Enhancing Care Ministry North York Mandarin Alliance Church

1. Enhancing Care MinistryNorth York Mandarin Alliance Church North York, Ontario Stephen Cheng Oct 24, 2009

2. Introduction • China • Married - 2 adult children • Wife – Brain surgery nurse • 25 years working and learning in psychiatry • 4 years in the study of culture • 2 years and 3 courses in leadership • Teaching care ministry

3. Key Questions • 1. What is care ministry? • 2. What are the current practices/challenges? • 3. What does an ideal care ministry model look like? • 4. How do we meet these challenges?

4. 1. What is Care Ministry? • It is part of the process of spiritual formation. • 3 mains aspects in spiritual formation StageIssueFocus • Grounded-ship Lost sight of Christ Restoration & Rehab • Discipleship Following Christ Walking in Newness • Leadership Oneness with Christ Living with Power

5. Suffering John 5: 2-6 • Pool of Bethesda • Multiple of sick people • Angel will come to stir the water… when? • The first one to jump in will be healed • A man suffering for 38 year and waiting.. • Unable to get into the water....,,,helpless

7. History of Care Ministry • Care Ministry was one of the central functions of the church • The gospels and Acts of Apostles are full of examples and stories • The task of caring was shared amongst everyone within the church community • As of 300 years ago, there was no psychiatry, mental hospital or counseling service • The issue of broken healers

8. What had changed? • Rise of Humanism • Rise of Science • Rise of medicine • Rise of psychiatry • Rise of psychology • Rise of nation states and government • Decline of the influence of the Church

9. 2. What are the current realities/challenges? • Church - Care/compassion ministry • Program – Celebrating Recovery, for the higher functioning and motivated • Pastor/ Try their very best others • Community- Confusing service system– long wait list, hard to work with the key players • Christian counseling- costly, ?quality control and ?connectedness with client

10. Implication • Existing programs are useful for some but not for people with serious condition • Fragmented service in the community • 20% of the people consumes 80% of time. • Pastor and volunteers are strained • Traditional training offers strong spiritual orientation with some exposure to psychological issue. • Lack of theory and systematic approach • Challenge: how to offer quality care without duplicating the existing community services.

11. An ideal care ministry

12. 3. What does an ideal (quality) Care Ministry look like? Luke 5: 17-20 • Jesus was teaching in a full house • A paralyzed man was brought in on a bed • Sought to lay before Him…..failed • Let him down through the roof • Jesus saw “their faith” • He was healed • God was gloried

13. 5 C of Ideal Care Ministry • Compassion/Competence/Character(v.18) • CreativeLeadership/Teamwork – clear thinking, organization, vision, problemsolving(v.19) • CohesiveUnity/Oneness – selfless,submission, humility (v.20) • Courage – determination, perseverance Risk Management(19) • Convinced about change- beyond mere belief, expecting Results through the power of Jesus(v.25)

14. 4. What are the areas to be enhanced? • Competence– Learning the skill of different condition and working effectively within the existing system • Leadership – How to use these skill with a servant heart • Team work – Expand the existing pool of compassionate team members • New perspectives – Developing thinking skill to deal with complex issues • Result – To bring realistic changes accordingly

15. An Integrated Model Leadership Clinical Skill Culture

16. Clinical Skill • ManagementVs treatment of illness • Common condition: depression, anxiety and…. • Spiritual depression – multiple facets • How to develop therapeutic relationship • How to lead/work with a virtual team • How to prepare your client to see a counselor • And etc…..

17. Leadership habits • 12000 books, 850 definitions – “Moving people onto God’s agenda” • Lead with a servant’s heart and habits • Learning to ask powerful question • Building trust with character and competence

18. Culture • Promote cultural sensitivity and connectedness with clients and families • Culture – belief, identity and perception of illness • Denial and shame about mental illness • Understand psychological arrival and cultural adjustment • Bridge any existing cultural gap

19. An Integrated Approach Role Reconstruction- • Clinical Skill: Case Manager • Leadership Skill: Coach with a Servant Heart • Cultural Adjustment: Anthropologist

20. Plan for the 10 weeks course • September 9/09 Introduction • September 16/09 Mental Illness caused by physical condition What is leadership? • September 23/09 Depression What leaders do? • September 30/09 Depression How God develop leaders? • October 7/09 Anxiety/Panic Important leadership habits • October 14/09 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Important leadership habits • October 21/09 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Important leadership habits • October 28/09 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Leader’s goal • November 4/09 Psychosis Leader’s influence • November 11/09 Schizophrenia The leader’s reward

21. Conclusion • Pain and suffering will not go away • Service system will remain fragmented • We need to rise to regain the respect and competence of the church to provide complimentary and yet quality care • God will provide the standard and guidance • We will surrender to learn new thinking, purpose, habit, skill and roles. • One day, we will hear Jesus say, “I saw their faith (of NYMAC).” • In the meantime we will explore andenjoy the challenge together.