Tag: bukal life care

Theory and Personal Stuff

On By missionmusingsIn Chaplaincy/CPE, Missions as Vocation1 Comment

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I save this webpage mostly for theoretical topics regarding ministry, missions, and theology. There is a saying that “One cannot philosophize on an empty stomach.” We have been blessed for 11 years of good support so that we could minister and study here in the Philippines. That is a privilege…

…but it can also be a trap. Sometimes, as an introvert, I can get caught up in theory, concepts, models… and not deal with people. My wife, Celia, is a Pastoral Counselor and Clinical Chaplain. Her work with people has helped force me to seek to work more relationally, and less theoretically. That’s good because we will be going through some transitions soon. Our finances are in decline… due to financial problems in the US, as well as some new models of mission work being popularized there and in Europe. While these new models have some fairly clear and obvious problems (or more accurately, limitations)… their popularity will be affecting many missionaries for the next 5 to 10 years, at least.So I may have to find ministry work that can actually support the family soon.

The main point is that theory-driven conversation is cognitive, without being affective… or making it personal— theory-driven conversation is an exercise of individual minds, not the drawing together of various hearts.

Theory, Models, Theology, Concepts are okay… and I believe that is still what I am going to use this particular blogsite for. It is an exercise that helps me learn and clarify. But I have to recognize the inadequacy as well. In line with that you are certainly welcome to look at a couple of other blogsites I do. Both are ministerial… but both are also closer to the heart (even if they still have my low-emotion style of writing). Blessings

Blogsite for BUKAL LIFE CARE

Blogsite for BOB AND CELIA MUNSON AND FAMILY

Symphonic Instruments of Your Peace, Part II

On By missionmusingsIn Mission Theology, Missions as VocationLeave a comment

Our team over here is called “Bukal Life Care.” We do pastoral care, train chaplains and ministers (particularly in pastoral care, but other topics as well), do missionary member care, crisis care, and some missional outreach. Our goal has always been to work together (as a group) and with others in a positive way. Our name seeks to emphasize that. Our name “Bukal” is both a Tagalog term and a Tagalog acronym.Bukal Logo Small New

Balikatan      Working should-to-shoulder

Ugnayan       Networking

Kaagapay     Coming alongside

At                    And

Lingap           (providing) Care

The term itself, “Bukal” means “spring” as in an outflowing of water from the ground. The idea is that of being a source of help to those who need it.

How do to we work together?

1.  We have organizational unity. Those who are part of our group work together as one organization.

2.  Spiritual unity. Our group is made of volunteers. We decide what to do democratically and voluntarily.

3.  Networking. We have not always been so good at this, but we are trying to do a better job communicating with other groups to know what they are doing, letting them know what we are doing, and finding ways to learn from each other.

4.  Partnership. We have formal partnerships with the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) for our CPE program. We also have a formal partnership with Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary for areas of training and resource utilization. Less formally, we have agreements with local hospitals and jails for ministry work.

5.  Collaboration. During this latest disaster (Typhoon Yolanda) we have sought to come along side other groups with our own expertise to help them in their work, and allowing them to help us in the common goal. We have worked with PASAR foundation, Vis-Con, PNA, PGCA,, and more. The idea is to have the same ultimate goal and find ways to bring it all together, coordinating specialties for the common good.

An advantage in collaboration is that we don’t have to be experts in everything. Rather, we can find areas that we can bring our own specialties together.

Obviously, we want symphony in ministry not cacophony. It is worth not doing it all alone. Rather, we need to discover our commonality of goals as a minister of Christ. Then we need to find out how and in what ways we can come together to achieve that.

Our E-Journal

On By missionmusingsIn Chaplaincy/CPE, Social/Medical MinistryLeave a comment

I decided to link to our ministry’s e-journal (2013 journal). I feel pretty good about it… and it includes some of the work we have done with disaster relief in response to Typhoon Yolanda. I was the editor of it… but perhaps I shouldn’t admit it. There are probably a lot of errors. I really should not be an editor since I hate reading something more than once. Still, for a little pastoral care group in the Philippines, I think it turned out pretty good.

Disaster Response Volunteer Guide

On By missionmusingsIn Chaplaincy/CPE, Social/Medical Ministry1 Comment

Getting lots of hits on my blog about some alleged prophecies here in the Philippines. I suppose I can understand the idle curiosity. Still, I hope that idle curiosity about what is going on in the Philippines can be rechannelled toward righteous action for what is going on in the Philippines and the world. Our group (Bukal Life Care & Counseling Center) has being doing training and stress defusing (along with relief goods and such) in struggling parts of the Philippines. Getting ready for another trip next week (to Bohol). Here is a volunteer guide that hopefully would be of value to people (not just in the Philippines) concerned with helping those who suffer from traumatic events.

<div style=”margin-bottom:5px”> <strong> <a href=”https://www.slideshare.net/bmunson3/disaster-response-volunteer-guide&#8221; title=”Disaster Response Volunteer Guide” target=”_blank”>Disaster Response Volunteer Guide</a> </strong> from <strong><a href=”http://www.slideshare.net/bmunson3&#8243; target=”_blank”>Bob Munson</a></strong> </div>

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