New Adventure for the Vander Arks
(Warning-this post is long…hang in there!)
Dear friends,
I’ve been invited to be part of the SIM International Health Ministries Team responsible for Learning and Leading. The Team comes alongside mission hospitals to provide expertise and care to SIM operated hospitals and medical ministries that engage SIM medical personnel. as part of SIM’s model, I am seeking prayer partners and financial support for this role.
Our Story
For many years of ministry I was the pastor of family ministries at Ada Bible Church. I then became the pastor for family care leading mentoring for pre-marriage and marriage, grief and finances. I served also as the interim pastor of missions for a season alongside care. Strategy, evangelism and spiritual growth processes (like mentoring), all with a global perspective, are my passions.
I then moved to one of our mission partners, CURE International, where I was able to direct my passion and skills to the needs of Christian mission hospitals as they bring the hope of the Gospel and healing. Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic brought an end to my role at CURE. In asking the Lord about what was next, members of the SIM International Health Ministries Team, one a former CURE doctor, called and asked if I would consider interacting with their team.
By volunteering through the rest of 2020, I learned what the team was doing and found it combined my passions, interests and expertise. Soon, I was asked if I would consider serving with them in the area of Learning and Leading. Ruby and I prayed for clarity and the Lord has been clear in giving us direction.
Our life has been a testimony to God’s goodness and crazy gracious provision and this new adventure of trust will be a confirmation of that again. We will continue to attend and serve at Ada Bible Church. Ruby and I can’t wait for this next season of serving our Lord!
What will Ruby be doing? Ruby will continue to teach at Caledonia Community Schools and will volunteer on field visits as she is able. We will be sure to do this together!
Who is SIM and the International Health Ministries Team?
SIM International is a truly international organization with fifteen regional sending agencies of 4000+ individuals together with churches around the world committed to making disciples of Jesus where he is least known. SIM directly operates four hospitals and has personnel at 22+ hospitals around the world.
Click this link to our medical ministry partners: https://www.sim.org/w/health-ministry
SIM International Health Ministries Team
The Health Ministry Team supports SIM health ministries as they seek to make disciples of Jesus. The team shapes, supports and strengthens health ministries by providing assessment, training, guidance and intervention. The team also assists SIM’s Covid and Ebola responses.
Collectively these health ministries impact:
2 million consultations a year (7650 consults every business day)
80,000 surgeries
7000 national staff
250 cross-cultural mission health personnel with almost 100 new personnel each year
The Health Ministries Team acts to extend excellence in medicine, management and ministry. The team works to optimize donor dollars by ensuring both primacy of the Gospel mission and excellence in patient-centered care in difficult places.
My Role as International Health Ministries Team for Learning and Leading:
assess and advise mission healthcare leaders in evangelism strategy, ministry processes and resources
design and coordinate training initiatives in hospital administration, governance and finances identified by the team for in-country leadership
provide care, encouragement and biblical guidance for SIM health personnel
Key Projects:
Listening Tour resource and encouragement for hospital teams 2021
Pilot Project hospital/church partner-evangelism process assessment 2021-22
Hospital Management cohorts in West Africa 2022
Begin development of e-learning platform/content for medical ministries 2021
Will You Partner With Us?
We are asking for partners to join us to pray and support the work financially. We will need to raise funds for our time and projects we identify. (Monthly if possible)
I hope to build a network of healthcare expertise here that can impact hospitals in the developing world. Further, I hope to connect those who experience a mission calling to serve in hospitals overseas.
Click this link to our support page with options for giving: https://www.simusa.org/give/?fund-code=M052555%20Support
We will be raising finances to cover time, travel overseas and expenses here in the US. I hope to raise funds being fully funded by the Fall. We will be raising project money separately.
Please email at brian.vanderark@sim.org, or call 616-893-0050 I would love to share more details.
Please pray for Ruby and I as we start this new journey.
Blessings!
