{"id":620,"date":"2025-10-13T16:58:23","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T08:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cbsm.com.my\/?page_id=620"},"modified":"2025-10-13T16:58:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T08:58:23","slug":"diakonia-2025-1-pith","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cbsm.com.my\/index.php\/diakonia-2025-1-pith\/","title":{"rendered":"Diakonia 2025-1 PITH"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Diakonia 2025 Volume 1<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Partners In the Harvest 2025 – Phuket | Thailand<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Onn (Ron Low)<\/p>

registrar.dti@gmail.com<\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Welcome Message <\/strong><\/p>

Sawatdee! <\/em><\/strong>\u00a0The word \u201cSawatdee\u201d (\u0e2a\u0e27\u0e31\u0e2a\u0e14\u0e35) in Thai is a polite \u00a0and common way to \u00a0greet someone. \u00a0‘Sawatdee’ is not just a way to say hello; it’s a \u00a0blessing \u00a0of \u00a0goodness, \u00a0fairness, \u00a0and \u00a0prosperity. By saying ‘Sawatdee’, you’re \u00a0wishing someone well in their life, reflecting \u00a0the deep-rooted Thai value of caring for \u00a0others’ well-being .<\/p>

And this is exactly what the theme \u2018Mission of \u00a0the Heart\u2019 stands for in this conference. We \u00a0are acknowledging that the most important \u00a0commandment is to love God and our \u00a0neighbour as ourselves (Mk 12:28-34). What \u00a0are missions if it is not motivated by our love \u00a0for God and our neighbour? How is this \u00a0reflected in the way we do evangelism, \u00a0community outreach, and the way we disciple \u00a0others?<\/p>

1 <\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>Plenary <\/strong>\u00a0Topics <\/strong><\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a01. Heart Connection <\/strong>\u2013 The importance of the heart in ministry and mission.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a02. Soul Connection <\/strong>\u2013 Connecting with intention for wellbeing and growth \u00a0(includes discussion\/modelling soul-to-soul \u00a0connection.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a03. Heart Care <\/strong>\u2013 The importance of self-care in ministry (includes discussion on how to care for self in ministry).<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a04. Church Care <\/strong>\u2013 Pastoral Care in the Church (includes demonstration of how an elders\u2019 meeting prioritising pastoral care looks like.<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a05. Youth Care <\/strong>\u2013 How to connect and care for youth today?<\/p>

\u00a0 \u00a06. Care as Mission <\/strong>\u2013 Putting care at the heart \u00a0of mission (includes panel illustrating Care as \u00a0Mission).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Workshop 1. How to Counsel Others (Ron Low) \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

This workshop explores ways of counselling people in various seasons of life and at different stages of their faith. Participants will understand what goes into becoming a counsellor who can be a channel of God\u2019s wisdom and comfort to people. Whether people are seeking support, direction, goal setting, coping strategies or working through \u00a0personal challenges to improve wellness and \u00a0life satisfaction, the Christian can learn to \u00a0counsel people effectively. Case studies and \u00a0discussions will facilitate learning while Q&A \u00a0sessions will address specific concerns of participants.<\/p>

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Workshop 2. Creating a Church Culture of Care (David Smith) <\/strong><\/p>

The church is called to \u00a0\u201cbuild itself up in love\u201d (Ephesians 4:16). Yet somehow in the frantic pace of church life the loving care of the heart is often overlooked. \u00a0Caring is at the very heart of God. Does your church have a culture of care? What is a culture of care? What does God require of us as shepherds and carers of his people? And how can a local church practically create such a culture and ministry of care that honours the caring heart of God.<\/p>

We will consider these and other questions in the following three sessions:<\/p>

Session 1. <\/strong>\u201cGod Cares\u201d In this workshop we \u00a0look at how God cares for us and how we are \u00a0called to care for others.<\/p>

Session 2. <\/strong>\u201cCaring Conversations\u201d In this \u00a0workshop we look specifically at creating \u00a0space for intentional pastoral conversations \u00a0and \u00a0the \u00a0listening \u00a0and \u00a0communication \u00a0techniques that are required.<\/p>

Session 3. <\/strong>\u201cCare Strategies\u201d In this workshop \u00a0we look at how to create an effective care \u00a0strategy for the local church.<\/p>

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Workshop 3. Counselling Issues (Anne \u00a0Dryburgh) \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

Caring for suffering people in our churches is \u00a0often complex. The things people go through \u00a0and how they experience them can be \u00a0complicated. To be able to help them well, it is \u00a0crucially important to be informed about the \u00a0issues that they face. In the counselling \u00a0issues track, we will explore three areas that \u00a0cause a lot of suffering and need a lot of \u00a0care: abuse, depression, and the influence of \u00a0social media. During each session we will \u00a0seek to come to a basic understanding of the \u00a0issue, how people respond, basics about what \u00a0the Bible says, and some suggestions about \u00a0how we can help.<\/p>

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Workshop 4. Caring as Mission (Ben \u00a0Matthew) \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

Caring as a Mission within the context of \u00a0pastoral care and counselling emphasizes \u00a0the Gospel\u2019s transformative power as a \u00a0reflection of God\u2019s love in action. It involves \u00a0seeing the act of care not merely as a \u00a0response to individual needs but as a \u00a0missional endeavour that \u00a0embodies the \u00a0gospel\u2019s call to heal, restore, and reconcile all \u00a0nations. This approach bridges the gap \u00a0between the church and the world, where the \u00a0caregiver becomes a vessel of divine \u00a0compassion, addressing emotional, spiritual, \u00a0and relational brokenness. This elective will \u00a0seek to help participants develop deep \u00a0empathy, active \u00a0listening, and culturally \u00a0sensitive interventions and appreciate how \u00a0‘Caring as Mission’ fosters an environment \u00a0where individuals experience holistic healing, \u00a0and the church fulfils its role as God\u2019s witness \u00a0of restoration and hope to the world.<\/p>

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Workshop 5. Youth Identity (Godly Koshy) \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

Identity defines a person; it’s an amalgamation \u00a0of various things that create a sense of self. \u00a0As each person passes through life the \u00a0different encounters allow for the development \u00a0of one’s identity, like people, possessions, \u00a0achievements, social media, beliefs and so \u00a0on. Till adolescence the identity of a child is \u00a0usually that of the parents but during the \u00a0teenage years they start to explore and \u00a0develop their own identity. So, it is all the \u00a0more important for them to figure out their \u00a0identity early on otherwise they will be in a \u00a0place of identity confusion. The importance of \u00a0providing an environment, a safe space to \u00a0thrive and develop their identity is essential \u00a0during this life stage. As parents, siblings, \u00a0mentors and churches we have a very \u00a0important role in helping them form their \u00a0identity in Christ, not condemning them but \u00a0answering their questions and patiently \u00a0coaching them. We will look at some ways to \u00a0help them in this pursuit of forming their \u00a0identity<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2 <\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>Plenary <\/strong>\u00a0Speakers<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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DR BEN MATHEW <\/strong>(USA) \u2013 With his family from India and being born and raised in Canada, Ben has always appreciated the integration of cultures and ideas and was blessed to be involved in several ministries in his home, church, and community. With degrees in Counselling, Psychology, and Theology, Ben also enjoys the integration and collaboration of various academic disciplines. He earned his bachelor\u2019s degree in biblical studies from Emmaus Bible College and continued his graduate work at Dallas Theological Seminary, earning an MA in Counselling and a PhD in Psychology from Northcentral University. Ben worked in the Dallas area for several years in private practice and at the nationally known Minirth Clinic, specializing in adolescent rehab and treatment of mental health issues. For the past two decades, Ben has been involved in higher education, helping to develop students and others to think critically and holistically about their faith, profession, and care for others. I have served for over 20 years at Emmaus Bible College in various positions, most recently as a Professor and Chair of the Counselling Psychology department. Ben is a Board-Certified Counsellor (NCC) and currently serves as a Professor of Clinical Counselling in the Graduate Counselling Programs (MA & PhD) at Columbia International University (ciu.edu). He also maintains a small counselling practice as a Licensed Professional Counsellor in South Carolina, where he lives with his wife, Jenna, and their four children.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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GODLY KOSHY RAJU (India) <\/strong>-Godly along with his wife Becky and son Evan are missionaries serving in Pune, India. They have been involved in ministry for over 10 years in Bangalore and now Pune. They are both engineers but as the Lord called them for ministry, they pursued their Bible and Counselling from Emmaus Bible College. Godly did his masters in Family Life Education from Bangalore. Currently they are helping with a church plant in Pune, youth ministry with the assemblies and Crossroads and as a Counsellor at Urban India Ministries. He is part of the faculty for the MA in counselling offered by UIM. Godly is the author of a book \u201cBasic Counselling\u201d used by Emmaus Academy, India and has helped establish Streams of Water \u2013 India, a team of youngsters that helps reach assembly youths in various ways. In his free time, he loves spending time with the community, exploring new foods, biking, playing sports and aquascaping.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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3 <\/strong>\u00a0Conference Schedule<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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DATES:<\/strong> 25-28 July 2025<\/p>

CONFERENCE CENTRE:<\/strong> NH Boat Lagoon Phuket Resort Address: 22, 22 Thep Krasattri Rd, Ko Kaeo, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand<\/p>

AIRPORT SHUTTLE:<\/strong> Provided from Phuket Airport to Conference Centre<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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4 <\/strong>\u00a0Post-Conference Mission Exposure Trip<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Options (29<\/b>th <\/b>July \u2013 2<\/b>nd <\/b>Aug 2025) to Chiang\u00a0<\/b>Mai, Phuket & Bangkok, Thailand; Bukit\u00a0<\/b>Mertajam, Penang, El Shaddai Centre,\u00a0<\/b>Klang, Malaysia and Palawan, Philippines.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mission Objective: <\/b>To engage PITH\u2019s\u00a0participants in a cross-cultural experience that\u00a0fosters spiritual growth, deepens their\u00a0understanding of global missions, and builds\u00a0relationships with the local mission agency\u00a0and or local church, while supporting.\u00a0assisting and encouraging their ongoing\u00a0ministry efforts.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mission Goals <\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a01. <\/strong>Spiritual Growth<\/strong>\n