Some suggested ways to 'Adopt' a Missionary



Adopting a missionary

Why adopt a missionary?

Many people don’t have the chance to hear about Jesus, so missionaries are sent to make Him known. Yet missionaries can’t do it alone. They need your partnership through prayers, encouragement, practical and financial support. They need your prayer for sustained strength to serve God. As they have left so much behind, many missionaries struggle with loneliness, discouragement, homesickness and the stress of living in a foreign culture and language.

Adopting a missionary is a tangible way of supporting them and serving alongside them in their ministry. Through praying for your missionaries and their ministries, you are enabling them to remain healthy and effective, so they can do the work God has prepared for them to do, and together you are making Jesus known so people have the chance to know and worship Him.

Some suggested ways to “adopt” a missionary

Each missionary is different and care will depend on the missionary involved, but here are some suggestions and ideas for you small group/fellowship to minister to your missionaries. Be creative and use the gifts of your group/fellowship.

Get to know your missionary

1. Have someone designated as the contact person for the group, who will be responsible for initiating and maintaining contact with your missionary for regular updates and prayer requests.

2. Ask to be put on your missionary’s mailing list to receive their prayer letters regularly.

3. Write to your missionary about their work, friends, ministry, goals, joys, successes, struggles, (i.e. show interest and support for the things they are giving their life to), and share about your life too.

Pray for your missionary

4. Pray for your missionary’s needs and ministries during your small group/fellowship meetings.

5. Read the latest prayer letter at your group meetings.

6. Pray for the country they are serving in: leadership, people, current events, social issues, standards of living, relationships with neighbors.

7. Pray for God’s work in the people they are witnessing to.

Encourage your missionary

8. Call/skype them once a month when the group meets and pray for them.

9. Write a quick note of encouragement when the group meets to let them know you are praying for them (card with 1 or 2 lines from each member). Include a photo and short introduction of your group so they know who is praying for them.

10. Ask them what they are learning about God, and prayer points. Share what you’ve been learning about God, and prayer points so they can pray for you too. For other questions to ask, see attachment.

11. Provide their email address to the group so individuals can write to them too.

12. Send resources that nurture them spiritually (eg subscription to Christian publications, books, music CDs, links to songs you’re singing at church, online sermons, articles, etc).

NB: If your missionary is serving in a Creative Access Nation, ask the mission agency for guidelines about what is safe to write, and what to avoid.

Care for your missionary

13. Find out when your missionary’s birthdays and anniversaries are and send cards/care packages at these special times. This is especially important for missionary children, who grow up away from their extended family. Ask them what they’d like, especially things they miss from Australia and can’t be easily bought in their country.

14. Send cards on holidays like Christmas, Easter, etc.

15. If there are children in your group/Sunday School, encourage them to get to know a missionary family with children, learn about their lives and pray for them. Younger children can draw pictures while older children/teenagers can write cards/letters. See ‘How to pray for Missionary Kids’ for more ideas.

Learn about your missionary’s ministry

16. Get a subscription to their mission organisation newsletter/prayer updates and stay in touch with the organisation’s vision.

17. Do research as a group to learn more about the country they are serving in, the people group they are reaching out to and the ministry they are involved in (eg through internet, Operation World, the Joshua Project: ) and have someone present to the group. Can include interesting facts about the culture, snacks from the country, pictures, DVDs, spiritual needs, social issues, current ministries, and prayer points.

18. Read ‘Serving as Senders’ by Neil Pirolo as a group to learn how to care for your missionary.

Encourage prayer for your missionary

19. Ask missionaries for photos/DVDs that they can be shown to others to share with others and encourage prayer for your missionary.

20. Prepare a “Mission Spot” for a Sunday service to introduce your missionary to the congregation, share updated prayer points and lead prayer for them.

Give towards your missionary’s ministry

21. Give towards your missionary/missionary family’s financial support as God enables you by faith.

22. When they are preparing to go, or are back on home assignment, assist them in raising financial support by offering to host a meeting in your home or church for them to share about their life and ministry.

Go

23. Pray about someone going to serve with your missionary for a short term mission trip. Discuss first with your missionary and their mission organisation about when is the best time to go, and what you could be involved in. If planned well, this could be a real encouragement to them, to take part in and support their ministry, and an encouragement to you to see firsthand what God is doing through them and your partnership with them, and enable you to know how to better support them. Or, support someone else to go on a short term mission trip.

Welcome your missionary

24. Help your missionary when they transition from the field to Australia on Home Assignment. Offer to help provide some of the following: housing, car, home appliances, clothes, books, food, music, toys, treats, dinners out, baby sitting etc.

25. Invite them to share at your church, small group or fellowship during Home Assignment.

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