Content Resources

Healthy individuals and families require healthy communities. Historically, many attempts to create such communities have used a "needs-based approach" which focuses on the deficits and short-comings in those communities, the assumption being that outside resources would be the catalyst for change. In contrast, an "asset-based approach" identifies, connects and mobilizes the resources within a community, believing that such resources are the key to sustainable change. This workshop introduces the key ideas of asset-based community development and suggests helpful tools to pursue this process.

ART (Atraumatic Restorative Treatment) is an minimally invasive method of treating caries in selected teeth which is being used in developed and developing countries throughout the world. It consists of restoring teeth with glass ionomer restorative material, hand instruments and materials available in limited resource areas.The purpose of this lecture is to explain the ART approach including advantages and limitations by describing the ART procedure and providing evidence based references.

A discussion of the highs and lows of long term hospital based missions. Mission hospitals afford opportunities for deeply meaningful service but not without significant challenges and often at considerable cost.

Nursing practice varies from country to country based on the healthcare needs of that country and the educational systems in place for educating nurses. This panel is made up of nurses who have been educated outside of the US and now practice here as well as US nurses who have become familiar with the nursing practice in their mission host countries. Come learn how nursing is both the same and different in other countries.

Whether your client with the shoulder issue wants to return to playing sports or just wants to be able to return to pain free activities around the home the therapist's challenge is the same...evaluate and treat a complex and amazing joint. During this session there will be a review of anatomy and evaluation techniques of the shoulder. We will discuss treatment options from a "generalist" physical therapist's point of view emphasizing a hands on approach with minimal use of equipment. We seek to give you tools to use to better treat your clients at your clinic on Main Street, USA or across the ocean in a remote location.

Oral lesions can present clues of a systemic conditions—the appearance, the character 
of the lesions, the size, the duration, and the location of the lesions can give some insight as to a possible systemic implications. On the mission field, without all the desired tests and studies, it is very helpful to have an idea what lesions may be part of a systemic condition and what lesions are most likely to respond to local measures. Bring your "thinking cap" and lets have some fun. There will be time for questions and answers.

This session will give an overview of the current picture of trafficking in persons within the United States including international and domestic trafficking with an emphasis on child sex trafficking, the major form of trafficking in persons within the U.S. In addition, the session will address specific indicators of human trafficking for the healthcare professional and how to help identify victims of human trafficking that may present in the healthcare setting.

Among the poor and the vulnerable, children are the most vulnerable and needy. Several responses have been implemented to serve orphans and vulnerable children, including adoptions, orphanages, child sponsorship, and various children-focused programs. This session will review some of these, share some lessons learned, and highlight some best practices and principles from several African countries and the Caribbean. Examples of dignifying and non-dignifying interventions attempting to address this growing need will be shared.

Poverty is commonly associated with lack. Long term missions in Haiti has received significant contributions to address that lack during the last several decades - personnel, materials and more. What is the current status in this hurting country? Is this help continuing and in what ways? What is being done and can it be done differently? There are some initiatives in the country that are rising as examples of success. What are the key guiding principles in these new initiatives and how are they modeling and instilling fresh hope in this devastated country?

This workshop will explore concepts, principles and recommendations for the involvement of people of faith and the local church in HIV and AIDS ministry. At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to: • Identify characteristics, roles and functions of faith communities which are suited for HIV and AIDS ministry and programs.• Explore personal and congregational barriers that hinder faith-based involvement in HIV and AIDS efforts. • Develop a specific individual and corporate plan of action for addressing HIV and AIDS within their communities and congregations.

The panel will address the challenges and rewards of serving internationally as a single person. It will provide food for thought and prayer for those who are considering and preparing for cross-cultural service.

Missions is about who we are and what we're called to be. We often think of missions as primarily something we, or others, "do." Of course we engage in missions but when we look at the Bible we find that missions is at the heart of God's story of making all things new in Christ. We are called to take part in this story--not only tell it and study it but live it. When we see that missions in the Bible is not simply a handfull of texts but is at the very heart of God's unfolding plan then we can find our place in God's redemptive story. In this session we'll take a fresh look at what missions is all about in the Bible, and how God has gone about fulfiliing his promise to the nations in Christ and what that means for us today. Hopefully each of us will go away with a renewed vision for the missional life God has given us.