CRISIS CARE KITS
During the month of September, we will be collecting Crisis Care Kits - pre-packaged bags (packed by you!) of basic hygiene and personal necessity items. You can pick up empty bags with shopping lists in the church lobby.
During the month of September, we will be collecting Crisis Care Kits - pre-packaged bags (packed by you!) of basic hygiene and personal necessity items. You can pick up empty bags with shopping lists in the church lobby.
WORK & WITNESS TRIP
March 8-16, 2024
Mezcala, Mexico
Projects: construction, church planting, children's and youth ministry outreach.
Registration will open at the end of September. More info coming soon.
March 8-16, 2024
Mezcala, Mexico
Projects: construction, church planting, children's and youth ministry outreach.
Registration will open at the end of September. More info coming soon.
ALABASTER OFFERING
Our next Alabaster Offering will be collected on Sunday, October 29, at our next Family Worship & Baptism gathering. Grab an Alabaster box in the church lobby and fill it up with your spare change!
Our next Alabaster Offering will be collected on Sunday, October 29, at our next Family Worship & Baptism gathering. Grab an Alabaster box in the church lobby and fill it up with your spare change!
To give securely online in response to the devastating wildfires in Maui, click the image or visit ncm.org/maui.
For the most up-to-date information, visit Nazarene Compassionate Ministries' Facebook page.
For the most up-to-date information, visit Nazarene Compassionate Ministries' Facebook page.
WORLD MISSION BROADCAST
Nazarene Missions International highlighted the ministry of World Mission Broadcast during the month of June. Check out the video of Pastor Travis and Joe McCoy talking about this and the opportunity to partner with them. Click HERE to give securely online.
Nazarene Missions International highlighted the ministry of World Mission Broadcast during the month of June. Check out the video of Pastor Travis and Joe McCoy talking about this and the opportunity to partner with them. Click HERE to give securely online.
Turkey/Syria Earthquake Response
Click the image above or visit ncm.org to learn more about the devastation in southern Turkey and northern Syria from a recent earthquake and/or to give.
See the latest updates and news from the Church of the Nazarene
February 2023 Update From Dr. Meier
Time for a Break
For the past 15+ years, with the help of your prayers and support, I have poured out my life to the patients of Nazarene Hospital, and now I need to take some time to find my love, joy and desire to serve again.
Many careers experience burnout, medicine is definitely one of them, and so is missions. When we had some doctors burnout in the past few years, our member care team tried to help us be more proactive and use burnout survey tools to assess how we are doing. I had been pretty stable for the past few years, but my recent survey showed that I am in High Burnout.
This came as a surprise to me, and likely to you too. I have attempted to answer some questions that, I imagine, many of you have.
For the past 15+ years, with the help of your prayers and support, I have poured out my life to the patients of Nazarene Hospital, and now I need to take some time to find my love, joy and desire to serve again.
Many careers experience burnout, medicine is definitely one of them, and so is missions. When we had some doctors burnout in the past few years, our member care team tried to help us be more proactive and use burnout survey tools to assess how we are doing. I had been pretty stable for the past few years, but my recent survey showed that I am in High Burnout.
This came as a surprise to me, and likely to you too. I have attempted to answer some questions that, I imagine, many of you have.
What is Burnout? The Mayo Clinic defines burnout as "a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity."
What does this mean? For me it means, I have lost my desire to serve and the compassion for those who are hurting that need my help. I have really just been going through the motions, and after doing it for 15 years, I motions are easy for me to do, but my heart hasn't been in it.
What comes next? The Church is graciously giving me some time and space, away from Kudjip and my work, to recover. I will be heading home to the US the end of March to start the healing process. While I don't know exactly what the next 9 months will look like, I know I will be talking to counselors, going to missionary retreats that focus on burnout, and trying to figure out how I got here, and I how I can regain the joy to be a doctor again.
Will I return to PNG? I honestly don't know, and don't expect to know for a while. The plan is for me to use the 1st 6 months of my time away to get better, and to take the last 3 months as a Sabbatical time and to use that to figure out what is next. PNG has been my home for the past 15 years, and serving as a missionary at Nazarene Hospital is all I have done since finishing my medical training. I have certainly found the work here very meaningful and rewarding, and have been thankful for the opportunity to help bring physical and spiritual healing to so many through the years. I still believe in this ministry and the work that is happening, and if I get better, and God leads me to return, I would.
What will happen at the Hospital? Thankfully, God knows all that will happen before we do, and nothing catches him by surprise. Ben Radcliffe, who has served with his family here for the past 8 years, will be taking over my Medical Director duties. He is a General Surgeon, who grew up here and followed his dad's footsteps and came back to serve in his home. We have increased our Medical Staff numbers the past few years, adding some more PNG doctors, and so the work will continue. It might look different than it does now, but that will be okay.
Will you be traveling around to speak at churches during this time? No, in order for me to recover, I need to take time away from all my Missionary responsibilities, including speaking while home.
Do you still need support? The church will continue to pay me my salary and provide my medical insurance through the end of the year (until I figure out what is next). I will be able to use my Deputation Funds to help cover the costs of the retreats and counseling, and other expenses related to recovering from Burnout, that I will incur during this time.
Due to your generosity, I will be able to get through this year without additional support. Meaning, if you stopped your support today, I will be okay to get through this year, based on what is already in my account. If God leads me to not come back, all the support in my account stays with the Church of the Nazarene and will be used by the Melanesian South Pacific Field and Asia Pacific Region for continued work of the church and the hospital in these areas.
If you have questions regarding support, or anything about why I am coming home - I am happy to answer them, please email me at emeier@apnaz.org.
I have been blessed by the outpouring of support from my missionary and hospital family here. It has been great to know that through all of this I am not alone. I have been especially thankful to have Bill and Marsha McCoy here during this time. They came back for 6 wks to serve at the hospital and have been a big encouragement during this time.
What does this mean? For me it means, I have lost my desire to serve and the compassion for those who are hurting that need my help. I have really just been going through the motions, and after doing it for 15 years, I motions are easy for me to do, but my heart hasn't been in it.
What comes next? The Church is graciously giving me some time and space, away from Kudjip and my work, to recover. I will be heading home to the US the end of March to start the healing process. While I don't know exactly what the next 9 months will look like, I know I will be talking to counselors, going to missionary retreats that focus on burnout, and trying to figure out how I got here, and I how I can regain the joy to be a doctor again.
Will I return to PNG? I honestly don't know, and don't expect to know for a while. The plan is for me to use the 1st 6 months of my time away to get better, and to take the last 3 months as a Sabbatical time and to use that to figure out what is next. PNG has been my home for the past 15 years, and serving as a missionary at Nazarene Hospital is all I have done since finishing my medical training. I have certainly found the work here very meaningful and rewarding, and have been thankful for the opportunity to help bring physical and spiritual healing to so many through the years. I still believe in this ministry and the work that is happening, and if I get better, and God leads me to return, I would.
What will happen at the Hospital? Thankfully, God knows all that will happen before we do, and nothing catches him by surprise. Ben Radcliffe, who has served with his family here for the past 8 years, will be taking over my Medical Director duties. He is a General Surgeon, who grew up here and followed his dad's footsteps and came back to serve in his home. We have increased our Medical Staff numbers the past few years, adding some more PNG doctors, and so the work will continue. It might look different than it does now, but that will be okay.
Will you be traveling around to speak at churches during this time? No, in order for me to recover, I need to take time away from all my Missionary responsibilities, including speaking while home.
Do you still need support? The church will continue to pay me my salary and provide my medical insurance through the end of the year (until I figure out what is next). I will be able to use my Deputation Funds to help cover the costs of the retreats and counseling, and other expenses related to recovering from Burnout, that I will incur during this time.
Due to your generosity, I will be able to get through this year without additional support. Meaning, if you stopped your support today, I will be okay to get through this year, based on what is already in my account. If God leads me to not come back, all the support in my account stays with the Church of the Nazarene and will be used by the Melanesian South Pacific Field and Asia Pacific Region for continued work of the church and the hospital in these areas.
If you have questions regarding support, or anything about why I am coming home - I am happy to answer them, please email me at emeier@apnaz.org.
I have been blessed by the outpouring of support from my missionary and hospital family here. It has been great to know that through all of this I am not alone. I have been especially thankful to have Bill and Marsha McCoy here during this time. They came back for 6 wks to serve at the hospital and have been a big encouragement during this time.
Our New LINKS Missionaries 2023
Sacramento District NMI Work & Witness Trip 2023-24
Keep your eyes open for more information, or fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page and let us know you're interested as more information becomes available.
District Training Center, Mezcala, Mexico
Project: Build 7 Casitas & plant a new church.
Spring 2024
Cost: $1,150
Keep your eyes open for more information, or fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page and let us know you're interested as more information becomes available.
District Training Center, Mezcala, Mexico
Project: Build 7 Casitas & plant a new church.
Spring 2024
Cost: $1,150
