About Me
Hello! I am Scott Shaum. I love to tramp around the world eating great food and meeting with great people (not in that order, of course!). I did not come upon this gig of my own volition though.
My wife and I started out as church planters in Hong Kong in the late 80’s. The Cantonese language was, in a word, impenetrable most days. I fumbled through Cantonese sermons. That a church was started is more an expression of the God who raises from the dead than our expertise.
My wife has wisely dubbed those years as the years God taught us to walk with him.
He then moved us whiplash-style into a pastorate in Detroit, MI. That decade was rich in community. We have so many friends there that are lifers. They love us wondrously. Those were the years that God gave me a teacher’s voice and a shepherd’s heart.
My wife says those were the years God taught us to walk with others.
During those years in the pastorate, a vision birthed. We began to dream of pastoring workers around the world. My role allowed me to travel to visit the various ministries the church partnered with. But we yearned for more. 18 years ago God gave us the release to join Barnabas International. In the BI world God wove together our cross-cultural and pastoral experiences.
These years in BI have been beautiful and harder than we knew life could be. Along with working with amazing people all over the world, we have been taken into some of the darkest times of our lives. Our version of adversity has come guised as chronic health challenges. The adversity has been unrelenting at times, as has the Father’s outlandish love.
Yes, my wife has wisdom on these years as well. She calls them the years God has taught us to walk in darkness.
Along with the pastoral care, training, and other forms of spiritual guidance we are graced to provide to workers all over the world, we are also on the BI leadership team. More and more of our time is gladly spent on engaging other BI staff in their walks and ministry design.
We have been gifted with three sons who are all ridiculously taller than me, have amazing hearts for others and have been shot like arrows into the world. Each of them are vowed to amazing wives. ANd now the grandchildren have begun to grace our days. God’s favor is so immense and kind.
Thanks for checking the site out. Your comments and feedback mean more to me than I can convey. I am hoping for some level of conversation as we all learn together.
Pax e Bonum Scott
About this Site
God is a communal and missional God. He desires his people be gathered, and so we gather weekly into worshipping communities. He also desires his people scattered, and so we scatter daily into bustling marketplaces and communities. Some of us he urges forth to more distant lands that are steeped in great darkness, dryness, and weariness. Like strands of wool thrust forth by a gentle breeze, these ones find themselves far from where they began. And each one requires shepherding. This shepherding must be a particularized, individualized, lingering care to their souls.
Shepherds are called to seek out the scattered sheep. And so with visa-stamped passports and jet-lagged bodies global shepherds seek out sheep scattered across distant lands. Shepherding God’s servants across the globe is a unique work requiring clear thinking (theology), solid practices (skills), clear purposes (holistic vitality of the sheep), and essential personal vibrancy (the shepherd’s own overflowing life). Of course, a good sense of humor doesn’t hurt either! Each of these arenas shall be reflected upon in this blog site.
This site is for those Tending Scattered Wool. If I can make it more helpful, please let me know.
Tending Scattered Wool 
Hey Scott – great job – looks very attractive! Wealth of material here – thanks so much for putting yourself out here for us.
Herb
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Hey, I’m liking where this is going. Really appreciate your categories above. Over time, do you plan to include outside sources from the MemCare community?
Dave
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Dave
Thanks for the thoughts and taking the time to check in. In regards to your question, yes. I’d love for their to not only be a dialogue but also multiple contributors to the sight eventually.
SES
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Scott, This is a great resource and I plan on sharing it with my team and others who consult with me about member care. Some of this sounds like talks you gave at the A2 retreat–and it is great to have access to this material in print.
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Thanks Faith for the encouraging words. Great to run into here and there at events. Peace as you serve others.
Scott
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Hi Scott, just found this blog. Thanks. It looks good.
Charlotte Teal
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Charlotte, Thank you so much for “stopping by.” Please feel free to comment anytime. I am hoping for a bit if “dialogue” on the topics offered. Thanks for the ways you serve others.
Peace SS
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Scott, I was steered to your site by Joni Zepp. Enjoy it very much. I’m in the Ute Pass area. I look forward to meeting you some day. Till then I will stay in touch here. Thanks for all the thoughtful work.
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Thanks Larry. Blessings on your walk and work with Jesus. Hope to bump into you one day. SS
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I had never noticed your bio on Tending Scatered Wool before today. We are privileged to be among your.”lifers” in Detroit. You have taught us well in those year and continue to do so with your witness of living for Jesus. Blessings dear friends
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Love you guys. You are lifers indeed.
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I’ve followed your site for awhile (and just filled out the Resiliency survey), but this is the first time to read this page and there’s a lot I identify with. We’ve served in Latin America since 1987 and in the last 15 years or so, focused on pastoral care for Latin American pastors and missionaries. But the last few years have been a season of darkness for me as well, including a painful team conflict and loss of ministry, an autoimmune disease, and concern for a distanced son. Thanks for sharing experiences and principles that help us walk more authentically with Jesus in our service – for being a resource for resiliency!
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Jan, thank you for your comment. I am very grateful that this content can be of some help. God has certainly graced you with much life experience to tend to others who are hurting. May you be encouraged along the way. SS
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Gosh Scott, I remember when you & Beth were just kids! Now you’re blogging and booking. Much life and pain sought you out over the years!! Oh how God has grown you both!! Hoping it’s a long road we get to share between here and eternity!
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Yes Maureen that is true on all accounts. Please pray that the older I get the more like a child I become. I take all this stuff way to seriously don’t you know! S
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My guess is you/we need a good balance of childlike and serious like!!
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Hi Scott- just realized this portion of your site!
May I encourage you to update your info?
You now have 3 daughter-in-laws!!!🙏👍♥️
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Hello Scott. I purchased the Uninvited Companion some months ago and found it a blessing to my soul as well as the advice I had been searching for regarding moving forward through a dark life period. Thank you. I found your book after a lot of web searching for resources that help missionary workers get through tough times and even help them decompress after needing to transition off the mission field. I would love to get in touch further.
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Scott, I just want to thank you for writing the Uninvited Companion book. It has ministered to me so much in my own season of adversity. So much of the material really resonated with me. I often pray for you these days, that God would grace you with healing and strength so that you can continue your ministry.
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Thank you Lois for your kind message. May you continue to experience the Father’s care for you in these days. S
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Lois, thank you for your kind response to the book. I am sorry for the adversity you have found yourself living with, and also grateful you are experiencing the Father’s care. And thank you for prayers for me. He is so kind and good, isn’t He?
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