3/14/2018 0 Comments Winter 2018Dear NEOCMDA members and friends, Greetings in Christ! Wow, its a new year already- hope that everyone is staying warm. Forgive me for not giving you an update sooner- I've been trying to get things organized for some of the upcoming events. First off, I wanted to share my Facebook post from this morning which tells the story about how God touched my daughter in the womb and seems to have healed her of a congenital hemivertebrae. It is a pretty remarkable story, I think and hopefully will encourage some of you. -=-= Miracles. It is not a word that we toss around too much in context of the modern world that we live in amidst the science and technology which has afforded us all these advancements in our quality of life. And yet, we've all heard stories about things that happen that fly in the face of what our expectations and reality would seem to be. It'd be reasonable to be skeptical, I get it, but I just want to testify to something that I would label a miracle, that affected Sophia and my life recently. It all started about 5 weeks ago- it was our 18 week ultrasound where we would be able to see Baby Girl Chen's anatomy, etc in a bit more clarity than we had before. After I left to go to work, the ultrasound tech left the room and got one of the maternal fetal medicine doctors to show Sophia an abnormality that they had seen on the ultrasound. Placing the wand in the gel laid upon her belly, they found the baby's back and showed her that they had seen what is known as a congenital hemivertebrae. They immediately converted the visit into a fetal treatment center visit with a genetic counselor and talked to her about the various possibilities that could result from this diagnosis. Most likely it was an incidental finding with little functional effect to the baby, however this finding can be associated with heart and kidney defects or scoliosis which were not seen on the ultrasound that day. The doctor recommended that we get a fetal MRI, a fetal echo, and a follow up ultrasound in 4 weeks. Since I hadn't heard about hemivertebrae before, I went online to take a look and read a case report on Pubmed of a family who upon learning about their daughter with hemivertebrae decided to abort the child, with the resulting autopsy providing some of the clinic details of the possible diagnosis. (though to be noted, this baby was otherwise completely normal and probably would have lived a normal life, other than perhaps some scoliosis). Sophia and I took this news as best as we could. There wasn't really much that we could do about it. A fetal MRI was inconclusive because that kid was moving too much. All the while we were praying that God would either heal the baby of her hemivertebrae or that He would allow her to live a normal life. God tells us in His word that that we can ask for healing- I do it fairly regularly, not because He always heals the people I ask Him to (or else Nabeel Qureshi would still be with us today, and not yet with Jesus), but because sometimes, I believe that God does- whether through things like science or medicine, or rarely by His mighty hand in ways that I can't understand. In any case, though we didn't share this request on Facebook, we did share it with our community group and some close friends/family and they had been faithfully lifting our daughter in prayer. God has given us peace about things, through these past couple weeks. Fast forward to last Tuesday, when Sophia went for her 23 week ultrasound and echocardiogram. I'll cut to the chase, the echocardiogram was normal and THEY COULD NOT FIND THE HEMIVERTEBRAE, though they looked and looked for it. So here's the thing, I'm no neonatologist, but bone doesn't just spontaneously appear out of nowhere. Its not like it would just "catch up" in 5 weeks. There was half a vertebrae in repeated viewings, repeated angles to different people- and now, at least from what we can tell, there is a whole vertebrae. Something remarkable happened at some point during the past 5 weeks. Call it what you like- a previous false positive result seen on the initial ultrasound perhaps (though it would seem highly unlikely to see an abnormality repeatedly, at different times and angles)? We call it a miracle by a kind and faithful God. God would have been sovereign had He ordained to give our baby a hemivertebrae. He would have been sovereign had He given our daughter a defective heart and took her to Himself before we even got to meet her in person. He'll be sovereign no matter what happens during the pregnancy. But for now, we celebrate what He has done and testify to the world that we serve a mighty God. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. -Psalm 34:8 -=-=- Isn't our God amazing? How wonderful it is to be able to be a witness to His mighty hand at work at a personal level. This is the God that we serve and this is the God that we declare to the nations- He alone is the God who saves! So what does that mean for us? Especially in light of a world who thinks that we are either ignorant or close-minded for believing what we do? A lot of things actually- I want to list a few possibilities that we can consider. Worship and Fellowship: I am tossing around the idea of having some times where we can gather together as a community to have a light meal, spend some time in worship and then breaking up into smaller groups for fellowship and prayer. Though we are all at different places in our lives, because of the shed blood of Christ, we can have community together, even with people who look different from ourselves, have different jobs than we do and whose situations they are facing are different from our own. Turning our eyes and hearts away from ourselves and towards the God who made us both in His image and "Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female" (Gal 3:28) helps us to know God better and can help us build community together. Stay tuned, we'll set some times and locations soon. Share about Him: God calls us to be "fishers of men". I had a medical student from Case with me recently. She is a third year who also came to the retreat and had some questions for me about how it is that I brought the gospel to bear in my patient visits. Sara started out just watching me caring for my patients but after I encouraged her to consider giving it a try as the Spirit led her to have conversations with patients, she went and did it! And because she took the initiative and engaged a lady who I had kind of given up on as a typical American nominal "Christian", (because our conversations about the gospel hadn't seem to have gained any traction historically) I saw the gears starting to churn for possibly the first time as she began to realize that knowing Christ was better than anything she could try to attain for herself. What wonderful news that she didn't need to earn God's acceptance and love- but rather that Christ had already paid the price for her sins, but that she needed to accept that free gift of grace through faith. I was so encouraged by Sara's willingness to push her comfort level a little bit- evangelism is never easy, it is hard to tell people that they are a sinner who is in need of grace, just like we are. Yet, if we are to be faithful witnesses even to the ends of the earth, sometimes it means being willing to take a small risk for the sake of the Kingdom as well as for people's souls. Speaking of the retreat, it was a wonderful time of fellowship by many medical students and attendings. Dr. Leslie Walker did a wonderful job of walking us through ways that we can prevent burn out as clinicians who follow Jesus. Here are some pictures from the event, for those who were not able to make it: Retreat Photos The student groups that our ministry supports at the campuses of four medical schools in area are doing really well. It is exciting to see them growing in their relationship with Jesus and even taking steps to engage their classmates with the gospel. One area where our ministry has lacked organization and a plan has been in the crucial place of residency ministry. This is particularly sad for me because residents and fellows are probably the people who need the most encouragement as they slog through the painful training process. I'm thrilled to let you know that there is a fledgling Resident Fellowship group that has sprung up with the leadership of Drs. Brian Na and Mindy Strawser. (Both graduating Rainbow residents) I was able to attend their last meeting and it was a great time of sharing, fellowship and community- I hope that this trend can continue. They are planning on holding another event on 2/18- all residents and fellows are welcome to come, and attendings are more than welcome as well. Please write to Brian Na or Mindy Strawser to find out more and to get placed on the mailing list for the group. Lastly, we have the date for Celebration 2018- it is going to be on Saturday, April 14 at Christ Community Chapel in Hudson. We are getting the details locked in now, but I promise you it will be a wonderful event. I hope that you'll save the date so that you can come and be encouraged in what God did during this past year. God is faithful- time and time and time again, I am reminded of that ever present reality. He is the same in the past, present and always will be. Praise His glorious name. Glad to be serving Him with you! in Christ, Mike Chen, MD NEOCMDA chair p.s. we are looking for people to volunteer to be on the NEOCMDA board. Honestly, it isn't complicated or time intensive- it's just a group of people who love Jesus who I can turn to advice and counsel in terms of running this ministry. We are looking for some fresh blood, especially as some of our older faithful friends are transitioning from their clinical responsibilities. Please pray about joining me in this- I can't and shouldn't run this ministry alone, and I would appreciate others joining in on what God is doing. Your participation would help sustain me for the extended journey in leading this ministry that it appears that God is calling me to right now. p.p.s. Though by God's grace, our ministry's finances have been steady through the years, some of those faithful givers who built this ministry are close to retirement and will understandably not be able to contribute financially as much as they have for years. This means that there will be a shortfall unless others who God has blessed with resources and the desire to use them for His Kingdom step up and give in their stead. Our ministry has three part time staff who do an amazing job of helping me get things organized and minister to the various professional schools that we care for. Your investments help to pay for that. Please pray about joining me in supporting this chapter on a regular basis. Thank you! 5/29/2014 Dear NEOCMDA members, Greetings in Christ! I hope that all of you are doing well. As all of us eagerly look forwards to the warm days of summertime, I've been reflecting on a number of things for a while and I wanted to share them with you. First off, thanks to all of those who were able to come out to Celebration 2014 banquet last month. Over 170 guests were able to come and we had a wonderful time celebrating some of things that God had done over the course of the year. There were a number of Muslim students there who repeated heard the gospel of God's grace through Christ. One even came to visit my church in the weeks that followed- I saw him taking pictures of the text of the projected worship music. Pray that God would continue to draw people in these unreached people groups to Himself. During my personal sharing time at the banquet, I talked about God's faithfulness to my wife Sophia and myself as we walked through a struggle with infertility and a severe pneumonia which threatened both my Sophia and our unborn child back in February of this year. In my rush to try be efficient with the time, I didn't mention what happened at the end of the story- God healed Sophia's pneumonia and subsequent asthma exacerbation and she and our baby are doing just fine, currently at 33 weeks and due in July. We praise God for his grace on our family and can't wait to introduce our little Chen into the world. Another piece of great news is that despite persecution of the Case Dental branch of the Christian Dental Association (if you may recall, the student council had denied the CDA the right to form as an official school group), God used a polite letter from J. Scott Ries, MD, Vice President, Campus & Community Ministries at CMDA national, to remind student council that there is freedom of religion in our country and that the students had every right to form a group, even one that read the Bible. I've attached the letter that they sent Scott along with this email. Glory to God and much thanks in this situation go to the National CMDA for the way that they were able to step in and write with the weight of a national organization. Our chapter is grateful for the continued support of Allan Harmer, Scott Ries and other brothers and sisters in Christ who help us manage our finances, etc. Currently, much of the activity in the NEOCMDA is slowing down a bit, with the students taking the summer off, but we look forward to a fruitful fall. Our events will be kicked off by the Welcome BBQ at Mike and Debbie Joyce's house on August 16. Feel free to come and fellowship and possibly meet some of the new residents and students. Students in the past have told us one of the things that they appreciate most about the NEOCMDA is the opportunity to get to know medical professionals at a real down-to-earth level- to see how Christians in the workplace apply the gospel to their daily life. We are always looking for possible mentors or people who are willing to speak at student events. Please contact us if interested. Finally, I don't know if everyone already know about this or not, but in April, three Christian American physicians working in Afghanistan at a Christian hospital run by Cure International were shot and killed by an attacker posing as an Afghanistani guard. Two of their names have not been released, but they were a father and son. Another one, Dr. Jerry Umanos, a pediatrician from Chicago who had been volunteering in the hospital for 9 years, was a man who was a passionate follower of Christ. Before going to Afghanistan, he worked at Lawndale Christian Health Center in inner city Chicago for 25 years. I didn't know the man personally but this statement, released by his friends at Lawndale gives a touching remembrance of what Dr. Umanos believed in and what he was doing when he gave his life in the service of Christ. His wife, in a beautiful picture of God's grace, released a statement that she and her family had forgiven the men who did this to her husband. Jesus told us in his word that the world will hate his followers, just as it hated him. Paul reminds us that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. We don't always see that in our comfortable lives in America- but this is one example that hits close to home. Not all of us are called to go overseas in a hostile foreign country to share Christ's message of grace to those who are perishing. Yet we are all called to be faithful in proclaiming the gospel by our words AND our actions- to those who are perishing apart from God all around us. My challenge to you is this- our brother Jerry died doing something he was incredibly passionate about, sharing the good news of Christ and serving the poor in a place where no one could repay him. What are you passionate about? Comfort? Stability? Honor? Respect? May God grant that we would have that same passion for the lost that we would not shy away from engaging our friends, family, co-workers and patients for the sake of Christ. This is our calling as Christians- and it is the most fulfilling aim that we could ever have, speaking and rejoicing in God's grace to sinful people like ourselves. I close with this, one of my favorite quotes, from Jim Elliot, a missionary who was killed while seeking to share the gospel with an unreached tribe in Ecuador. "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose". brotherly love in Christ, Mike Chen, MD NEOCMDA chair p.s. please be praying for Jonathan Yang, one of our Case student leaders. He is going on a medical missions trip to the United Arab Emirates to a Christian hospital as he seeks God's will in possibly entering a life of full-time ministry. NEOCMDA will be supporting Jonathan with $750 towards the cost of his trip. It is because of the generosity of members like you that we can support this and other missions work. Thank you. If you would like to join me in supporting this ministry, please check out the NEOCMDA.com website, there you will also pictures of the Banquet and videos of some of the speakers, including Jonathan himself.
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2/12/2014 1 Comment Celebration 2014 is coming!We are excited to invite you to "Celebration 2014" which will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2014 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel • 5300 Rockside Road (I-77 & I-480), Independence, OH. This year’s banquet will be a change of pace for the Northeast Ohio Christian Medical and Dental Association as our purpose will be primarily geared towards celebrating some of the mighty works that our God has done during this previous year. We will be having a delicious dinner followed by times of worship and testimonies from students and members from the NEOCMDA.
Our featured speaker, Babak Iranmanesh, MD, is a former Muslim from Iran, who was saved by Jesus when he came to the United States. We are excited to be able to hear his story and hope you'll consider coming to join us. This might be a wonderful opportunity to invite friends who are Muslims so they can hear the glorious story of the Gospel. Just so you know, this banquet will also be a fundraiser as well- so in addition to purchasing your ticket for your dinner, please pray about giving an additional donation to support the ministry of NEOCMDA. We try our best to be good stewards of the resources that God has entrusted to us and we truly appreciate your support. Prices this year are $40 per dinner for professionals and their families, $15 for residents and $5 for students. Graduating students/residents and up to 2 other family members will be guests of the NEOCMDA. May the great name of Jesus be proclaimed both during this banquet as well as in our lives. Thank you in advance & we look forward to celebrating with you! DEADLINE FOR RSVP's is Monday, April 7- please register as soon as you can so we can plan appropriately. Registration starts at 6 PM and dinner will start promptly at 6:30 PM. Dress code is semi-formal. Click here to be sent to our registration page 10/4/2013 0 Comments A letter from Dr. Scott ChangchienThis is a letter written in response to a question to Dr. Scott Changchien who is an OBGYN who was dismissed from his job at Kaiser Permanente because he was sharing the gospel with patients. I had written him asking him what it was like to have suffered for the sake of the gospel, in this case, in his job.
- Mike Chen Dear Brother Mike, As I "suffer" in Paris and responding to you in regard to my " persecution experience" for the sake of Christ while working at Kaiser Cleveland, it calls to my memory immediately of my conversation with Joshua Yu-- a godly man spent nearly thirty years in labor camp in southern China for the sake of Christ. He literally lived out door for more than ten years for not willing to denounce Christ; eventually got relieved and had a tremendous impact on the modern day Christian revival and harvest in China. While he was in my home in Cleveland I commanded him for his suffering for the sake of Christ, his answer was "my brother it was not a suffering, it was an honor." I then asked him if it is an honor then should we all seek suffering? He said," No, don't. It will come to you." Compare to Joshua my loss of job is nothing, and I don't think I am qualified or comfortable to answer your question as a man that considered been persecuted. This much I can say, we are all called to the same purpose-- to be an ambassador for Christ. As how each of us express that call in different work places and different professions will depend on how the environment and who we are individually so uniquely wired by our master. Physician compares to all other professions, in my opinion has the most frequent opportunities to engage in opening the dialogue for spiritual conversation, we ought to take the advantage in every opportunity we can. As to how to, this is my only constant reminder-- as Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God." Since I left Cleveland our gracious Lord had led me to India, Nigeria, China, Taiwan, and Haiti for medical missions. I am now serving at the board at Logos seminary and also studying Master of Divinity degree at Fuller. Had I stayed in Cleveland these would not have happened. Of course, it is worth it. Thank you for your interest in my tiny personal set back for his kingdom sake. May our Lord bless all you do. Your brother in Christ, Scott 9/26/2013 0 Comments Summer newsletter 2013Dear NEOCMDA friends and members,
Greetings in Christ! In the midst of a world that is rapidly changing and in many ways straying from the moral and biblical foundations of our forefathers, I write to you with a bittersweet sense of discouragement in the direction that America is going, balanced with a heart that sees God's ever-present faithfulness and sovereignty working even now. It is not an easy time to be a Christian- simply pointing out things that God in the Bible calls sin can lead to being labelled as "judgmental" or "bigoted"- even if done in a way that is gentle and loving. People don't want to hear that they need a savior, instead wanting to have their ears tickled with the idea that "everyone is 'OK'" and that there is no absolute truth. Navigating these currents as Christian medical providers takes discernment and courage- but in reality, the challenges we face in America are not that different from the ones that our brothers and sisters in Christ have faced in other countries for decades. What brings me hope is that God's purposes will prevail no matter what this world brings- and we have the unique opportunity to be a part of what God is doing. It has been far too long since we've sent out an update for what God has been doing in the Northeast Ohio medical community and beyond- but I am grateful for the opportunity share, if belatedly. We've been blessed to be able celebrate the end of another school year and to say good bye to some of the medical students who have been engaged with the CMDA over their 4 years at Case, CCLCM and NEOMED. Many of these students have had investments in their lives through members and ministries at the CMDA and God has grown fruit that will continue to be produced as they move on to their residency training. I think of Sam Hwu, (now Same Hwu, MD) who was one of the CMDA leaders early on in his medical school career. Throughout his four years in Cleveland, Sam volunteered as many medical students do, at the Faith Baptist Pregnancy Center (freehope.org) and watched Christian providers care both for the health and the souls of the uninsured people in mid-town Cleveland. On his family medicine preceptorship, Sam shadowed me around my clinic and saw what a difference it makes to be able to engage Christians and non-Christians with the hope of the gospel. Now Sam is starting his residency in Boston and I have no doubt that he will be a compassionate and effect physician who has the spiritual tools to go to "work" in patient's lives. It is such a joy to pass the word of God, the good news of sins redeemed and hope for the world through Christ to the next generation of Christian healthcare workers. Another praise comes from hearing about the ministry of Eric Chen, an InterVarsity staff worker who had spent the past two years investing in the NEOMED CMDA group. As a part-time staff member of our NEOMED chapter, supported by members like you, Eric built rich relationships and discipled medical students. This resulted, by God's grace, in a blossoming of the strength and vitality of the NEOMED group that we hope will continue in the future. Though Eric has since been called to California to continue his ministry, we are hopeful that we can find another staff member that can continue the work that he started. As we look forward to another school year of God's faithfulness, there are a couple things on the horizon for us. One announcement is that we are having a NEOCMDA Fall Retreat at Beulah Beach in Vermillion, OH on September 20-21. I am excited about this opportunity to worship, rest, fellowship with other CMDA members and for spouses of medical providers to be ministered as well. It's going to be a fantastic time- you can sign up at neocmda.com. Spots are limited, so sign up early! More information below. One last thing, running a ministry like this requires money. This year, we had three wonderful part-time staff helping us to be more effective in our ministries- Stacey Prestegaard, our talented administrative aid, Eric Chen (whose focus was the NEOMED ministry) and Hung Lu (whose focus has been building bridges between the Case and CCFLCM groups). We support medical students and staff on missions trips and subsidize them on conferences. Many of you have given faithfully and we have tried to be good stewards of the generosity that is shown to us. That being said, our ministry was more than $2,000 in the red over the past year. Thankfully, we have money in the bank to ride out the ups and downs of the economy, but continuing this trajectory for years is unsustainable. About 80% of our donations come from about 10 donors and this ministry has a scope that reaches to the hundreds. Please pray about supporting us- we need your prayers but it sure would be helpful to have people who believe in what God is doing in us to partner with us financially. In the midst of the storms that rage and the glorious joys of these years that the Lord gives us until we go home to Him, I am grateful to know that we serve a God whose voice quieted the storms and who promised those who love Him that they would never be apart from Him, to the very end of the age. This is the God that we serve- and His plan can not be thwarted. Grateful to be working along side of many of you to engage our world for the glory of Christ, Mike Chen NEOCMDA Chairman 6/28/2013 1 Comment Upcoming events!Summer Welcome Picnic Saturday, August 17th Mike & Debbie Joyce's home, 3 Hunting Hollow Drive, Pepper Pike. 4:00 PM. Bring your swimsuit & appetite ~ rain or shine (indoor pool)! Please spread the word & invite new students, residents & their families. RSVP to Debbie Joyce at [email protected] or 216-464-3284. NEOCMDA Fall Retreat Friday, September 20th - NEOCMDA will be having an overnight retreat on September 20-21st at Beulah Beach retreat center in Vermilion, OH. This will be an exciting opportunity for medical professionals, residents, students and their spouses to have a time away from the bustle of daily life and to rest and be restored in Christ. We are excited be having a speaker, Darren Lander, who is senior pastor at Sovereign Grace Church in North Olmsted preaching the word of God to us and engaging us with how the Gospel transforms how we practice medicine and live out our lives for the glory of Christ and for our joy. Part of the goal of this retreat is to encourage the spouses who faithfully serve and endure along with those in the medical profession. We will also be having chances for medical students and medical professionals to mingle together to form friendships and even more importantly to turn our hearts to the Lord in worship and praise. There will be an opportunity for child care- if there is a need for it, so please contact us if that would be helpful. Our retreat officially starts at 6 PM on September 20th with dinner, but you are encouraged to come early and register and just enjoy the natural beauty of the Beulah Beach area. The price of the retreat will be $75 each for medical professionals and $30 each for students. This includes overnight lodging and dinner on Friday night and breakfast and lunch on Saturday. Our retreat will conclude on Saturday afternoon. To register, please send a check payable to the CMDA to 2035 East Swan Lake Circle, Kent OH 44240 and submit your info on this form. REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 14!! Also, since we are offering a subsidized rate for medical students, please consider donating over and above what the cost of your registration is to help defray the cost of the retreat. Our prayer is that it would be fruitful investment for the kingdom of God. If you decide to do this, please designate how much the donation is on your check. Thank you for your generosity! 3/9/2013 0 Comments Graduation 2013Please join us for the Annual Banquet & Commissioning Celebration of our 2013 Graduates on Saturday, April 20th at 5:30 PM at The Crowne Plaza Hotel Cleveland 5300 Rockside Rd., Independence, OH 44313 We are pleased that Dr. Charles "Bud" Hurst will be our guest speaker. He'll be sharing about "Our Fears; God's Faithfulness, and Fullness of Joy in the Journey" Psalms 16:11 This is a wonderful evening to reconnect with new & old friends & followers of Christ in the Northeast Ohio health care community & to celebrate the graduate of 2013. Please RSVP to Dr. Michael Joyce 216-464-3284 or [email protected] * Saturday, February 23rd at 6:30 PM *
Please join us for a Biomedical Fellowship Dinner at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Michael and Debbie Joyce 3 Hunting Hollow, Pepper Pike OH 44124 Dr. Joe Harvey, a missionary physician in the Congo will join us for this evening of fellowship. Joe is quite a pioneer, being called to medical missions since childhood and being single minded in his career as a missionary in a difficult place. He actually started the hospital in Congo where he still works. They have many other facets of the work including a nursing school, evangelistic outreach, leprosy center & more that he'll be sharing with us. MAIN DISH & DRINKS PROVIDED If possible, folks with last name please bring: A-J : bring a side dish K-Z : bring a dessert Please RSVP to Dr. Michael Joyce 216-464-3284 or [email protected] 10/7/2012 1 Comment Save the Date!*** MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Saturday, November 10th @ 6:30pm -
Potluck Dinner at the home of Dr. Michael & Debbie Joyce Drs. Jan and Harry Gebert (former family practice residents of UH program) will share about the "Impact of Love and Prayer towards the 10/40 Window of unreached people groups" 9/13/2012 2 Comments Medical Transformational SummitHello Fellow Healthcare Worker,
Many of us in the healthcare industry have struggled throughout the years of our profession with the frustrating disconnect between our vocation (calling) and our profession, even if for that reason we chose the path of study in healthcare that we did. As a result, some have gravitated towards medical short term missions or even becoming a medical missionary as an outlet to connect the two tensions. But what if both can be one? What if there were expressions of these available domestically near to home? We've heard and seen of some in the expressions of free clinics. But what if we saw a whole community built around just that kind of incarnation of the gospel? What if we saw a "village" that "transforms", just that way? A Transformation Village! Well, that is just the opportunity we have to hear of one month from now and why you are receiving this e-mail. Abraham and Lillian Poon oversee and operate this type of incarnational/missional village that's fusing a holistic gospel through the delivery of healthcare and more at an orphanage in China ( Living Stones Village ) revolving around the areas of "family" homes, education, vocational training & mental health that's set on a campus of gardens, villas, performing arts and sports. They are coming to share and impart their experience in an effort to help our region, Northeast Ohio, raise up this kind of "village" at a place called the Family Minsitry Center (FMC)( http://outreachconnections.org/bsfmc/ ) in the Clark/Fulton neighborhood on the Near West Side of Cleveland (please see below & attachment for details). Rev. Abraham (Dr. & author) and Lillian Poon minister throughout North America and internationally. The Poons and their ministry team have conducted schools, conferences, short courses and consultations in North America, Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and the Middle East. Abraham is the founder and Senior Pastor of San Jose Christian Alliance Church since 1975. He was the Corporate Vice President of the US Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) from 2000 to 2004. Currently Abraham serves as the President of the Chinese Churches Association of US Christian and Missionary Alliance, member of CCA Executive Committee, and Chairman of the Board for Living Stones Village, an orphanage in Guangxi, China. Lillian founded the Alliance Community Counseling Center and practiced as a licensed Marriage, Child, and Family therapist for 20 years before joining Abraham in the ministry locally and globally. Since 2006, Abraham and Lillian began serving the handicapped fatherless in China through the Living Stones Village as Chairman of the Board and Project Overseer respectively. Please note: this retreat/workshop is not a call to come listen and somehow support this orphanage. The Poon"s heart in coming to NEO is not that you support them financially or go to China and join them at their orphange over there (the Lord has more than provided for them!). Their heart in coming to NEO is to help us raise this type of Transfomation Village over here, locally, at the FMC! This is a call to all those healthcare workers seasoned or "in-training" that are yearning for something "more" than what their profession could ever offer. May I emphasize that this is a retreat & a workshop; you have the choice of staying overnight or dropping in on one of the sessions throughout the weekend. in Him, Edwardo Munoz R.N., B.S.N., M.C.M. Nurse Case Manager/MetroHealth Christian Fellowship MetroHealth Medical Center, & Pastor LivingStones Communities 9/7/2012 2 Comments WELCOME TO THE NEOCMDA BLOGThis is the first post on our blog. Feel free to check back occasionally for updates!
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