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Message Connecting You to Christ’s Kingdom Work Among the Nations| SPRING 2025 |team.orgRESTORATION AND RELATIONSHIP THROUGH CREATION CAREEducation in creation care oers a range of benefits to the Brazilian community that extend beyond environmental impact.
Global workers often face intense spiritual, emotional, and physical burdens during the course of cross-cultural ministry. Over time, these pressures can take a lasting toll. Dr. Je Larson, a family practice physician and TEAM worker, felt God’s calling on his heart to shift his focus from his own frontline ministry to address the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs of other workers, especially national believers seeking to reach their own culture and community. While serving in the Indo-Malay region of the south Pacic, Je and his family saw rsthand the diculties faced by indigenous workers. ese challenges include cultural adjustment, relational strain, physical hardships, and spiritual warfare. ese stresses often lead to health issues and conicts within families. In response, Je and a group of colleagues developed the Member Care Collaborative Network (MCCN), a platform connecting professional care providers with global workers. rough online telehealth “visits,” doctors, counselors, and other professionals provide consultation and support, allowing workers to focus on their mission. e Member Care Collaborative Network has grown to serve over 700 global workers from 16 missions organizations. As it expands, Je hopes this model of care will be replicated worldwide, oering “world-class care” for those spreading the Gospel. Technology helps further this mission by enabling workers to connect with providers anywhere. Je calls the global Church to invest in the wellbeing of workers, emphasizing that supporting them is integral to fullling the Great Commission. From the rolling hills of South Africa to the rolling hills of southern Germany, TEAM’s presence and purpose in sending disciples who make disciples is accomplished in a variety of creative ways. And through each, the Church is served and strengthened. Scripture exhorts that creation is God’s masterful work that we are to steward purposefully. e Psalmist reminds us that everything in it is His. He founded the seas and established them on the mighty waves. It is not merely an Old Testament mandate, but truth that Paul expands upon in his letter to the Romans: for since the creation of the world God’s invisible attributes have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made… (Rom 1:20) God is the master creator and through His creation we see Him. Whether creation as in the physical environment we enjoy, or creation as in humankind, the Church is called to participate in both. In this issue of Connect, you’ll read about two global workers: one whose restorative environmental work leads to restorative Gospel change in the communities he serves, and another whose network of telehealth providers care for indigenous missions workers. eir unique callings demonstrate creative care and remind us that God places within us gifts and abilities that can also be used to care for what matters to Him. May you be encouraged today as you read their stories. God is Able, April Moreton Executive Director of Advancement2 3CONNECT CONNECTWORLD-CLASS CARE FOR THOSE WHO REACH THE WORLDREACH THE UNREACHEDDEAR PARTNER IN MINISTRY,© TEAM 2025 EDITOR: Suzanne PearsonGRAPHIC DESIGNER: Amber BellEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT: April MoretonWe enjoy your feedback! Please email us at communications@team.org. eEvangelicalAllianceMission @teammissions team.org/bloge names of people you’ve helped may be changed to protect their privacy. TEAM CONNECT
Global workers often face intense spiritual, emotional, and physical burdens during the course of cross-cultural ministry. Over time, these pressures can take a lasting toll. Dr. Je Larson, a family practice physician and TEAM worker, felt God’s calling on his heart to shift his focus from his own frontline ministry to address the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs of other workers, especially national believers seeking to reach their own culture and community. While serving in the Indo-Malay region of the south Pacic, Je and his family saw rsthand the diculties faced by indigenous workers. ese challenges include cultural adjustment, relational strain, physical hardships, and spiritual warfare. ese stresses often lead to health issues and conicts within families. In response, Je and a group of colleagues developed the Member Care Collaborative Network (MCCN), a platform connecting professional care providers with global workers. rough online telehealth “visits,” doctors, counselors, and other professionals provide consultation and support, allowing workers to focus on their mission. e Member Care Collaborative Network has grown to serve over 700 global workers from 16 missions organizations. As it expands, Je hopes this model of care will be replicated worldwide, oering “world-class care” for those spreading the Gospel. Technology helps further this mission by enabling workers to connect with providers anywhere. Je calls the global Church to invest in the wellbeing of workers, emphasizing that supporting them is integral to fullling the Great Commission. From the rolling hills of South Africa to the rolling hills of southern Germany, TEAM’s presence and purpose in sending disciples who make disciples is accomplished in a variety of creative ways. And through each, the Church is served and strengthened. Scripture exhorts that creation is God’s masterful work that we are to steward purposefully. e Psalmist reminds us that everything in it is His. He founded the seas and established them on the mighty waves. It is not merely an Old Testament mandate, but truth that Paul expands upon in his letter to the Romans: for since the creation of the world God’s invisible attributes have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made… (Rom 1:20) God is the master creator and through His creation we see Him. Whether creation as in the physical environment we enjoy, or creation as in humankind, the Church is called to participate in both. In this issue of Connect, you’ll read about two global workers: one whose restorative environmental work leads to restorative Gospel change in the communities he serves, and another whose network of telehealth providers care for indigenous missions workers. eir unique callings demonstrate creative care and remind us that God places within us gifts and abilities that can also be used to care for what matters to Him. May you be encouraged today as you read their stories. God is Able, April Moreton Executive Director of Advancement2 3CONNECT CONNECTWORLD-CLASS CARE FOR THOSE WHO REACH THE WORLDREACH THE UNREACHEDDEAR PARTNER IN MINISTRY,© TEAM 2025 EDITOR: Suzanne PearsonGRAPHIC DESIGNER: Amber BellEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT: April MoretonWe enjoy your feedback! Please email us at communications@team.org. eEvangelicalAllianceMission @teammissions team.org/bloge names of people you’ve helped may be changed to protect their privacy. TEAM CONNECT
continued on the next page...in reaching their communities. “e message is always the same,” says Ben. “e Gospel doesn’t change, but how we get there can be dierent sometimes, and that’s OK.” By connecting with people around issues that matter to them and improve their quality of life, workers earn their trust and gain opportunities to share the truth that God desires restoration not only of Creation but also of a right relationship with Him.The Role of the Church One of the signicant challenges Ben encounters is helping the Church to understand its role in Creation Care. He refers to what he calls “the empty space,” meaning that there is a disconnect between the Church’s ministry to reach the unreached with the Gospel and the environmental issues that plague the very communities the Church is trying to reach. Ben’s heart is to help the Church move into that “empty space” and to recognize both the responsibility and the opportunity that exists there for Gospel reach. is starts with looking into what the Bible has to say. “We see all the way from Genesis through the Prophets...how we were called to steward Creation for the Kingdom,” Ben explains. “In Colossians [1:20], we are told that Jesus has brought reconciliation to all things, which includes Creation. Romans 8:19-23 talks about the groaning of Creation and how ‘the sons of God’ are to be the ones who bring the reconciliation, through Christ! at’s us, the Church! It’s not a political thing. is is something we’ve been called to do. Creation is waiting for the Church to do its job.” Ben goes on to say that restorative work in Creation and the restorative work of Jesus on the Cross go hand-in-hand as the Church stewards well all that has been entrusted to us. The Need: Communities and Environments that Flourish Most believers recognize the beauty of Creation and the truth that God has designed the natural world for us to enjoy. But many forget that the rst commandment we see in Scripture, given to Adam and Eve in the garden, was not just to enjoy Creation but to see it ourish. (Genesis 1:28) “He gave us a command, not just to enjoy [Creation], but to work. And after sin, we’ve got to work even harder,” Ben says. “If we don’t work at restoring and redeeming Creation, then we’re not going to have much Creation left to enjoy. Let’s also not forget that before mankind was even created, God commanded Creation itself to be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:22) that is the importance of relationships that advance the Gospel. Context for Relationships e mission of TEAM is making disciples and establishing the Church, and Creation Care ministries are no exception to this. “In everything we do [as global workers] - whatever church planting looks like in our context around the world, it is always in relationship with people,” says Ben. For Creation Care workers, whether they are helping people to clean up their community, providing new jobs, or working together on other environmental projects, “it is the time spent with people that really matters,” Ben says. “Having a relationship with them to share the Gospel in that context – that’s how we connect. We can’t tell them about Jesus if we don’t have a relationship with them.” As the world changes and becomes less hospitable to traditional missions, TEAM is blessed to have creative avenues like Creation Care to partner with local, indigenous churches For Ben, a TEAM global worker based in Brazil, caring for God’s Creation is at the heart of God’s Great Commandment. “Jesus told us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves,” Ben says, recalling the words of Jesus in Matthew 22: 37-39. In caring for God’s Creation, we show our love for Him, but also for our neighbor. “When we have a relationship with our neighbor and see the needs they have in their environment, we can show them the love of God by caring for that environment.” Quite simply stated, Creation Care ministry means caring for God’s Creation for our good and for His glory. Ben has been involved in Creation Care initiatives around the world, including recycling of plastics, training in sustainable farming techniques, and clean water initiatives. ese projects not only result in environmental and health benets for local communities but also create jobs and encourage microenterprises. While Creation Care initiatives vary from one location to another, one theme is constant, and RESTORATION AND RELATIONSHIP THROUGH CREATION CARE“...restorative work in Creation and the restorative work of Jesus on the Cross go hand-in-hand...”4 5CONNECT CONNECTENCOUNTER CREATION
continued on the next page...in reaching their communities. “e message is always the same,” says Ben. “e Gospel doesn’t change, but how we get there can be dierent sometimes, and that’s OK.” By connecting with people around issues that matter to them and improve their quality of life, workers earn their trust and gain opportunities to share the truth that God desires restoration not only of Creation but also of a right relationship with Him.The Role of the Church One of the signicant challenges Ben encounters is helping the Church to understand its role in Creation Care. He refers to what he calls “the empty space,” meaning that there is a disconnect between the Church’s ministry to reach the unreached with the Gospel and the environmental issues that plague the very communities the Church is trying to reach. Ben’s heart is to help the Church move into that “empty space” and to recognize both the responsibility and the opportunity that exists there for Gospel reach. is starts with looking into what the Bible has to say. “We see all the way from Genesis through the Prophets...how we were called to steward Creation for the Kingdom,” Ben explains. “In Colossians [1:20], we are told that Jesus has brought reconciliation to all things, which includes Creation. Romans 8:19-23 talks about the groaning of Creation and how ‘the sons of God’ are to be the ones who bring the reconciliation, through Christ! at’s us, the Church! It’s not a political thing. is is something we’ve been called to do. Creation is waiting for the Church to do its job.” Ben goes on to say that restorative work in Creation and the restorative work of Jesus on the Cross go hand-in-hand as the Church stewards well all that has been entrusted to us. The Need: Communities and Environments that Flourish Most believers recognize the beauty of Creation and the truth that God has designed the natural world for us to enjoy. But many forget that the rst commandment we see in Scripture, given to Adam and Eve in the garden, was not just to enjoy Creation but to see it ourish. (Genesis 1:28) “He gave us a command, not just to enjoy [Creation], but to work. And after sin, we’ve got to work even harder,” Ben says. “If we don’t work at restoring and redeeming Creation, then we’re not going to have much Creation left to enjoy. Let’s also not forget that before mankind was even created, God commanded Creation itself to be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:22) that is the importance of relationships that advance the Gospel. Context for Relationships e mission of TEAM is making disciples and establishing the Church, and Creation Care ministries are no exception to this. “In everything we do [as global workers] - whatever church planting looks like in our context around the world, it is always in relationship with people,” says Ben. For Creation Care workers, whether they are helping people to clean up their community, providing new jobs, or working together on other environmental projects, “it is the time spent with people that really matters,” Ben says. “Having a relationship with them to share the Gospel in that context – that’s how we connect. We can’t tell them about Jesus if we don’t have a relationship with them.” As the world changes and becomes less hospitable to traditional missions, TEAM is blessed to have creative avenues like Creation Care to partner with local, indigenous churches For Ben, a TEAM global worker based in Brazil, caring for God’s Creation is at the heart of God’s Great Commandment. “Jesus told us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves,” Ben says, recalling the words of Jesus in Matthew 22: 37-39. In caring for God’s Creation, we show our love for Him, but also for our neighbor. “When we have a relationship with our neighbor and see the needs they have in their environment, we can show them the love of God by caring for that environment.” Quite simply stated, Creation Care ministry means caring for God’s Creation for our good and for His glory. Ben has been involved in Creation Care initiatives around the world, including recycling of plastics, training in sustainable farming techniques, and clean water initiatives. ese projects not only result in environmental and health benets for local communities but also create jobs and encourage microenterprises. While Creation Care initiatives vary from one location to another, one theme is constant, and RESTORATION AND RELATIONSHIP THROUGH CREATION CARE“...restorative work in Creation and the restorative work of Jesus on the Cross go hand-in-hand...”4 5CONNECT CONNECTENCOUNTER CREATION
6 CONNECT CONNECT 7CREATED IN HIS IMAGE, SURROUNDED BY HIS BEAUTY (continued from page 5)Ben explains that the need for environmental, community-based initiatives around the world is great. He mentions places like Chad, in central Africa, where there is a large diaspora population and a great deal of suering. Communities like this need agricultural specialists to help them implement sustainable farming and other community improvements. As the Lord calls people and churches to this type of missionary work, lives improve, relationships are built, and the Gospel can take root. Catching the Vision When asked what brings Ben joy in his work, he smiles. “My greatest joy is when I see other believers catching the vision. When I see people connecting the dots that Scripture tells us to use our hands and our gifts and our skills to do something about [the environmental issues we see], for the sake of the Kingdom, the message goes forth,” he says. “at’s what gets me excited.” Scan the QR Code to find out more and search opportunities at team.org/trek.In the beginning, God’s creativity owed outward, forming both landscapes and hearts with divine intention. As image-bearers, we reect His glory uniquely among all creation. Yet in both humanity and nature, we witness God’s handiwork—His invisible attributes made visible through what He has made. When we care for creation and those created in His image, we honor the Master Creator. Whether restoring environments in Brazil or providing telehealth care to global workers, we participate in God’s redemptive work. ese ministries demonstrate His love owing through us toward others and the world He entrusted to our care. Just as God placed eternity in our hearts, He planted within us a desire for Himself that transcends all other longings. is desire calls us back to Him, inviting us to rest in His presence and delight in His love. To explore this relationship more deeply, we invite you to download “Desire: A Self-Guided Day on Retreat,” written by Mike Bowden, TEAM’s Spiritual Care Facilitator. is devotional will help you quiet your soul and reconnect with your deepest desire—the One who created you. Scan the QR code or visit www.team.org/self-guided-retreat to download this resource. To follow more of what’s happening around TEAM, scan the QR code or visit team.org/blog.Create a new or updated Last Will and Testament, Health Care Power of Attorney, and Financial Power of Attorney free through TEAM’s partnership with: We’re pleased to offer you this complimentary resource in gratitude for your investment in the work that God is doing through TEAM! Complete your will today at https://team.org/wills. Questions? Contact us at legacy@team.org.• Protect your family • Easy online process • State-specific forms • Support TEAM after your lifetime (optional)Where there’s a will, there’s a way to leave your legacy!LED BY THE SPIRITClick HereClick HereClick HereClick Here
6 CONNECT CONNECT 7CREATED IN HIS IMAGE, SURROUNDED BY HIS BEAUTY (continued from page 5)Ben explains that the need for environmental, community-based initiatives around the world is great. He mentions places like Chad, in central Africa, where there is a large diaspora population and a great deal of suering. Communities like this need agricultural specialists to help them implement sustainable farming and other community improvements. As the Lord calls people and churches to this type of missionary work, lives improve, relationships are built, and the Gospel can take root. Catching the Vision When asked what brings Ben joy in his work, he smiles. “My greatest joy is when I see other believers catching the vision. When I see people connecting the dots that Scripture tells us to use our hands and our gifts and our skills to do something about [the environmental issues we see], for the sake of the Kingdom, the message goes forth,” he says. “at’s what gets me excited.” Scan the QR Code to find out more and search opportunities at team.org/trek.In the beginning, God’s creativity owed outward, forming both landscapes and hearts with divine intention. As image-bearers, we reect His glory uniquely among all creation. Yet in both humanity and nature, we witness God’s handiwork—His invisible attributes made visible through what He has made. When we care for creation and those created in His image, we honor the Master Creator. Whether restoring environments in Brazil or providing telehealth care to global workers, we participate in God’s redemptive work. ese ministries demonstrate His love owing through us toward others and the world He entrusted to our care. Just as God placed eternity in our hearts, He planted within us a desire for Himself that transcends all other longings. is desire calls us back to Him, inviting us to rest in His presence and delight in His love. To explore this relationship more deeply, we invite you to download “Desire: A Self-Guided Day on Retreat,” written by Mike Bowden, TEAM’s Spiritual Care Facilitator. is devotional will help you quiet your soul and reconnect with your deepest desire—the One who created you. Scan the QR code or visit www.team.org/self-guided-retreat to download this resource. To follow more of what’s happening around TEAM, scan the QR code or visit team.org/blog.Create a new or updated Last Will and Testament, Health Care Power of Attorney, and Financial Power of Attorney free through TEAM’s partnership with: We’re pleased to offer you this complimentary resource in gratitude for your investment in the work that God is doing through TEAM! Complete your will today at https://team.org/wills. Questions? Contact us at legacy@team.org.• Protect your family • Easy online process • State-specific forms • Support TEAM after your lifetime (optional)Where there’s a will, there’s a way to leave your legacy!LED BY THE SPIRITClick HereClick HereClick HereClick Here
PO Box 969 | Wheaton, IL 60187-0969team.orgFrom sustainable farming among communities in Brazil to healthcare for global workers in the Indo-Malay region, TEAM’s ministries nurture both God’s earthly creation and those created in His image. Your gift to the GO Fund fuels these vital ministries worldwide. Partner with us today to care for what matters to Him.TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH CARING MINISTRIESVisit give.team.org/outreach to make a difference today!Click Here