this workshop, you will get a taste of what Shepherd’s Apprentice is about and explore an idea of journeying as a community of practice through Shepherd’s Apprentice in your region.

Yana Ahn is passionate about coming alongside global workers who are least resourced and cared for. Upon joining Barnabas International in 2021, Yana seeks to equip and multiply global shepherds, while being a resource among bi-cultural communities at large for the Kingdom purpose. Prior to joining Barnabas, she served as a missions pastor in Los Angeles over two decades, after having served in the Turkic world, as well as done mobilization and research for the unreached. She is currently based in the Los Angeles area, and loves trying anything new, whether it be food, culture or a hiking trail.

Dr. Pramila Rajendra (Member Care Consultant/Counselor, India)

Domestic Violence has been in existence since ancient times not only in one country but across the globe. It knows no boundary whether it be in the third or first world, developing or developed countries. Whether it is called sexual assault or abuse physically, emotionally, or verbally, it is harassment or bullying. It has a pattern, not an isolated event, but repetitive. As global member care givers, are we addressing domestic violence? Are we acknowledging and addressing the existence of domestic violence in the mission field? Or are we simply keeping mum? Come and learn about the counselor’s role in domestic violence situations.

Pramila Rajendran worked with Operation Mobilization for 25 years including 7 years on OM ship M.V. Logos in different mission and leadership capacities both in India and other parts of the Globe. She worked with India Missions Association for 12 years in the capacity of Membercare Director. She initiated the Membercare Network in Indian Missions and brought missionary care awareness across India. She was a board member for 10 years with Global Membercare Network and on Leadership Team for 8 years with WEA Mission Commission.

Pramila has a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Criminology, Masters in Pastoral Theology and Counseling and PhD in Missiology focusing Membercare on Mental Health of Global Missional Leaders. She has her own
‘Miila Consulting’ of membercare and counseling.

Facilitators: Scott Shaum – Associate Director, Barnabas International, USA Florence Tan – Missionary, EquipNet; AMCN Coordinator, USA

At the 7th AMCN (April 2023) last night’s dinner, the future of AMCN was discussed. There was, however, no conclusion. Fast forward, August-November 2023, the late David Tan had about a 3-month good recovery time from his Stage IV lung cancer. On November 21, 2023, he started planning this conference, believing he would live to be here, hoping to table this same topic at this conference. Started 15 years ago, AMCN is at a stage where input from you is crucial to keep this beneficial platform moving forward. In order to stay on-topic, we have come up with the following core agenda to move along to reach some general consensus.

1. The vision/purpose of AMCN
2. The vehicle to fulfill this vision/purpose
3. The venue for AMCN

Scott Shaum, along with his wife Beth, has served with Barnabas International for 21 years, where he is currently an Associate Director. He is ordained in the Anglican church. Previously, they were church planters in Hong Kong. He is the author of The Uninvited Companion: God’s Shaping Us in His Love Through Life’s Adversities. Scott and Beth have been married 39 years, and have three sons, two married, and four grandchildren.

GOD called Florence to full-time ministry in her mid-20s when she was single. Instead of serving full-time, God brought David Tan into her life. One year after their marriage they set out on their ministry journey spanning over 4 decades, serving in churches and missions in Singapore, Modesto, Sacramento, Ethiopia, China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Japan, Myanmar, and Vietnam. When David passed away in March 2024, Florence continued ministering to these countries. Their 3-pronged mission focus – Recruiting, Placing/Training, and Member Caring – remains unchanged. Florence engages with local churches about ministry needs; recruiting and leading short-term teams, and plans member care conferences in Asia. She lives in Modesto, California, and travels to these countries using Singapore as a base. Florence has her Bachelor’s in Biblical Studies and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership. She has held administrative positions in all her working life, and for a short 4½ years a first grade teacher!

Tammy Sharp (Barnabas International, USA)

This flexible model can be used to debrief groups of families or one family at a time. Several activities will be demonstrated and participants will have access to the material after the training. The family debrief encourages children and parents to share their stories and emotions with each other, as well as process transitions and events they have experienced.

Tammy Sharp joined Barnabas International, USA in 2018. Don’t ask her, “Where are you from?” unless you want that awkward pause. With 3 passports in hand, and a recent move, Tammy loves helping fellow TCKs navigate the joys (and challenges) of transitions. Tammy is a TCK Consultant with Barnabas International working with all ages of TCKs. She was born and raised in Brazil at a TCK school in the Amazon. From an early age she knew she wanted to work with TCKs as a career. After attending Wheaton College to become a teacher, she ended up teaching back in Brazil after 5 years at a school in Alaska. Upon completion of her Master’s in Education she planned to head back overseas as a teacher, but instead felt called to work at a Sending Organization as the TCK Coordinator which she did for 17 years. Tammy transitioned to Barnabas International in 2018. At Barnabas Tammy continues to work with TCKs of all ages–debriefing younger TCKs, working with college age as the Director of MuKappa, and establishing and leading an Adult TCK group called Concourse.