Jim and Barbie Murphy - serving with The EPC's World Outreach
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, ...he will come to save you. Isaiah 35:3-4
Our Mission: to provide pastoral care and to mobilize resources to insure that every EPC missionary thrives in the ministry to which God has called them.
Rev. Dr. Jim and Barbie Murphy are the first Member Care Coordinators for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Beginning in the fall of 2011, their ministry has three main dimensions:
- Visit missionaries on the field, and encourage others to do so as well. Top priorities are those workers in their first term, those who haven't had a visit for a long time, and those who are struggling with the challenges they face. The goal is that every EPC missionary will be visited at least once a year by someone from the EPC. Jim especially wants to motivate churches to send their pastors and missions committee members to visit missionaries those churches support.
- Host missionaries on Home Assignment in their home in Colorado. This may just be for R&R in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, or for a more intentional and extensive debrief, so the workers can return to the field better equipped to cope with the stresses of missionary life.
- Train local church missions committees in the EPC to better care for the missionaries they support. The Murphy's will be learning from those churches that do it well and passing on the best practices to others.
Prayer Requests:
Praises:
- We stayed well the whole time, luggage was everywhere we were, never missed a flight, and experienced safe traveling while on some crazy roads and in challenging driving conditions in India. We were blessed to spend quality time with amazing people who are living in challenging places endeavoring to bring God's light to those who live in spiritual darkness.
Requests: Please pray for us:
- Pray for Jonathan and Fozia that God bring additional team members to partner with them.
- For another couple in a spiritually dark very remote area: Pray for successful medical clinics, safety on difficult roads, protection in a spiritually dark very remote area, team unity, meaningful family times, and for opportunities to share the gospel. (names witheld)
