Events

Member Care

Providing Biblical Counseling for Cross-cultural Workers

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Cross-cultural workers serve on the frontlines of a spiritual war between the powers of good and evil. These individuals have dedicated their lives to spreading the gospel message to those who have not yet heard it. Yet, they often struggle with experiences of loneliness, addictions, decreasing vision, diminishing faith, personal conflict, burnout, and shame. When these needs go unmet, effectiveness for Christ and the gospel diminishes. This is where Indopartners’ Member Care Ministry comes in.

What Exactly is Member Care?
Member Care is a biblical counseling ministry dedicated to helping Christian workers in Indonesia grow in personal wholeness, healthy relationships with God and others, thereby increasing ministry effectiveness. It seeks to improve the resilience of Indonesian staff working cross-culturally among the unreached people groups in Indonesia. Our goal is to decrease worker turnover and help these workers be more effective in ministry.

Why Do Member Care?
The Lord Jesus Christ led by example in this area. His loving care and devotion to his disciples shows us that caring for others is a priority. There are countless commands throughout the New Testament to take care of others, and Member Care is one way to do so. Caring is a visible part of the Gospel message and Jesus commands us to love one  another as he loves us (John 13:34). Loving one another, in the context of Member Care, is also how we can fulfill another commandment found in Matthew 28:19 – the commandment to make disciples. Cross-cultural workers are doing the active ministry necessary to accomplish this goal. Member Care is about coming alongside them to support and minister to them as they minister to others.

The Christian church has a responsibility and unique opportunity to reach out to these cross- cultural workers – to those who are on the front lines who need support in multiple forms. Sometimes we may feel like we don’t have much to offer, but we do. We can participate in a larger network of supporters who extend their reach to these  workers.

How Does Member Care Work?
Member Care is on-line Biblical counseling by a qualified and trained Christian counselor offered free of charge to the worker or his/her family. It provides active support to help the worker develop coping skills and the resilience necessary to persevere. It is not there to wrap them up in bubble wrap and protect them from the challenges, but to provide them with the care they need to sustain them. It is meant to help them weather the storms they face and to grow stronger.

How Can You Get Involved?
Do you want to get involved in helping our cross-cultural workers in Indonesia to be more effective in their ministry?

Meet the Indopartners Member Care Counselor

Adelina Gulleson, M.A. Director of Member Care
Adelina Gulleson was born and raised in Balikpapan, a city located on the east coast of Kalimantan Island, Indonesia. She served in full-time ministry as staff support for a large cross- cultural agency in Indonesia for over 8 years. Adelina holds a B.S. degree in psychology from a university in Indonesia and an M.A. in Biblical Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. As Director of the Member Care Ministry of Indopartners she personally counsels, teaches and writes. Now living in Arizona, she and her husband love to travel and enjoy walking any beach they can find.

The Challenge:

130

unreached ethnic groups

The resource to meet the challenge: 15-20 million evangelical Christians in Indonesia, a mighty force capable of accomplishing the task.

Indopartners’ role: To mentor people in churches, Christian schools, and Bible colleges to rise to the challenge of reaching their nation for Christ.

Copyright © 2023 IndoPartners Agency.