Project Stephanas

Professional consultation, educational counseling and services
designed to meet the unique, multi-faceted, cross-cultural
challenges of missionary families and mission organizations.

- An Outreach Ministry of the Christian Counseling Center -

Our History:
As a missionary, the apostle Paul affirmed the benefits of receiving support and care. He received a visit from Stephanas, one of the first fruits of Achaia, and said, "I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatas, and Achaicus, for they refreshed my spirit"
(1 Corinthians 16:17, 18).

The Christian Counseling Center has long served as a source of counseling, consultation and educational services for missionary families and mission organizations in West Michigan. While these services have helped many missionaries, it has been our experience that personal/marital/family issues which could have been handled more effectively on the field through preventative services, instead progressed to the level of a crisis. Often, the crisis resulted in a premature return to the sending country and potentially the total loss of the missionary family from the field. In 1994, the Missions Commission of the World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF) researched missionary attrition. It found that 5.1% , or 1 missionary in 20, is being lost from missionary service. Of those missionaries leaving the field, 25% left for personal reasons and 13% for marriage/family issues. The Christian Counseling Center is committed to serving the local and international ministry goals of the church. This commitment is being extended to the missionary community through Project Stephanas by providing on-site counseling, consultation and educational services to missionary families and organizations.

An extensive survey of missionary organizations in 1997 confirmed our perception and observation of the need for our services at the ministry site of missionary families. With the strong support of the Board of Directors of the Christian Counseling Center, the Project Stephanas Advisory Committee and generous underwriting support from the James and Judith De Vries Charitable Foundation, the initial training and search for possible service sites began in early 1998. Training has occurred through seminars, field experiences and mentoring and has progressed to developing sites in Berlin, Germany and Chiang Mai, Thailand. As additional staff become trained and the raising of additional financial support is accomplished, further development of additional sites for ministry with missionary families will be implemented.

Our professional staff has the training, expertise and loving desire to help the missionary family and/or missions organizations enhance their ministry effectiveness and objectives through services that facilitate healthy living, caring relationships and resilient families.

Our Services:
Counseling:
Professional counseling to missionary children, singles, couples, and families addressing a variety of personal, relational and family issues unique to those serving in a cross-cultural environment. Psychological and psychiatric assessment is also available to the missionary.

Consultation:
Consultation services related to missionary selection and placement, stress and conflict management, strategic planning and team building services are offered. These services are available at the individual level or the larger organizational level.

Education:
Seminars and staff development are offered to address a wide variety of marriage, family, parenting and relational concerns that are common in the missionary environment on the field. Possible topics relevant to missionaries include, crisis intervention and debriefing, resiliency of the missionary family, teambuilding, conflict negotiation and resolution, and cross-cultural adjustment.  

Our Sites of Services:
Project Stephanas services are provided for missionaries in Berlin, Germany and through the Cornerstone Counseling Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  Additional consulting services are provided in other areas of the world, as requested.