Our Urban Voices

Dr. Darren Hercyk discusses the importance of humanitarian training for missionaries and the heart for mercy ministries.

Dr. Hercyk is an Assistant Professor at Liberty University School of Divinity and the program director for the online Masters in Humanitarian Action and Human Right

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• What is humanitarian work?
• Evangelism includes some type of humanitarian work
• Developing the heart attitude for those in need

ABOUT THE GUEST: 

Dr. Darren Hercyk is an Assistant Professor at Liberty University School of Divinity and the program director for the online Masters in Humanitarian Action and Human Rights. Prior to serving in higher education, he had 18 years of international cross-cultural experience living in 10 countries. While overseas, the service spanned from child evangelism to responding to emergencies to long-term development programs. Through all these countries and experiences, a priority was placed on partnering with the local church.

RELATED LINKS:

• Liberty University - M.A. in Humanitarian Action & Human Rights – Law and Policy
• Liberty University - M.A. in Humanitarian and Human Rights – Disaster Relief
• Liberty University - M.A. in Humanitarian Action & Human Rights – Woman and Child Advocacy
• Email Dr. Hercyk

TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:

00:38 - Introducing Dr Darren Hercyk

03:06 - Work in Pakistan

03:31 - 1998: overseas as an engineer

03:45 - ...began working with a local church

03:55 - ...transition to humanitarian work

03:58 - ...to nine more countries

04:43 - Program Director for Online Masters in Humanitarian Action & Human Rights at Liberty University

04:56 - ...started in 2022

05:08 - ...increase in emergencies

05:16 - Leaders needed around the world with Biblical foundations and skills

05:56 - ...work with the global church

06:13 - ...Cross-cutting program - in School of Divinity, but with courses from government, law, behavior sciences

06:41 - Evangelism includes some type of humanitarian work

06:53 - ...take care of people's physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs

07:19 - What is humanitarian work?

07:41 - ...mercy ministries

07:59 - ...emergency response

08:23 - ...refugee crisis

08:31 - ...human rights & trafficking

08:59 - ...food aid

09:05 - living on the streets

09:28 - Prepare the heart for mercy ministries, for the needs around you

09:52 - How do you get from the book to the heart?

10:04 - ...develop the skills in your local community

11:02 - ...connecting the head, heart, and hands

11:30 - ...learn the skills to engage someone, hear their story, learn why God loves them so much

11:53 - ...sometimes, God works from the hands, to the heart, to the head

12:06 - ...realize your commonality with that person

12:18 - ...everyone is created in God's image

12:21 - ...read Scripture in an entirely new way

12:40 - ...start where you are

14:11 - Humanitarian training is crucial for missionaries

14:15 - ...show the overseas country that you have these skills to get a visa

14:25 - ...understand the breadth of the opportunities in humanitarian work

14:34 - Old Testament: God's provision and protection: one is charity, but the rest is doing life with people in need

15:32 - ...there's more opportunities to serve than just charity

15:48 - ...our lives intersect with people in need

16:47 - Our job is not to become more efficient at delivering goods, but to have our heart and lives intersect with people in need

17:11 - Mercy ministries often involve going to places you do not normally go and engaging people you do not normally engage

17:51 - What's our heart attitude to those in need and those around us?

18:14 - The one thing common to all stories was the need for relationship (social isolation)

18:55 - Foundation of God's work

19:04 - ...How did Paul build a bridge to people?

19:27 - ...we are created in God's image

19:39 - ...affirm people's God-given dignity

19:44 - ...ask open-ended questions

19:46 - ...use people's names

19:53 - ...are you there to fix them or are you there because you are interested in their lives?

20:37 - ...listen to people's stories

20:59 - ...bridge to gospel conversations

24:41 - ...when we hear people's stories, it's a gift exchange

25:24 - Trauma counseling

25:38 - ...first responder training

25:45 - Proposal development

26:02 - Funding, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and progress

26:22 - Calculating physical needs in trauma situations

27:11 - Capstone course

27:21 - How to network

29:00 - Dr Hercyk's upcoming book

30:04 - Dr Hercyk's Email Address: [email protected]

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