Coaching Workshop and Int'l Directors Consultation
Greetings on the road to Singapore!
Jan and I are presently on the way to Singapore to take part in two events there over the coming two weeks. I will be facilitating the Coaching Workshop for a group of our missionaries and staff, most of whom work and minister in Singapore. I have been doing this workshop for the last seven or eight years all over the world, and well over 400 have now gone through it to date. It is my favorite training, because we have seen it transform relationships, whether in ministry, family, or in other contexts.
I often share teaching responsibilities with a fellow OMF member from Germany, Matthias Holighaus, and he will be joining me this week. You might pray for him, as he has been ill this past week and tells me he is not fully recovered. It’s probably not the best time for him to embark on a big international trip, but he really wants to be there and take part. May the Lord help him to be fully recovered by Wednesday when the training starts.
This trip is centered around OMF’s International Directors Consultation in Singapore, which takes place the following week. I will be attending in my role as U.S. Acting President and National Director (and coincidentally, my colleague Matthias is presently in the same role in Germany). There is a strong sense among our senior leaders that traditional missions as we have always known it cannot continue the way it always has. Of course, the need to reach the world with the changeless message of Gods’ love is as relevant as ever. But it may be time to look at more effective ways to do our ministry, including for example, new and more effective partnerships with sending churches. The main topic of the consultation will be centered around this theme, dealing with an initiative that is being called “Reimagining OMF.” We ask God for clear insights and new ways of looking at the ageless task of fulfilling the Great Commission.
As I write, Jan and I are traveling on separate itineraries to Singapore (because, as she often does, she is traveling on a standby basis). She was able to get on the plane out of Denver without difficulty (bound for Tokyo), but in the next three or four hours, will try to board the flight for Singapore. We ask God for a seat for her on that flight. If she is able to get on, I’ll see her there tomorrow!
You will have heard about the earthquake in Hokkaido, Japan. Hokkaido is a large base of operations for OMF with around 50 of our missionaries there, and we are glad that they are all safe. We pray that God will use this event as an opportunity for service and witness.
Thanks as always for your prayers and support!
Appreciatively,
Barry and Jan