Three preliminary thoughts before you read this article: Though this article addresses the response of Missionaries’ Kids (MKs) to Cultural Christianity, the conclusions may extend to clear-minded Christians as a whole… In this article, I refer to North American in its narrower definition, meaning the United States and Canada. It’s important to note, as one […]
Ask adult TCKs about the most challenging transition of their lives, and they’ll most likely say, “College” or “University,” which I’ll use interchangeably here. It’s not surprising, really. Where most young people entering higher education have left their home and family in another part of the country, TCKs have often left their entire universe behind—the […]
As I’ve lead sessions on relationships (see here and here for more) with MKs and missions around the globe, I’ve seen an increase in questions regarding MKs and marriage. Why is it that so many of us struggle in this area? Why do we seem saddled with a reticence to commit? Are MKs at a disadvantage […]
“If you came back, you wanted to leave again. If you went away, you longed to come back. Wherever you were, you could hear the call of the herdsman’s horn far away in the hills. You had one home out there and one over here and yet you were an alien in both places. Your […]
Results for my extensive adult-MK survey are now available in their entirety…and they’re absolutely free! Click the link below to be taken to them: https://michelephoenix.com/survey-for-adult-mks/
The doctor’s voice was gentle on that evening of July 4th, 2008. “It looks like cancer, Michèle. Invasive ductal carcinoma.” I hung up the phone when he’d finished his instructions and braced myself on the bedroom dresser. The world seemed to buckle, tilt and right itself. But it never quite came back to plumb. Cancer […]
Caitlyn Jenner. Gay marriage. Assisted suicide. Global Warming. Ferguson. The Duggars. Immigration. Rachel Donezal. Abortion. The sparring is fierce. The words are rabid. And in our over-connected world, where hyperbole masquerades as reason, we can’t escape the deluge that sweeps us into the flow of opinion and debate. I believe it’s Dr. Phil who once […]
[For the purposes of this article, I use the term “missionary” to denote those who live cross-culturally and work in “formal” Christian ministry.] Having just returned from a symposium on Missionary Care, the needs of missionaries are strongly on my mind. Some of them are obvious: prayer, partnership, support. But I’m finding that what […]
[Before you attack me too, please realize that this isn’t about the “case”—it’s about our response.] UPDATE: Aug. 28, 2016 With the release of Ashley Madison’s hacked data, sickening evidence that Josh Duggar used the site to cheat on his wife has come to light. Now that we know that his youthful mistakes (crimes) have […]
You may have read my most recent article, “Six Permissions Most MKs Need.” This is a companion piece, one that recognizes the different needs of adults in ministry. Extending these permissions might reduce the pressure that becomes toxic to missionaries. Sometimes that pressure is self-inflicted—derived from the unachievable standards they levy on themselves. And […]