Throughout the history of missions, there has often been a gap between the church at home and the missionaries it sends. People at home are not always sure what to say or how to help. Missionaries on the field can feel forgotten. And it is hard to explain life at the ends of the earth to someone who has never been there, so many simply stop trying.
God's plan has always been for all of us to work together to bring the gospel to every nation, tribe and language. The enemy would love to keep us disconnected. But when those who go and those who send stand together, the work moves forward.
Our team has served alongside missionaries for many years, and we hear the same needs again and again. Here are ten practical ways family, friends, co-workers and churches can support the missionaries they love.
Missionaries go because God has called them. They carry a burden for people who have never had gospel access, and that burden does not let them rest.
Going is a step of faith, and so is sending. Both sides face doubts. One of the most encouraging things you can do is believe that God has truly called your missionary, and that He can do great things through them. Encourage the dreams the Holy Spirit has placed in their hearts. You get to be part of what God does through them.
Missionaries often serve in places where the gospel has rarely, if ever, been heard. It is spiritual front-line work, and it takes courage, creativity and love. Missionaries get tired. They get discouraged. Sometimes they are afraid.
They need more than a quick "bless them" at the end of a prayer list. They need people who will pray for them the way you would pray for a son or daughter in danger.
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." (Ephesians 6:18)
Consider adopting a missionary in prayer. Pray for faith, encouragement, vision, wisdom, health, protection and a harvest. Then rejoice together when that harvest comes.
When missionaries board that plane, they leave familiar relationships behind. In the first few months, friends and churches usually keep in touch. After that, it is easy for "out of sight, out of mind" to set in.
Many missionaries tell us that the loneliness can be deep. Newsletters go out and few people reply. A "like" on social media is kind, but it is not the same as real connection.
A simple email, message or video call once a month can make a huge difference. You don't need to have been their closest friend before they left. You may well become one now.
Most missionaries don't enjoy asking for money. Many will go without things they need so that a small gift can cover a trip to an unreached village or a training for local leaders.
Your giving reaches further than you might think. When you give, you are helping the gospel go to places it has never been.
"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Jesus honored the widow who gave all she had. Missionaries are not looking for guilt-driven gifts. They are praying for partners who give with joy, out of love for God and the nations. It takes both those who go and those who give.
When missionaries are away for months or years, people forget. Supporters move on to the next new missionary. Newsletters go unread. Few people realize they could visit.
One of the best gifts you can give is to be a gentle reminder at home. Remind your church to pray when your missionary heads to a new village. Encourage others to write to them. Share their needs. A few faithful people back home can be an enormous blessing.
There may come a time when you want to see the faces you have been praying for and see how your missionary lives. Visits from home are a great joy and encouragement, especially when you bring a few treats from home.
A visit helps you understand what you are praying for and giving to. It helps your missionary feel understood. It also shows the people they serve that they are not alone, and that believers around the world care about them.
If you sense the Spirit nudging you to go, consider joining a short-term mission trip.
You can help plan and dream about reaching unreached people groups, even from home. God may give you ideas for reaching the very people your missionary serves every day.
This isn't only the missionary's mission. It is the church's mission. God has given you gifts and skills that can serve the work, whether that's design, writing, teaching, organizing or finding creative ways to raise support for trainings, travel and community needs.
Missionaries are not superheroes. Many see things no one should have to see: sickness, death, injustice and abuse. Many walk through trauma, from natural disasters to serious illness to the loss of close friends.
Yet they are often expected to always be the strong ones. When they share their pain, they may get a lecture or be told to come home. So many simply stay quiet.
Missionaries know God is with them. Many have seen Him do amazing things. But they are still human.
"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." (Romans 12:15)
One of the kindest things you can do is listen. Don't judge. Don't rush to fix it. Don't panic if there are tears. Just care, and let them be honest about how they are really doing.
Imagine leaving everything you know, spending months struggling to learn a new language, all to share Jesus with people who have never heard of Him. Then one day, someone puts their faith in Him. The joy is hard to put into words.
Heaven rejoices over every person who comes to Jesus. If we are truly partners in the gospel, the church at home should rejoice too. Celebrate the fruit of your prayers, your giving and your sending. It is your harvest as well.
After years of praying and giving, God may call you to join the work among the nations yourself. Perhaps you visited once and the faces you met stayed with you. Perhaps you simply can't shake the sense that God wants you to go.
"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." (Matthew 9:37-38)
One of our greatest prayers is that more people will hear God's call and go. If that might be you, we'd love to talk with you about long-term missions.
If you'd like to stand with our team in a lasting way, you can become a monthly partner. And whatever you do, reach out to a missionary you know this week. It may mean more than you realize.