Introduction.

It’s no secret that modern missions has become a slave to tradition. Some would accuse missionaries of putting more trust in business models than in the biblical model of missions, and most would agree that world missions is not immune to changes in culture, technology, transportation, and the economy.

This essay does not propose to resolve these issues. Instead it hopes to help you as a Pastor or Missions Team Leader to work biblically and practically within the system that exists to help your missionary prepare for and get to the field in as timely a manner as possible. In this essay, I hope to help you:

• Understand what a missionary on deputation goes through
• Think through matters that affect this missionary
• Develop a better relationship with missionaries, both those on deputation and those already on the field
• Reconsider your own policies and procedures for missions and missionaries on deputation

This essay will first explore the spiritual aspects of support-raising missionaries by covering the following FAQs:

• What Is Deputation?
• What Does It Mean to Support a Missionary?
• Who is Joining Whose Ministry?
• Why Should a Prospective Missionary Visit My Church?
• Why Has It Become So Hard to Raise Support?
• What Are the Challenges of Deputation?
• What Are the Benefits of Deputation?

Then, this essay will then cover the more practical aspects of support-raising missionaries with these FAQs:

• Before the Missionary Visits
  • What Is Involved in Scheduling a Missionary Visit?
  • How Can We Prepare for a Missionary Visit?
  • How Should We Stock a Missionary Cupboard?
• During the Missionary’s Visit
  • When Should a Prospective Missionary Visit Our Church?
  • What’s the Best Way to Host a Missionary (or Missionary Family)?
  • How can We Help Traveling Missionaries?
  • How Should We Pay a Visiting Missionary Speaker?
• After the Missionary Leaves
  • How Should We Continue Communicating with the Missionary?
  • How Should We Handle a Missionary’s Prayer Letter?

I. Spiritual Considerations

A. What Is Deputation?

Deputation is the process (often lengthy, from several months to several years) during which a prospective missionary (or family) meets churches and individuals, shares with them his burden for a particular field and seeks their support, both spiritually and financially.

Acts 13:1-3 records how the Holy Spirit called both Saul and Barnabas through and from their church in Antioch. From this passage, we learn that:

1. These men were called by the Holy Spirit through their sending church during a time of prayer and fasting
2. These men left immediately, following their commissioning by the church
3. These men did not raise support before they went

Does this passage mean that the process of deputation is unbiblical? Certainly not! While it’s preferable that a sending church pay its commissioned servants fully, most sending churches cannot afford the burden alone. Through the letters of Paul (himself a missionary who earned much of his keep through tent-making), we find precedent for churches supporting ministers, both at home and abroad.

The fact that missionaries need to travel for long periods of time and “sell themselves” or their burden to churches and individuals is a sad one, but the burden of change lies squarely on the shoulders of the Church, not the missionaries themselves. Please don’t blame your missionary for the rut formed by 200 years of  tradition!

B. What Does It Mean to Support a Missionary?

If a Missionary is the BRIDGE between the Gospel and the Lost World, then the Church is the FOUNDATION upon which four support PILLARS rest: prayer, communication, visits, and money.

This image helps illustrate a missionary’s needs. The bridge is only as strong as its supporting pillars. Despite the spiritual idealism of “faith missions” (popularized by Hudson Taylor, this method suggests missionaries should just go and trust God for financial support), missionaries require practical involvement of supporting churches and individuals back home as much as spiritual. Your involvement in a missionary’s work on a foreign field is not merely financial. Your support communicates love and encouragement, and it verifies that you’re prayerfully committed to them, not simply writing a check. Such involvement requires time and energy, so Pastors, share the responsibility! Just please don’t let your only contact with that supported missionary be his deputation and furlough.

Support by Praying. Don’t expect everyone in your church to read prayer letters and updates that you’ve posted on the bulletin board. One great method of keeping prayer needs before the people is to have volunteers summarize recent letters and updates before the congregation before publicly praying for the needs listed. One note of caution: Be very careful about posting missionary updates on your church’s website. Oftentimes this information is sensitive and personal, meant to be shared with supporters only, not the world.

Support by Communicating. This involves sending e-mails, letters and cards or, if applicable, keeping in touch through social media. The least you can do is respond when they’ve sent an update or prayer letter. But there’s a whole lot more you can do as well.

Support by Visiting. Eventually your prospective missionary will arrive on his field. Many missionaries have an open-door policy regarding visits to their field, simply because they know very few will take them up on it! Missionaries in easy-to-access countries like Mexico or Canada, however, spend vast amounts of time hosting short-term groups that actually hinder their work more than help it. Be sensitive to your missionary’s needs about when and how to visit. When you’re a guest in their area, follow their lead and don’t overstep your bounds regarding ministry, specifically if they serve in a sensitive area. Train all short-termers from your church in the culture and dos-and-don’ts of ministry. Your purpose in visiting is to help your missionary, never to be a burden or to create a mess that they must later fix.

Support by Sharing. Missionaries need money. That’s the short of it. This essay will delve further into finances below, but consider the different methods of giving: regular support, one-time gifts, missions closets and care packages (yes, even during the deputation period), acts of service (free oil-changes and physical exams by professionals in your congregation, etc.). There are a myriad ways for you to show your love. Money is only one.

Pastors, it’s also important that you ask for a copy of a missionary’s support-breakdown. Keep in mind both salary and non-salary items as well as exchange rates.

Salary items. Such a breakdown might include cost of living, taxes, U.S. Social Security, retirement, etc.

Non-salary items. This might include ministry-related funds, service fees (for the Missions Agency, often 5-10%), health insurance, travel expenses within the US, passage funds, etc.

Exchange rates. Three support items change monthly based on fluctuating exchange rates: net salary, work funds, and in-country travel expenses. Of course, fluctuating exchange rates can either hinder or help a missionary, and missionaries must make educated guesses concerning their support budgets based on the previous year’s exchange rates. You might consider tasking a local church financier with regularly checking exchange rates for all supported countries. Love offerings can go to those missionaries who are adversely affected.

C. Who is Joining Whose Ministry?

The relationship between a missionary and his supporters is multifaceted. What you as a potential supporter must understand is that you would join the ministry of the missionary’s sending church, as they in turn would help you fulfill the Great Commission.

A Sending Church (which cannot fully support its own missionary) commissions its missionary, who then raises support, not by joining other churches but by asking those churches to join him and the ministry of his sending church. While it’s important for a prospective missionary to read and agree with your church’s constitution, doctrinal statement, or missions policy, it’s far more important for you and your church to read and agree with his and those of his sending church. Your church is entering his church’s ministry, not the other way around.

The Prospective Missionary is ultimately responsible to his sending church, not his supporting churches and individuals. He is accountable first to God, then to his sending church, then to his supporting churches or sending agency.

Note: Considering Sending Agencies and Missions Boards, be wary of any that treat their missionaries as employees and essentially usurp the role of the Sending Church. Consider their behavior, not merely their terminology and claims.

D. Why Should a Prospective Missionary Visit My Church?

Inviting a prospective missionary benefits both the pastor and the church. You must, however, consider your motivations for having them visit. The following are some common motivations (both good and bad) along with some considerations for each.

You invite a missionary so he can challenge your congregation concerning missions (either to inspire or to educate). Perhaps you have missionaries already in the area and you’ve invited them to address particular subjects. Wonderful! Have you made your intentions clear? Are you willing to pay for their time? Allowing a missionary to come and present their ministry, even when your church cannot take on another missionary, CAN encourage your people and help the missionary (through love offerings and prayer support). However, you MUST make your intentions known. Avoid limiting yourself to accepting only missionaries whom you can support. Some churches will wait until one of their missionaries retires or dies before they start “accepting applications” from others. These dry spells will kill your people’s fervor for missions. Be up-front with a missionary you cannot take on, but don’t be hesitant to have them still come and speak. Praise the Lord if your church can still honor new missionaries while pushing the limits of financially supporting others!

You invite a missionary so he can fill your pulpit while you’re on vacation. Be careful of this pitfall, especially if support is a possibility. If possible, the pastor should be present during a missionary’s visit in order to get to know him and the family as well.

You invite a missionary, because it’s the third (or fifth) Sunday (or Wednesday) of the month. Many churches have fallen into the tradition of inviting a missionary at regular intervals, to the point that their scheduling has become a routine and the purpose and ministry of the missionary is lost. Everything runs together. Consider scheduling fewer missionaries or finding ways to make their coming more of an event than mere routine.

You invite a missionary so your church can consider how you might support them. If support is a real possibility, you might think of the visit as you would the first date of a young couple: The potential “marriage” should at least be at the back of both your minds. You should agree upon basic common beliefs. You should learn more about each other and see if “this date” will lead to others and, eventually, to marriage.

Whether you think you will eventually support a prospective missionary or not, use the opportunity of his visit to give the relationship a chance to grow through prayer and communication. Seek to be a mutual blessing. Get to know each other by asking as many questions as you can while you’re together. If possible, have the missionary stay for more than a day, so several church families can host them and get to know them. Request his prayer letter, even if you cannot take him on now. Neither you nor he ever knows how God will direct you both in the future.

E. Why Has It Become So Hard to Raise Support?

Do you ever get a sense that some missionaries are overly fixated on funds? Try to empathize with the plight of the prospective ministry. “Rutted” in virtually-unbreakable traditions, the church requires its missionaries to market their burdens for specific peoples, to sell them as more needy, more lost, more forgotten than the next  people group in line. While deputation itself can be ministry, the fact remains that missionaries must delay their careers—sometimes for years after formal training is over!—until they can convince enough strangers that they’re trained enough and burdened enough to meet the need with which God has burdened their hearts. Sometimes I wonder, what’s wrong with the church?

Many issues make support-raising a difficult task for missionaries. Consider the following:

Because support levels are rising. The cost of living fluctuates for everyone, yet some in the church expect missionaries’ standard of living to be lower than that of the average Christian, simply because they live in a foreign land. Others don’t understand why prospective missionaries need to budget for retirement, insurance, travel expenses, and education. Again, empathize with your missionary. Is his family called to be “poor” while the average Christian family is called to be “better stewards” of their funds? Remember, too, that most missionaries must deal with exchange rates, besides inflation.

Because of all the other ministries seeking support. Local churches are already financially invested in camps, evangelistic ministries, educational institutions, etc. Many of these groups even send professional salesman to market their ministries! When a simple missionary arrives to share his burden, he often comes across as awkward in incapable by comparison.

Because so many churches have reached their limit in the number of missionaries they can support. Again, this is more the fault of overall church tradition than of the average church’s financial stability or love. While you pray the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest, pray for His supply as well.

Because American church members have too many “needs.” Materialism has infiltrated the church. Too many believers have forgotten how to be content with life and satisfied with having real needs met. They have also forgotten how to be willing to sacrifice for the benefit of someone else. All this can be chalked up simply as a failure to live with eternity in view.

F. What are the Challenges of Deputation?

There are benefits and challenges to support-raising, and I’d like to discuss the negative before the positive. Apart from the obvious challenge of raising funds, prospective missionaries face other challenges as well, including:

The challenge of building fast relationships. The easiest source of support is a church where the missionary knows someone. When they visit a church for only a few hours, such a relationship can rarely be built.

The challenge of church attendance. While missionaries certainly attend church (sometimes up to three different churches per week), they cannot get involved in their own. When they return to their church, they feel like visitors still. This is especially hard on children and teens.

The challenge of weariness. Constant traveling takes its toll on a family and vehicle. Living as full-time guests who regularly eat special meals might sound like a dream gig, but it’s not. Every host family deserves attention. Every bed is unfamiliar. Every meal is special. Smiles get forced. Sleep gets less. Restaurants and pot-lucks get old. From my own personal experience, the easiest thing about deputation was the weight gain.

The challenge of time. When a family begins deputation, they’re never certain when they’ll reach the field. It could be six months of four years. Planning becomes difficult. Rather than acting on their burden for the foreign field now, missionaries on deputation must speak in terms of “in the Lord’s time, we hope to…” Season after season of such wishful presenting can be very difficult indeed.

G. What are the Benefits of Deputation?

Deputation gives a missionary a chance to broaden his horizons. His family can visit other churches of like-faith that they never knew existed—to see other ministries and meet new friends.

• Deputation allows missionaries to meet more prayer partners than otherwise.
• Deputation teaches missionaries the truths of Philippians 4:19 and lets them recognize what in their lives are true needs and what “needs” are not needs at all.
• Deputation gives missionaries the chance to share their testimonies of how God saved them and led them to their mission field, which may encourage and inspire others to go as well.
• Deputation allows for churches to hear the scope of missions anew, challenging them to get involved in their own community and beyond.

II. Practical Considerations

As you consider having a prospective missionary visit your church, it’s important to weigh both the spiritual and the practical considerations. The following are general considerations that will hopefully inspire you to be a better host to the missionaries God has brought your way. I’ve categorized them into the following areas: Before the Missionary Visits, When the Missionary Visits, and After the Missionary Leaves.

A. Before: What Is Involved in Scheduling a Missionary Visit?

It’s far more likely for a missionary to reach out to a local church than vice-versa. What should a church do with this contact?

Respond. For whatever reason, missionaries find that pastors on the average aren’t very good or consistent at answering phone calls or responding to e-mails. Granted, initial contact is unsolicited, but such slow or failed responses make it very difficult for missionaries to schedule their travels. Pastors, please don’t be afraid to respond with a polite “No”, for at least then the missionary has an answer and needn’t wait on a possibility.

Maintain communication. Even when the answer is “Yes” and you’ve scheduled a meeting with a missionary, please don’t wait until the week before to communicate details and times. A missionary schedule his on-the-road time meticulously, and such slow or late communication adds unnecessary burdens to the family. If arrangements change, communicate them immediately.

Keep your word. Newer missionaries naively think that initial contact and scheduling with a pastor sets the plans in stone for both, and no further contact is necessary. Experience teaches them otherwise! Missionaries find that they must remind pastors of their own visits. You can help deter this need—and shine like a star!—by initiating contact and re-confirming the scheduled meeting and its details, preferably from 3-4 weeks beforehand.

Write things down. Despite all these precautions missionaries take, plans still change, because many pastors fail to write things down. This can include minor details like “Did I tell them we would provide them supper before the service?” or larger details like, “Which Sunday did I ask them to speak?” Personally, my own worst experience was arriving at a triple-booked Sunday morning and being asked to return the following week! It’s not safe to rely on our memories, no matter how great we think they are. We’re all human.

When you communicate with your missionary (most likely by e-mail), two questions are also important to ask up front before you schedule his arrival.

“Is it convenient for your to visit our area?” As you schedule, bear in mind that the furthest limits that a missionary should travel for your church alone is 200-400 miles, unless he’s already on an extended trip in your part of the country. If you’re looking simply for pulpit-fill with no intention of taking on this prospective missionary, make sure the visit is worth the distance he must travel.

“Who is your sending church?” (or “What mission board are you with?”) It’s important that you do your own research, considering whether or not your agree with the doctrine and mission of both his sending church and missions agency. Is your church comfortable joining the ministry of his sending church?

B. Before: How Can We Prepare for a Missionary Visit?

This prospective missionary is looking forward to visiting your church, make no doubt about it! Thus it’s important that you make him and his family feel welcome during his stay. We’ll look more into the specifics of hosting in the next section, but for now, let’s consider how you can prepare your church for the visit.

Make sure your congregation knows who the missionaries are. Some missionaries are mistaken for local visitors to the church after they arrive, which is just awkward for everyone involved. Prepare you people by adding the missionary’s picture to your PPT or announcement schedule and get your folks excited about their arrival.

Show your own excitement about their visit. Prepare your congregation by preaching on missions-related topics or inviting members of the missions team to introduce the country or family a week or month in advance.

Plan special events during their stay. You can make your time with the missionary special by planning a potluck dinner after the morning service or, for a more intimate meeting, scheduling a special time for discussion and questions after any service. You can also get the children and youth involved by having them color and hang posters relating to missions and that missionary’s country in anticipation of their arrival.

C. Before: How Should We Stock a Missionary Cupboard?

On average, about 25% churches stock and maintain a missionary cupboard. While such stocks are not necessary—after all, needs can be met in different ways—a missionary cupboard certainly communicates both your own consideration and the missionary’s importance.

It really does help missionaries on the deputation. Money for traveling missionaries is often tight, and missionary cupboards meet real needs in essential areas. Sometimes it’s hassle for missionaries to find necessities like hygiene products and coloring books. And sometimes, a Starbucks gift card is worth more to a missionary than the cash it represents.

Put your heart into it. Appoint your best, most caring people to run the missionary cupboard. There are many ways to let your missionary “shop” through your cupboard, from letting them have free-reign, to giving them a fun time limit, to giving them “missionary bucks” and a wad of “cash” to shop for items which have been assigned a specific value. Make it fun, and you’re sure both to please and to bless your visiting missionary.

Stock it with well. We’ve seen some amazing options in missionary closets (like brand new crock pots and fancy gift cards) and also some not-so-amazing options (like half-burned candles and half-used bars of soap—no joke!). Keep in mind that you’re offering these items because you love to give, not because missionaries are beggars. Make available items that are either new or good-as-new. Focus on essentials (hygiene and daily-use products like deodorant and towels), surprises (like thank you cards and novels), kid-items (like toys and crafts), and even luxuries (like gift certificates and home-made preserves). There’s no limit to what you can make available, as long as your people’s love and imagination are given free reign.

Update them regularly. To keep your cupboard fresh, consider hosting a “Missionary Cupboard Emphasis” summer, focusing on a different category every other week. During offering time, teens can carry buckets to collect items instead of money. This “offering” for God’s servants can be much more meaningful than asking your people to “put the items in the cupboard anytime.” You might also consider holding a “missionary shower”, where you meet the specific needs of a missionary you’ve contacted in advance. Post items early and ask your people to bring these items when your missionary visits to speak.

D. During: When Should a Prospective Missionary Visit Our Church?

The missionary who originally provided much of this information named six of his most common invitations during his own deputation. The following breaks down his 227 church visit from the most common to the least (by percentage).

Sunday, all-day (28%). This option gives the church (especially one or two “host families”) the best opportunity to get to know the missionaries and vice versa. From the missionary’s perspective, this arrangement allows for him and his family to sit under the pastor’s preaching, something necessary for traveling missionaries who otherwise preach the same messages week after week. It also gives the missionary a feel for the church’s ministry. From the church’s perspective, this arrangement gives the pastors, deacons, or missionary committee ample time in the afternoon to meet with the missionary. The author found it surprising how few churches asked them questions about what they are doing and what they plan to be doing.

If you go the all-Sunday route, consider this schedule: In Sunday School, the missionaries share their testimonies, the ministry, and a short challenge. In the morning service, they sit under the pastor’s preaching (and perhaps offer special music). In the evening service, they share their PPT and a message, perhaps also taking questions. Occasionally the church could also hold an afternoon service following a pot-luck, especially if the missionaries have a long drive ahead of them.

Sunday evening (27%). While Sunday evenings are more common than Sunday mornings, they work to the disadvantage of a visiting missionary because there are fewer people in attendance and far less time to get to know the people of the church.

Midweek service (20%). This percentage is actually inflated, since many of these visits were impromptu as they either remained in town or were merely “passing through”. These services offer the lowest attendance, yet they also don’t generally interfere with regular church services.

Sunday Morning (13%). This option offers the missionary his greatest exposure to the church people. Generally speaking, only half of the Sunday morning attendees return Sunday evening, and only half of those return for a mid-week service. Traditionally, missionaries take Sunday School to show their PPT, share testimonies and answer questions, and then take the Sunday morning service to preach the Word of God.

Missions Conference/VBS (3%). These events can be great for a missionary, if they are well-planned. They can also be exhausting or stressful if not. They offer your church and the missionary more time to get to know each other. If the conference is a round-robin type, they have greater exposure to more churches, but also have less time to form deeper bonds.

A note of consideration: be aware of in-between days. Many on-the-road missionaries dislike having to handle the days between services and meetings, trying to figure out how to pass their time from Thursday to Sunday, though their church visits are only 100 miles apart. Others enjoy the chance to stay a few days in hotels rather than as guests in someone’s home. Ask your missionary if it would help them if they arrived a day or two early or stayed a day or two later. Select host families than accommodate during this extra time, if necessary.

E. During: What’s the Best Way to Host a Missionary (or Missionary Family)? 

Your church’s situation differs from that of others. That’s understandable. But consider these four major options for hosting missionaries when they visit.

People’s Homes. This is by far the most common option and, for the most part, a real blessing for both the missionary and the family. This option gives families (including children) opportunity to know a missionary family intimately, if but for just a day or more. They get to learn that missionaries really are normal people, and it’s not uncommon for friendships and long-term bonds to form. Prayer support is also boosted when church families can house missionaries. A word of caution, however. As part of your missions team, consider organizing a friendly check-up on host-homes. Most homes we personally visited were immaculate and comfortable, though a few were quite honestly dirty or just plain creepy (dusty, ceramic clown-dolls surrounding my bed is an image that will stick with me forever!).

Hotels. While it is less common for churches to place missionaries in hotels due to the expense, missionary families with children often prefer this option. This does allow something special for the missionaries—relaxation time away from meeting new people for an evening, or even the privilege of intimacy while on the road!—though certainly meeting new people is a key goal of deputation. Bear in mind that, if you put a missionary up in a hotel, you still should invite them to homes or other gatherings for meals.

Prophet’s Chamber. This is an apartment often attached to a church building and developed specifically for visiting speakers. To be most effective, these apartments should be fitted with a private kitchen (or basic kitchen appliances), a bathroom, and a bed. Some church members even fit prophets chambers into their own homes, which is often a more affordable and more easily maintained option for the church. Overall, these end up being less expensive than hotels and still allow privacy for the missionary.

A Missionary House. This is a home owned by the church (much like a parsonage) and used specifically for visiting missionaries, and sometimes even as a base for missionaries on deputation or furlough. This option allows for privacy, space, a feeling of homeliness, a place for laundry, cooking, relaxation, etc. This is specifically useful for missionaries who stay for longer periods of time, so they do not feel like a burden on hosts. It certainly is a more costly investment, but it is one worth considering, if your church is serious about serving missionaries in unique ways—even those you don’t regularly support.

F. How Can We Help Traveling Missionaries?

Life on the road for missionaries on deputation or furlough is neither normal nor a vacation. There are plenty of things to keep in mind, but here are few important notes.

Their family isn’t perfect. It might not surprise you, but kids fresh from an 8-hour drive are not angels. Kids who haven’t slept in the same bed three nights in a row for the past month can get cranky. Be understanding and don’t let your first impressions of wild behavior be your lasting impressions of the family itself.

They want to meet the pastor. Your time is important and limited, we know. But let the missionary know you are excited to have them visit your church and that they are not a burden. Fit at least some time into your pastoral schedule to visit with them personally. Breakfast on Monday has always been a personal favorite time of mine to meet the pastor one-on-one.

Don’t forget the in-between days. Churches often overlook the days between the normal service schedules of Sunday and Wednesday. Ask the missionaries their plans for these days and try to be accommodating.

Missionaries need breaks too. Especially when traveling as a family, missionaries spend literally 24-7 with each other for weeks or months on end. You could do them a world of good by offering to get them a babysitter for the evening, so the parents can go out on a simple date. Offer them a give a gift card to a local restaurant, and you might even give them a heart attack.

Let them be “part of the family” during their stay. They have probably been away from home for a long time, and they may not even have a place to call home. The words “Make yourself at home” are difficult to follow if the hosts don’t show them where things are. If everyone in the house will use the same bathroom, work out a schedule, etc.

Missionaries need their sleep. Be sensitive to keeping the missionaries up late at night. They may be tired from travel or they may need to get up early to prepare for the service. We can’t count how many times we stayed up past midnight simply shooting the breeze with our host families about missionary life. It’s wonderful but exhausting, and it gets plain awkward when the fifteenth yawn continues to go unnoticed.

Let them schedule their days. The scheduled meetings should be set in stone, as should be any ministry opportunities you’ve discussed with them beforehand. But be careful not to schedule out their days for them. Missionaries often need to study or home-school their children, and they need ample personal time to do so.

Missionary families can’t always travel together. Sometimes the missionary family cannot all travel together (due to school or other engagements) and the father must visit alone. If you are interested in taking the family on, see if you can work out a time when they can all come together.

Connect them to their host family early. Before the missionaries arrive, open communication between the host family and missionary family to see if there are any special needs that must be addressed (allergies, illnesses, children, etc.). This can also serve as the bedrock of a long-term relationship.

Get them involved, when feasible. If your church has special projects to be done, ask the missionaries if they would like to help. After long hours of travel, they often long for opportunities to exercise and might be glad to help. Just be aware that they do try to follow daily schedules while on the road (home school, etc.).

G. During: How Should We Pay a Visiting Missionary?

Although a missionary visits to benefit your people, simply allowing them the privilege to be in your church is not payment enough. There are several options for how to pay your visiting missionary.

Love offerings. While taking a love offering after the service in which the missionary speaks is one great option, this might not be enough to cover his expenses or show your people’s appreciation. Let’s face it, some missionaries are “less inspiring” than others, and while it’s Christian to let them know the bad news, that’s a conversation better saved for words over coffee, not for the check as you show him the door.

Travel expenses. Some churches simply give each visiting missionary a set amount in order not to burden their people with constant love offerings. This, however, may not even cover the missionary’s travel expenses. This is another great reason to ask your missionary how far he must travel and what other churches in the area he might be able to visit.

A combination of options. You ought to consider covering all travel expenses AND discussing what love offerings/honorarium ought to be given. In fact, a better option is three-fold: to set a standard payment to cover mileage, to give an honorarium for speaking, and to take up a love offering.

It’s also important to recognize that not all prospective missionaries are equal. You must consider: Are they at the beginning of their deputation experience or the end? Do they have jobs and traveling only on the weekends, or are the considered “full-time”? Should you pay them directly at their visit?

Full-time vs. Part-time missionaries. While some missionaries do have jobs and can only travel on weekends, there really is no distinction between full-time or part-time deputation, even if finances do differ. “Part-time” missionaries who travel only on the weekends also have full-time jobs during the week to deal with, so it is as if they are working two full-time jobs, seven days a week. “Full-time” missionaries who travel constantly raising support do not make nearly enough for their family to live on. Neither likely makes enough from churches-minus-travel expenses to support a family, though they also might be taking in funds from support they’ve been able to raise, which brings us to the next consideration.

The missionary’s level of support. Consider where in their support-raising the missionaries are. Those at 20% will have much more immediate needs than those at 80%. Don’t be afraid to ask these questions.

When to pay the missionary. It’s common to either send money to the missions board or to give it directly to the missionary before his departure. If you send it to the board, beware that he might not get news of the deposit for up to two whole months. Missionaries usually prefer to get the money directly for several reasons. First, they’re guaranteed payment rather than facing the off-chance that their “unscheduled expense” get lost in the daily shuffle of church business. Missionaries also work on a budget, so it’s good to know sooner rather than later how much money they have. Missionaries can also send more timely and detailed thank-you letters, if they’ve been paid directly. Missionaries are generally required to report all love offerings they’ve received while on the road, so this method remains on the up-and-up.

H. After: How Should We Continue Communicating with the Missionary?

Your church’s host family or your church will likely receive a thank you note from the missionary following his visit. But how should you communicate with them in return?

No matter what, communicate! Whether you connect by phone, e-mail, or social media, keeping this family in your prayers and letting them know about it is an easy enough ministry. It’s a support that costs nothing and, in the long run, means much more to the family once they’re on the field. From personal experience, we have stronger prayer partners from churches we’ve visited who don’t support us financially, and yet also churches that support us financially but who haven’t communicated with us in years. In the heat of the battle, we know which support matters most.

If support is a possibility. Be careful not to tell your missionary “We can probably support you” or “There’s a good chance we’ll be able to support you, if…” Despite your best intentions, chances are this will never happen. Their anticipation of receiving your support does not involve money alone, but prayer and long-term contact. It’s better to surprise them with good news than to let them down after getting their hopes up.

If you decide not to support them, let them know! The sooner the better, not so they can forget you, but so they can continue their deputation process without working in mere “maybes.”

If you decide to support them, let them know! You’re seeing a trend here: communication is important. Your letter of good news is the beginning to a long, hopefully fruitful relationship. Letting them know as soon as possible keeps the ambiguity out of why they’re receiving money from your church at regular interval: it’s no longer honorariums to be put toward travel, it’s support to be put towards salary.

Long-term communication. It’s always a good idea to wed missionaries to families in your church through a missions committee or an adopt-a-missionary program. The perpetual engagement that goes beyond birthdays and replies is an encouragement to the missionary that they don’t often get. Such intentional, personal, prayerful engagement in their ministry is the whole reason why they visited your church in the first place.

I. After: How Should We Handle a Missionary’s Prayer Letter?

Prayer letters, though expected and appreciated, often get lost in the goings on of a church. E-mail has removed most costs of sending traditional prayer letters, yet missionaries still invest great time and effort in this type of formal—and essential—communication (I Thessalonians 5:25). If you read the letter and pray for the family, let them know! Guaranteed, that would place you in the 1% of his mailing list who actually responds.

The missionary’s part. Each missionary should send a formal letter anywhere from monthly to quarterly. Anything less and they’re failing to communicate. Anything more and they’re flooding inboxes. Their goal in these letters is to share their ministry’s goings-on, as well as prayer requests and praises.

The church’s part. Your responsibility is to read them! Just posting the letter on a bulletin board isn’t good enough. People either ignore them or aren’t prepared to record and remember the prayer requests listed. Instead, read them at prayer services or summarize them on Sundays. Record the requests onto your church’s own prayer sheet. Forward these letters or requests onto your e-mail prayer chains. Keep the missionaries and their needs before your people, and pray for them. Pray at church, pray at home, and let the missionary know that you’re praying!

Conclusion

This article has included a lot of information about how your church can support missionaries in ways they go beyond mere finances. But it’s not an exhaustive article, and there are still more ways that you can be a part of their ministries around the world. I pray that as you mull over these ideas and seek to lead your people toward a more missions-sensitive heart, God would be glorified, the missionaries would be encouraged, and the Gospel would be spread to the ends of the Earth.

[Note: This information was originally compiled by an anonymous missionary. I have adapted and updated it according to my own experiences.]

©2018 E.T.