Initials indicate extra contributors to article - Credit given at bottom

I. Deputation/Pre-Field Ministry

A. Help "your own missionaries"
B. Listen, pray and advise them
C. Be faithful in giving

II. Practical Support

A. Invite them over to your home
B. Help them put together their presentation
C. Service their car for free
D. Pray for and with them
E. Distribute updates of their ministry
F. Ask them questions (have a group in while they speak)

III. Prayer Support

A. Pray for their personal relationship with God
B. Pray for their moral purity
C. Pray for the priorities they need in their ministry
D. Pray for family relationships
E. Pray for cultural adjustments
F. Pray for co-worker relationships
G. Pray for specific things they share in letters, emails, etc.

IV. Communication

A. Send them letters, cards, emails
B. Call them
C. Send them video tapes, music tapes, etc.
D. Go and visit them
E. Send them gifts
F. Adopt them as your families' missionary
G. Send them preaching tapes from your church

V. Furlough encouragement

A. Be aware of the stresses that they are under
B. What can churches do?

1) Provide housing and/or vehicle
2) Allow them different times to share their ministry with various groups
3) Help the church get to really know them
4) Provide a retreat/seminar that they can attend to encourage them
5) Take them shopping for things they need
6) Help them with their medical needs
7) Open the missionary cupboard for them (see below for ideas)
8) Fill their vehicle's fuel tank (A.B.T) "Oh and filling up the gas tank. That's one of my favorites!" (M.H.)
9) Make up a basket of goodies

VI. Missionary Conferences

A. Have good communication and be friendly
B. Don't over schedule the missionaries
C. Have each missionary be a keynote speaker at different meetings
D. Have many times for informal gatherings
E. Provide a children's conference where the missionaries share with the children
F. Be sensitive to their health needs; special food diets; and don't over feed them!
G. "Also, its great to be invited to someone's house...but make sure it does not interfere with what the pastor has planned. Its hard to say 'yes' when you don't know what the pastor wants you to do. So get the o.k. from him and then tell your missionary that you already asked the pastor for permission." (M.H.)

VII. Missionary kids

A. Include them with other children in the conference
B. Provide them with new clothing, toys, etc. that will help them feel at home
C. Remember their birthdays and special holidays
D. Send letters, cards, packages to the college age Missionary kids also
E.  "My kids get birthday cards from some of our churches and they love it. Sometimes they have Wal-Mart gift cards or just a pack of stickers...but they love them." (M.H.)
F. Craft/Coloring/Travel Box - "Another great thing I have seen done recently: Take a metal cake pan (9x13) with a metal lid and depending on the age of the child, fill it with washable markers, tablets, color books, little cars, etc. for teens you could put a book, a journal, words puzzle games, etc. that way there is a place to store the goodies and a hard surface for playing or writing. You could even put a cover-up so the markers don't get on the children's clothing. I recommend markers because crayons melt in the car. (J.P.)
G. "We were given a computerized hand held math tutor that had math games in it that we all played while we were driving. Even Dad played with us. :)" (J.P.)
H. Be careful about offering for babysitting services. If you yourself are very careful about who cares for your children, how much more so a missionary family who may not really "know" anyone at your church.

Each week you can spend time praying in a specific way for your particular missionaries:

Day 1 PRAY FOR THEIR SPIRITUAL LIFE AND WALK WITH GOD

*their Bible study time - that their love for God's Word will grow
*their prayer life - that it will become stronger and be consistent
*that they will be led by the Holy Spirit
*for maturity and growth in grace
*for victory over Satan, sin and the flesh

Day 2 PRAY FOR THEIR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL LIFE

*adaptation to climate
*health in the midst of disease
*safety in all types of travel
*victory over loneliness, discouragement, depression
*for physical strength
*financial needs

Day 3 PRAY FOR THEIR FAMILY

*husband/wife relationship
*children -relationship with parents, education, friends, church people
*family life be a model to those saved and unsaved
*extended family in other parts of the world
*coping with being single

Day 4 PRAY FOR THEIR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE

*patience as they do language study
*ability to improve in their communication skills
*desire to understand the culture they are in and adapt to it

Day 5 PRAY FOR THEIR MINISTRY

*for new contacts and a growing ministry
*for boldness, open doors
*for prepared hearts, fruitfulness
*for evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training
*for progress in reaching goals they have set

Day 6 PRAY FOR THEIR FELLOW WORKERS

*teamwork - may they appreciate differences in the body of Christ and gifts others have
*willingness to communicate and be open with others
*learn to respond and not react
*work with nationals who are being trained
*practice humility and forgiveness - strive for unity in all things

Day 7 PRAY FOR COUNTRY IN WHICH THEY ARE WORKING

*governments, national and local
*openness to the gospel and open doors for ministry
*peace so missionaries can stay and spread gospel
*details of going into and leaving country - visas, etc.
*people in this country have open hearts and not hard hearts towards the Word
 

 

Here are some things you can put in a letter or email to a missionary:

"Missionaries need communication.  It can get really lonely at times.   OF course we didn't have the blessing of email and if it got windy our phone went out so the post office was our life line." (J.P.)

1. "We're praying for you"
2. News about your family/their family
3. Church news - but don't be a gossip and don't burden the missionary with church problems!
If the missionaries are from your church send them the church bulletin.   My grandmother actually wrote her letter to me on the church bulletin.  Of course she always needed extra paper but the letter started out on the bulletin.  She was very faithful to send it each week. (J.P.)
4. Photos
5. "Stuff" - salad dressings or seasoning mix, stick of gum, sachet, flavoured tea bag, stickers, bookmarks (Check first with your missionary to see if letters with extra contents come through unharmed)
6. Book reviews
7. Magazine / local newspaper clippings
8. Comics from the newspaper, the appropriate ones, were always a hit at our house. (J.P.)
9. Special Bible verses
10. Birthday cards
11. If sending stuff in boxes, "Oh, and to pack any boxed gifts for out of the country with interesting newspaper articles, I guess would be a good idea then!" (A.P.)
 

As a missionary arrives to minister at your church, it is a real pleasure to be able to take them (all of them or just the wife) to the missionary cupboard and allow them to get things they need.

The number of items given will be up to the church. Keep in mind the size of their family and their ability to get it back to the country they are from.

Also keep in mind that since all countries are different as to what a missionary can bring in without either it getting "lost" or having to pay a heavy duty the bigger and heavier items may go unclaimed.

Here are ideas for stocking this cupboard.

BABY ITEMS: blankets, small quilts, diapers, wipes, sleepers, baby toys, powder, lotion, Q-tips, diaper rash cream (traveling can really upset little ones J.P.)

CLOTHING: socks, pantyhose, scarves, ties, shoeshine kits, umbrellas, jewelry, knee- highs

COSMETICS: aftershave lotion, colognes, bath oils, combs, brushes, deodorants, emery boards, nail files, nail clippers, shampoo/conditioner, hair spray, hand creams, moisturizers, perfumes, soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair clips, barrettes, hand mirrors, nail polish/remover, toiletry bags, wet ones, feminine hygiene products

DECORATIVE ITEMS: baskets, candles/holders, figurines, vases, florist lay, pictures, picture frames/hangers, mirrors, lamps, framed verses

GAMES: games for car, puzzles, craft kits, coloring books, crayons, colored pencils, markers, construction paper, art paper, puzzle books, balloons, soft toys, regular games

HOUSE/YARD ITEMS: cleansers, clocks, clotheslines, clothes bags/pins, contact paper, curtains, feather dusters, flashlights, household brushes, ironing boards/pads/covers, laundry bags, clothes hangers, small rugs, scrub pails, sponges, dish detergent, spray starch, spot cleaner. Batteries, spray paint, repellents, paintbrushes/rollers, vegetable/flower seeds, how-to magazines, masking tape, electrical tape

FOR MEN: special tools for the yard, car, home repair (those things they are unable to purchase overseas - it's probably a good idea to have tools in metrics since most countries other than the US are on this system.)

KITCHEN ITEMS: bread pans, pie pans, muffin tins, cookie sheets, aprons, cutlery, dishes, hot pads, measuring cups, mixing and measuring spoons, oven mitts, recipe cards, tupperware/rubbermaid, small appliances, spatulas, can openers, spices, flavorings, cupcake liners, recipe cards (remember that they may not be able to use the same wattage for small appliances)

LINENS: bath mats, towels, washcloths, mattress covers, bed pillows, blankets, quilts, sheets, shower curtains and hooks, tablecloths, place mats, cloth napkins, napkin rings.

MEDICINE: Aspirin, pain relievers, first aid items, medicated creams/ointments, sunburn lotion, vaporizer, vitamins, band aids, blistex

MUSIC: hymnals, songbooks, piano/organ music books, musical instruments, music tapes and Cd's,

"The best things I love from the missionary closets are music tapes. Its so hard to find good Godly music and when you do you usually can't afford it. What a wonderful surprise to get tapes when you go to a church to visit. Its one of the nicest gifts, especially when you travel for hours and hours in a car." (M.K.)

OFFICE SUPPLIES: pens, pencils, construction paper, markers, hi-lighters, greeting cards, thank you notes, stationary, envelopes, note book paper, notebooks, paper punch, stapler/staples/remover, transparent tape, post-it notes, dictionaries, 3x5 cards, postage stamps, rulers, letter openers, portable files, rubber bands, glue/sticks, calendars

PAPER ITEMS: aluminum foil, waxed paper, plastic wrap, zip lock bags, trash bags, plates, cups, napkins, paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, special occasion napkins, party stuff

READING MATERIAL: story books for children, biographies, Bible-study books, devotionals books, Christian novels, magazines, craft books, home decorating books, book marks, blank books for journaling

SEWING/CRAFT ITEMS: buttons, elastic, laces and trims, mending tapes, needles, straight pins, pin cushions, safety pins, zippers, scissors, sewing kits, seam rippers, cross stitch kits, items for making crafts

TEACHING HELPS: Bibles, maps, charts, chalk, flannel graph/boards, puppets, illustrated Bible stories/missionary stories, letter sets/stencils, scrapbooks, stickers, tapes and videos

GIFT CERTIFICATES: Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, malls, restaurants, Home Depot, grocery store, drug store, Christian book store (Watch expiry date! These are best purchased just before missionaries arrive.)