Short story:
Laura and I are flying over the Pacific on our way back to Taiwan right now. We have a real mix of emotions going on. We have decided this summer, with the help of a lot of input and reflection, to leave Taiwan and accept a new ministry role with TEAM based in the US. My new role will be as a global member care consultant. In this role I will be caring for people involved in TEAM's international ministry, especially at times and in situations of critical significance. But this new role will require us to move back to the US from Taiwan, leaving behind our community and ministries in Taiwan over these last 14 years.
More detail (and repetition!):
As you can guess, right now we're mainly thinking about how hard it's going to be leaving Taiwan, saying goodbye, stepping back from our roles there, and generally giving up life "on the far side."
We are excited about a new ministry challenge as a global member care consultant for TEAM, based in the US. We are grieving that this challenge is leading us to leave Taiwan after 14 years of intense, fruitful, and deeply connected life and ministry there. That's the good news and the bad news.
We're going to need ministry partners as much as ever as we transition to this new ministry platform. Will you help us fund this strategic ministry? Will you intercede for us? Of course, we are wanting to talk to you personally, not just by email, but we wanted to write now. Thank you for your patience as we have worked on this critical decision.
The new ministry is exciting because it addresses a critical need at a critical time. Global ministry is undergoing a rapid transforming change, impacted by many simultaneous shifts. Economically we are in a time of relative global peace, but transforming stress. Globally we are in a shift from a western preeminence to an Asian emergence. Generationally the larger generation of the boomers is being replaced, supplemented, or transformed by the larger generation of the millenials (teens to early 30s). Technologically we are moving from a generation of print and words to one of images and media, delivered just in time and just to some. These influences and many others are converging to create both incredible opportunity and incredible risk.
In the midst of this change, people are being depleted and things of great value are being lost. Our challenge is not to stop the change, but to redeem it. Global member care is not for the rejects and castoffs who can no longer make a difference, it is for all of us, who though we are weak, by God's grace can be ambassadors of mercy and care, loving others even as we have first been loved. Whether we are traveling to where people and teams are working, inviting people and families into our home, or coming alongside through skype, at conferences and retreats, or whatever, our job will be to empower, replenish, encourage, mentor, or whatever is needed so that people in TEAM stay, flourish, and contribute in the ministries around the world to which they are called. As we have opportunities along the way, we will do the same thing for others beyond TEAM, but our major focus will be TEAM.
In the days ahead, our role is first to strengthen that love for one another within TEAM's global task force, then to extend that care to those who are the networks and communities of that team, and finally to champion the transforming application of personal care in Jesus name to those who need it most, no matter how rapid the change or inconvenient the context.
But, as we explored the dynamics of our own contexts, it became increasingly clear to us this summer that this would require us to leave Taiwan. Entering the summer, we were looking for an option that would allow us to continue to be involved in Taiwan part of the time while expanding our focus. As we have done our "due diligence," consulting with strategists, counselors, global ministry leadership coaches, and our churches, this position with TEAM has emerged as the best step for us to take at this time. While we expect to be travelling, and even spending weeks or months at a time internationally, TEAM has asked us to base this ministry initially in the US.
For us, the best US place to return to as a base is Colorado. Not only will this put us near Laura's parents, who have been our allies and support since they moved to Colorado after we did in the early 90's, but it is the base from which we have come and gone during our 14 years in Taiwan. Because of this, it is also an "anchor point" for our emerging adults. As I think you already know, in addition to ministry, Laura and I are committed to being appropriately available to her parents and our emerging adult kids during these strategic years. We believe and pray that this role with TEAM will be a good fit with both our commitments to family and to international ministry. We went to Colorado originally (in the early 90's with mti.org) because it was a key place from which to serve the international ministry world. We believe that continues to be the case. In our new role we hope to leverage those strengths for the benefit of those we serve.
While we want to communicate excitement about the new possibilities ahead, we are definitely feeling the grief already of leaving Taiwan. We are on the airplane right now returning to Taiwan. It will be good to be face to face with those we love there, but also hard to say our goodbyes and leave well after more than 14 years in one place that we have come to love. In addition we leave key and fulfilling roles in the counseling center and the community there, and we wish to do all we can appropriately do to help those who will fill the gaps we leave behind.
With love in our Lord who keeps us, Steve and Laura
PS Know that we want your input as we make this change, whatever it may be. Also please remember us as we work with TEAM Taiwan, the Center for Counseling and Growth, and our larger Taiwan community to make this transition well. We want to leave without delay, but not in a hurry. We hope to do this between now and the end of 2010.
Dr. Steve and Laura Spinella, Sarah, Joey, Robby
Da Yi Street, Lane 29, #18, 2F-1, Taichung 404, TAIWAN
011 886 4 2236-6145, wk 2236-1901, fx 2236-2109, cell 9 2894-0514
USA: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, 719.528.1702, cell 719.355.4809
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800 343-3144
<www.team.org.tw/spinella>, <www.team.org.tw/ccg> <spinella@alumni.rice.edu> <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>
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