THE STUDY OF THIRD CULTURE EXPERIENCE IN RELATION TO THE PSYCHO-SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT OF RETURNED CHURCH OF CHRIST MISSIONARY FAMILIES (FAMILY STRENGTHS, MISSIONARY, COUNSELING)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of third-culture experience upon the psycho-social adjustment of returned Church of Christ missionary families. This study was ex post facto design. Information was gained through use of a written questionnaire and through a personal guided interview. A total of one hundred and seventy seven families participated in the study. The subjects were returned Church of Christ missionary families. The subjects had worked in fifty six different nations for an average of eight years. Missionary families who reported greater adjustment difficulties lived in more than one location overseas, worked in situations similar to the United States, had domestic help with child-care and shopping and cooking, lived overseas for more than five years, and earned less than $25,000 a year. They also reported that their families spent less time with each other in the United States and that their faith was not as strong as it had been while they lived overseas. Those who reported fewer adjustment difficulties allowed older children to be part of the decision making process to return to the United States, which promoted family closeness, and expected their furloughs to the United States to aid them in adjustment upon permanent reentry. It is recommended that Churches of Christ prepare educative materials for mission sponsoring congregations in the United States and for novice and returning missionary families to read. It is also recommended that sponsoring congregations offer social support and support services to reentering families. It is further recommended that counselors for Churches of Christ prepare themselves in multi-cultural counseling skills in order to help returning missionary families with psycho-social adjustment