How to Help Your Missionaries

March 1, 2015
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By John Arrowood

Prayer
* Pray for specific needs.
* Pray regularly.

-You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” — John Bunyan

Communication
• Let your missionaries know that you are upholding them in prayer.
• Let your missionaries know what is happening in your church during the year.
• Let your missionaries know your interest in them by asking questions about their ministry.
• Let your missionaries know your concern for them by sending pastoral staff to visit them.

Financial Support
• Ask the mission board for a support evaluation of your missionaries once a year.
• Remember new circumstances that can affect their support need.
o Currency exchange fluctuation
o Inflation
o New baby in the family
o Medical insurance premium increase
o Supporting church or individual who drops support
• Consider adding a budget item for a cost of living increase for your missionaries every year or two.
• Consider adding a budget item to help your furloughing missionaries regain full support.

Special Needs
• Some missionaries on deputation/furlough are on the road full-time and greatly appreciate lodging in between meetings.
• Medical and dental check-ups on furlough can bring unexpected expense.
• Consider helping your missionaries by directing them to missions-minded doctors.
• Furlough can be challenging time for the schooling of children. Consider helping your missionaries make furlough a stable time for the family by assisting with educational needs.

From: www.gfamissions.org March 2011.
The above article, “How to Help Your Missionaries” was written by John Arrowood. The article was excerpted from www.gfamissions.org.

The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.

This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”

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