• Directories
    • Business Directory
    • Church Directory
    • Organization Directory
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Help
  • Log In
MENUMENU
  • Learning
        • Leader’s Edge
          • Author Interviews
          • Book Summaries
        • Book Reviews
          • Book Look
          • EMQ Book Reviews
        • Publications
          • Anthology
          • Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ)
          • Missiographics
        • Podcasts
          • The Mission MattersNew
          • Missio Nexus
          • People First HR
          • Members Only Feed
        • Blogs
          • Global Issues Updates
          • Member Highlights
          • Mission Advisors
        • Topics
          • COVID-19 ResourcesNew
          • Diaspora Missions
          • Mobilization
          • Muslim Missions
          • Support Raising
        • Media Library
          • Conferences
          • Global Issue Updates
          • On Mission
          • Thought Leader Briefings
          • Webinars
          • Workshop
          • View All
  • Programs
    • Accreditation
    • Alliance for Benefits
    • Bible CertificateNew
    • Church Missions CoachingNew
    • Cohorts
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Leaders
    • Mission Jobs
    • OnBoard
    • RightNow Media
    • The Mission AppNew
    • Women’s Development
  • Events
          • Calendar
          • In-Person Events
          • Virtual Events
          • Event Recordings
          • Awards
        • Upcoming Events

          • Webinar: Through the Wall
            Thu Jan 28 2021, 02:00pm EST
          • Three Steps to Kickstart Your Fund Development Program
            Tue Feb 16 2021, 03:00pm EST
          • Webinar: Innovating Theological Education: How BibleMesh can Prepare your Staff for Ministry
            Thu Feb 25 2021, 02:00pm EST
        • View All Events
  • Research
          • Missiographics
          • Mission Handbook
          • Research Reports
        • Popular Research
          • Compensation Reports
          • COVID-19 ResourcesNew
          • Field Attrition Report
          • View All Reports
        • Contribute
          • Current Research Projects
          • Submit Data for Mission Handbook
          • Volunteer
  • About Us
        • Who We Are
          • Our Contribution
          • Meet the Team
          • Board Members
          • History (1917–present)
        • Our Beliefs
          • Statement of Faith
          • Community Standards
        • Awards
        • Partner with Us
          • Advertise
          • Donate
          • Sponsorships
          • Volunteer
        • Help
          • Contact Us
          • Advertising Specs
          • Branding Guidelines
  • Join
        • Learn
        • Learn what you cannot learn anywhere else.

        • Meet
        • Meet people you otherwise won’t meet.

        • Engage
        • Engage in a community like none other.

          • Benefits
          • Benefits for Churches
          • Pricing

Sponsored Content

Upcoming Events

  • Webinar: Through the Wall
    Thu Jan 28 2021, 02:00pm EST
  • Three Steps to Kickstart Your Fund Development Program
    Tue Feb 16 2021, 03:00pm EST
  • Webinar: Innovating Theological Education: How BibleMesh can Prepare your Staff for Ministry
    Thu Feb 25 2021, 02:00pm EST
  • Association Leaders Gathering
    Tue Mar 2 2021, 08:30am EST
  • Innovation Labs - Session 1
    Tue Mar 2 2021, 10:00am EST

View all events »

Topics

author interview Canada CEO Church Church Missions Church Mission Team Church Planting Coaching Conference Proceedings COVID-19 Cross Cultural Skills Diaspora Evangelism Focus Future Globally Engaged Churches Islam Justin Long Leadership Management Missiology Missionaries Mission Finance and Administration MLC2019 MLC2020 Mobilization muslim Muslim Diaspora Networks Partnership Personal Productivity Podcast Presenter Research Security Short-Term Missions Spirituality support raising Training Trends Unengaged Unreached unreached people groups Weekly Roundup Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Practical Suggestions for Good Stewardship in Medical Missions

Posted on January 1, 2006 by January 1, 2006

by Michael Soderling

Most short-term medical missions today are using massive amounts of resources. And yet, people are still living in unsanitary conditions and having to deal with preventable diseases.

Most short-term medical missions today are using massive amounts of resources. And yet, people are still living in unsanitary conditions and having to deal with preventable diseases. With all the knowledge and expertise we bring to the overseas medical mission field, shouldn’t there be some measurable improvement in the health of the people? What can we do to increase living standards and to be better stewards of what God has blessed us with? Here are six suggestions.

1. Mission organizations must comply with the laws of the land. This is certainly a biblical principle.

2. Health workers should operate within their realm of expertise. Nurses should not fill the role of a doctor and doctors should not work outside their areas of expertise.

3. Organizations must do a better job in working together. Find out who is serving where you are. Brainstorm as to how you can work together to make your efforts more effective for God’s kingdom.

4. Every short-term team should work closely with the local health care providers. By including them in your work, you will have many opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

5. We need to educate ourselves ahead of time in the area of medical missions. Information on the Internet can be used to learn how to be more effective. (Note: One important area to learn about is how to avoid creating dependency in the area in which you will be serving.)

6. If your organization is Christ-centered, keep that as your focus. This should permeate everything that happens during trips you sponsor and support. This is an easy thing to forget due to the business aspect of these outreaches. Remember, though, that if you are too busy to make Christ the center of your trip, the trip is simply not worth the effort.

——

Dr. Michael Soderling is a full-time medical missionary who has been serving in Guatemala since 2001. He has been developing a health zone system in Palin, which is based on the work of Dr. Daniel Fountain in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Copyright © 2006 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.
�

GoToOlder PostNewer PostAll PostsArticlesEMQSectionVolume 42 - Issue 1

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Our Mailing List

Keep up to date with our community.

Menu

  • Join
  • Directories
  • Events
  • Donate

About

  • Who We Are
  • Statement of Faith
  • Awards
  • Resources

Help

  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Cookies Policy

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Google+

PO Box 398
Wheaton, IL 60187-0398

Phone: 770.457.6677
678.392.4577

© Missio Nexus.
All Rights Reserved.

Membership website powered by MembershipWorks