Content Resources

Many people involved in health outreach in developing nations realize that sustainable improvement requires that the local community be empowered rather than be seen as passive recipients of aid. But there is no clear and commonly held definition of empowerment. What does it mean? How, if at all, can it be measured? What does it take to create empowerment? MAP International and the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University are engaged in research on that topic. In addition to a thorough literature review, they have surveyed 49 global NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and faith-based organizations to learn from their thinking and experience.

This presentation will cover major threats to global health, including current and emerging infectious diseases.

One fifth of the world have no access to health care. Community based models hold keys to success. Primary Health Care is a WHO priority. Faith Based Organisations are invited to participate. By working together and demonstrating excellence we can bring change, health and hope in the name of Christ.

As a health professional you?re trained to take control and rely on your training and experience to accomplish your work. In ministry, Jesus notes, ?apart from me you can do nothing.? More, he told the disciples to not even leave for the mission field until they had the power of the Holy Spirit. How does that power work and how do you get that into your own life? Don?t leave for ministry until you get this one down.

Panel Q&A Becoming a Medical Missionary with two missionary docs and two missionary nurses. This session will share answers to how to become a medical missionary. Each person who attends will receive a 3 x 5 card when they enter the room. The moderator will group and select questions, directs them to appropriate panelists, and receive questions from the floor.

There are not enough dental professionals on the mission field and time and time again I have been asked, "What should I do and what can I do to help those in an emergency situation?" Dental needs and emergencies are ubiquitous on the mission field and often a non-dentist is the only one to care for them. Our time together will give you some important insights and guidelines to care for those in great need without hope and without help.

Cross cultural Medical missions can be participatory and reap the benefits of integrated ministry, sustainability, empowerment, phase out. What role can the local church play? What are the advantages. How can that be employed? Cases where it has worked.

The volume of aid resources doesn matter as much as the implementation philosophy that the aid is being channeled into. The old adage that ideas have consequences is quite true untested and shallow ideas often have negative consequences on those that are being served. This session will explore the difference between a dependency philosophy and an empowering strategy, and these ideas will be shared in such a way to be applied to any aid related work.

This workshop will discuss the differences between provision of community health and coping with individual diseases via cure, relief or palliation. The ethics of the two systems are quite different and raise pointed problems about the proper use of limited resources.

This workshop will discuss the relationship between ethics and faith and how conversion leads to only slowly to the development of ethical behaviour consistent with the new faith. It will also discuss the rising recognition amongst non-christian intellectuals that attention must be paid to ethical regeneration in the west.