Moving Women Beyond Surviving to Thriving in Missions
Workshops
For more information:
Informative & Interactive Workshops
Each workshop will begin with a 50-minute presentation, followed by interactive discussion, questions and sharing about the topic.
Entrust
The Women Reaching Women project of Entrust – Women to Women Leadership Training, is an inter-mission ministry designed to refresh, resource and equip missionary women living on the field through accessible small-group mentoring and comprehensive training. Discover more about this ongoing personal and professional development that is aimed at training women to shepherd other women in their areas of influence and to strengthen the local church where they are. See how proven biblical materials, relational discipleship models, relationship networks, and experienced mentors are offered to support missionary women on the field.
Wendy Wilson has served as a member of the Entrust team since 1984 with a focus on leadership training for women in ministry to other women. Wendy led the Women’s Ministry Training effort for 15 years in Eastern Europe and Russia. During those years the much-requested women’s curriculum was developed and a solid model for training shepherds and multipliers was established. She served as an Entrust Vice President from 1999 – 2007, helping re-focus the mission in a strategic shift toward intentional facilitator training, multiplication systems, and “training of trainers.” Now she enjoys giving her full focus to consulting with and equipping other like-minded missions, churches and partners in their efforts to equip and resource women on the field.
God of Emotion, Godly Women of Emotion
God made women in His own image, which includes emotion. Often so-called negative emotions like fear, grief, anger, and depression are viewed somewhat negatively among believers. But they are actually gifts from God to equip women to live in a fallen world. Gain a better understanding of how missionary women can experience a life of rich emotion in a way that honors God as well as how agencies can help them live and serve in an emotionally healthy way.
Jeanne Jensma spent over a decade as a missionary, primarily teaching in a school for TCKs, but also assisting with church-planting. Through participation in the missionary community and through many conversations with TCKs, Jeanne learned of the pain, trauma, and family problems that sometimes invade and impact missionary families. In response, Jeanne pursued an M.A. from Wheaton and then a Ph.D. from Rosemead to prepare for a counseling ministry to missionaries. Jeanne is a licensed psychologist and serves as the Director of Counseling at Alongside, a retreat center that conducts intensive programs of counseling for missionaries and their families.
Remaining Strong Through the Seasons of Life
This workshop will include a panel of missionary women representing and discussing different seasons of life. Those seasons include young singles, moms with children at home, mid-life transitions, empty nester/aging parents (including the “sandwich generation”), and retirement. Expand your understanding into the unique challenges for missionary women at different stages of life and how to help them navigate effectively through them.
Mary Royer served with CAM International for 17 years together with her husband Ken, leading on the field training programs for missionaries in Central America and Mexico. Since 1985 Mary and Ken have been serving with Link Care where Mary is a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist seeking to assist missionaries and pastors to be as effective as possible.
Red and Yellow, Black and White . . . Teaming Together
Comprised of individuals with distinct views concerning team composition, team dynamics, and team leadership, healthy teams can be hard to maintain. Add in the cross-cultural factor with all its implications and one might say that healthy multicultural teams seem almost impossible. The fact is, though, that it is possible. God is leading missions into multicultural teamwork. It is not an easy road, but it is a road that glorifies God. Find out how to better prepare and train missionary women for multicultural teams and how to facilitate on-going healthy relationships.
Robin Howard has worked for 14 years on a cross-cultural church planting team in North Africa. Presently she serves in Arab World Ministries as liaison to the missionary women who come from 20 different nations.
A Single Serving
Single Women are a great asset to missions. What has been missed regarding these women on the field? What are their unique needs? How can mission agencies encourage single women to thrive in life and ministry? These are just a few of the questions we will attempt to answer as we explore the life and needs of single women in missions and the amazing addition they are to our organizations.
Deedra Bingham has always had a heart for ministry and missions, and is so grateful to be able to minister to women missionaries. She has been in official ministry to women for about 12 years...as a Resident Director in a women's dorm, Bible study leader, retreat speaker, mentor, and one-on-one discipleship. Currently she is the Mentor to Women in Ministry with Cadence International. "It is so rewarding to point people to Jesus in whatever circumstances they find themselves in."
Surviving the Great Commission: Exploring Expectations and Burnout
This workshop examines missionary women’s high, often unrealistic, expectations of themselves, their sending agency, sending church, team mates, host culture, and God. We will look at the relationship between unmet expectations and burnout. Find out how mission agencies can better help prepare women for the realities of cross-cultural ministry and equip them for healthy long term service.
Sue Eenigenburg is the Director of Women's Ministry for Christar. She and her husband have been involved in missions for over twenty years. She is the author of Screams in the Desert: Hope and Humor for Women in Cross-Cultural Ministry, a devotional for missionary women.
Transforming Organizational Culture
Churches are typically more than 50 percent women, and mission agencies routinely deploy workers in a 60-40 ratio of women to men. Target populations are likely 50 percent or more female as well. Learn how transforming our view of women missionaries and our organizational culture regarding women may be critical in bringing Gospel transformation to whole societies.
Leanne Dzubinski has twenty years of cross-cultural experience in evangelism and church planting with Greater Europe Mission and serves as their leader for Women In Ministry. She trains missionaries from across Europe in Bible, leadership and ministry skills and is adjunct faculty at several universities. Her doctor of ministry is from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in effective ministries to women and her master of theology is from Dallas Theological Seminary.
Women of the Harvest
Women of the Harvest is a unique ministry whose vision is to support and encourage women who are serving overseas. Their goal is to provide venues for women to connect with other women who “get their life” and understand the joys and challenges of working cross-culturally. All of their resources are provided free of charge as a gift from their ministry. They have three primary venues: a bi-monthly online Magazine; international retreats to allow women to be refreshed away from their regular ministry and family demands; and a micro-enterprise endeavor that provides a user-friendly business curriculum, Bible Study, and micro-loan funding to assist national women who desire to successfully build and grow their own businesses. Come learn more about this exciting resource and how to take advantage of it for women in your agency.
Lorrie Lindgren is the Executive Director of Women of the Harvest, a ministry that provides support and encouragement for North American women serving cross culturally. They are privileged to work with women from over 300 mission agencies. In addition to serving with WOTH for the past nine years, Lorrie has been involved in the leadership of Women’s Ministries in her local church for 30 years and on the national level for her denomination for 13 years. She loves equipping women for ministry! She and her husband, Jim, live in Lakewood, CO and have 5 adult children (two of whom are married) that all live in Denver.