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The Forming Of A Missionary Support Group. By Kevin E. Jesmer 6-24-15

The Forming Of A Missionary Support Group

 By Kevin E. Jesmer                                                                                                    6-24-15

Acts 12:25-13:5                                                                                 Key verse 13:2-3,

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” (ESV)

sunshine package

      Recently I had dinner with a missionary family. They had just finished some cross cultural, training at “To Every Tribe” and now they were on their way to Canada to strength their relationship with their sending church. We were blessed to grill out at my house. One question they posed is, “How do you form a support group?” That is a great question.

I am no expert in this area, yet God has led me into this area of ministry. Over the last three years, Jesus has been establishing two missionary families, in our local churches, to be permanent missionaries to one community in Northern Canada. They are set to launch to the mission field, this fall (2015). It is very hard for missionaries to maintain  longevity on the mission filed without the backing of strong support group at their sending church. It has become obvious to me that God wants me to stand as a networker and nurture the growth of a missionary support group here at their sending church in Sycamore Illinois. We are in the infancy stages, but there are things that we have learned, that I want to set down in words, in hopes that they may help guide others in maturing a support group in their own churches.

 

There is such a great need for support groups in a sending church. There is a graph called a cross cultural worker’s timeline. The graph was basically a graph of emotional strength vs. time. In the graph, the initial, emotional “high” of missionary life quickly plummets after the missionaries move to a mission field and face the realities of serving in an isolated, cross cultural setting. They will need the home church support when they are gone. Missionaries are aware of the hardships. They know that when they leave, they are entering into the departure phase of their mission. They know what they are going to face and will require the faithful love and encouragement of the support team. And so, let’s think what is required to form such a group.

cross cultrual workers timeline

From a search on Yahoo images, “serving as senders, graph, cross cultural”

 

 

The areas that will be discussed in this paper are as follows….

Start with a core group.

Engage in continuous informing.

Become aware of the support team that God has already been forming.

A support group is diverse.

Be ready to respond to slow growth of the support group with hope, patience and grace.

Communicate with the missionaries often.

Have long term vision for members of the support team.

Find ways to bring the members of the support group together.

Have vision for the breadth and scope of influence of the support group to grow.

A support network may extend hundreds or even thousands of miles and include other denominations than our own.

 

The paper will end with some suggestions concerning the activities of a support group.

 

Part 1: Some Quotes Concerning Support Groups

 

“From the beginning, we have been conscious that it was not God alone, nor just we two, but there were the “third parties” who made our mission and our lives a success. Those who so faithfully stood by us in gifts and prayers have entered into our labors.”

 

“Out Of Weakness Strength”, Faith H. Turner. World Radio Missionary Fellowship. Miami Florida. 1968. p. 48

 

“I am only as good as the people around me.” – In praise of the people who stand by our side and support us day in and day out.

 

“In that city we met with a prayer group in the home of a charming lady, Miss Kohler. They truly knew the secret of intercession and have been faithfully upholding the Bible Institute of the Air in prayer ever since. No wonder there has been blessing in the work in Quito, for we are “laborers together with God.” Only eternity will reveal the reward that will be theirs and all of our prayer partners in all parts of the world! My life is “charmed” only because godly people have prayed, “without ceasing” for me ever since I heard the call “Go”- and I obeyed. God has heard and answered.”

 

“Out Of Weakness Strength”. By Faith Turner. World Radio Missionary Fellowship. C. 1968. page. 227

 

Part 2: Principles In Forming A Missionary Support Group

 

Start with a some core members. In our case, three men were already gathering for a year, to pray and study the Bible bi-weekly. They sang hymns, read the Scriptures, shared personal prayer topics, and prayed. They formed a bond together in the Lord, as they enjoyed precious Koininia. It was out of this meeting with a core group of prayer partners, that the Canada prayer meeting was born.  It is so important to have this core, because the group needs people who will meet (mostly) every time. No matter what happens, they are there. There are always three people who can take the role of facilitator at any moment, taking the lead in a pinch. They can count on each other. And there is always one person to lead if the others can not make it.

 

Continuous informing. The support group needs to informed of the latest news. To gather info, you can interview missionaries; take lots of pictures; gather info like a super sleuth scouring webs sites and social networks. Every member of the support group will not be attending a prayer meeting. Only a few will come. But, even if they don’t attend the meeting, people can receive a written copy of the prayer topics. They can pray according to the latest news. People need to be kept in the loop. It has been said that a congregation needs to be reminded of the mission, and the vision of the mission, every two months. I remind the support group members at least every two weeks. I also send some up-to-date newspaper articles, some writings about the theology surrounding the mission and reports of mission activities. It is important that you don’t inundate members of the support group with emails. They might get weary about receiving them or “home blind” to the shared info. But be faithful in sending updates wisely.

 

Become aware of the support team that God has already been forming. The support team is not just the people who faithfully meetings. Looking beyond the immediate group, you will see God already working in multiple peoples’ hearts. They may not know who each other is. The missionaries know, because they are the recipients of their loving kindness.

 

One missionary talked about the gifts that each person brings to our support team. The pastor brings leadership and sound teaching and counseling. One person is one of the leaders of the Youth Group. He is known for his willingness to try to provide what ever is needed. Another person is the resident doctor (PA). They have opened their home to the missionary family, exercises with the missionary, teaches gardening principles and is not afraid to ask, “The hard questions”. One lady is a woman of prayer. She has committed to praying for the missionaries from the beginning of this endeavor, when Frank Drown first visited the church and made his plea for missionaries eight years ago.  Another person has made a long term commitment to the mission as a networker and church liaison. One lady is known by the missionaries as the great encourager. She has been faithful to send letters and care packages to the missionaries…even when the missionaries moved back to their local church. She still sends packages via the mail, so the missionaries feel special by receiving these periodic care packages at their home. There is another lady who shares her fundraising expertise with the group. Another lady provides one missionary with a part time job. And there are the four 4 people who gather every two weeks, no matter what, to pray for the mission. And this is not end of the list. There are people praying faithfully in several towns and cities. I am sure that Jesus is working in more peoples’ hearts, stirring them to support the mission. The people may not even be part of your church.

 

 

As you can see, there are numerous people who are supporting this mission in various ways. I, the networker, was not even aware of all the people involved, until the missionaries called together many of the above mentioned people to a Skype (on-line) meeting with a donor. Then we could be gathered in one room and see who each other is and how we are contributing to the work of God. My prayer is that the various components of the support group can lend support in the most effective way possible.

 

      A support group is diverse. It would be nice to have a support group filled with our friends and people who are just like us, but as I am seeing the mission in a broader scope, I can see the different personalities involved. They come from a broad array of backgrounds and personalities. They spans the generations. They are involved in varying ways. I have heard if said that it takes more than one kind of vegetable to make a delicious salad. Jesus’ disciples were so different and yet they were all Jesus’ closest companions. There was Simon the Zealot serving with Matthew the former tax collector, who was considered to be a Jewish traitor. They may not have even liked each other. But they were all called by God to serve together. This makes sense, because with different people comes different gifts, talents…different skill sets. There is beauty in the diversity and there is also much spiritual growth in diversity also. The point is, to be ready to accept whom God sends your way.

 

Be ready to respond to slow growth of the support group with hope, patience and grace. People are busy. They have families. You may think that the growth and maturation of a support group is the most important agenda of the church, but most people do not feel the same way. We may be tempted to become discouraged, thinking that the idea to form a support group is a flop, not knowing that having few people jumping on board is totally normal. We may prematurely give up without knowing that God is about to launch a vital missionary support group among you.

 

Sometimes it takes years for any Gospel work to move from one level of maturity to the next. The first people to catch the vision are the innovators. They are willing to embrace an idea, without any infrastructure in place. They will be the first ones to embrace the mission. They will plant the seeds and lay the groundwork for future Gospel workers. They are the ones who don’t let go of the vision. They keep the congregation informed. According to one study 0% to 2.5% of the people of the congregation can be innovators. (http://www.affiliateprograms.com/blog/innovation-adoption-lifecycle/) In a congregation of 130 people, that means that if you have 4 to 5 people embracing and new ministry in the church, then that is normal. That is a healthy number. Never get discouraged. Keep planting seeds and laying the foundational work, if that is the will of God. Give it a couple of years to move to the next stage.

 

Communicate with the missionaries often. One leader, of a missions agency, exhorted me to call the missionaries often when they go out to the mission field. “Call them often and know what their needs are.” How can you support missionaries if you don’t know their needs and situations? Ask them to send updates. Visit them out in the mission field. Yes, this may require a few vacation days and $600. But it will be essential in maintaining the connection with the missionaries. It is not easy to communicate. Young people like to use text messages. Be prepared for very little feedback. And that is OK, because people are engaged in many meaningful and necessary things. It is not like they are ignoring your info. They are listening and receiving. Our job is to be graceful and patient always, trusting Jesus Christ.

 

  Have long term vision for members of the support team. People will offer what they can. Some people may not attend a meeting. But they are interested. They appreciate updates and being included. It may take years for greater involvement. But be patient. Let God be God in everyone’s life. The leaders of a support group need to be faithful to what God has called them to and trust God for the rest.

 

Find ways to bring the members of the support group together. When the people, who were already supporting the missionaries, gathered for the Skype meeting, I was so amazed and encouraged. To be gathered all in one room with one purpose, was so strengthening. There can be other ways to bring supporters together. What about hosting a meal at someone’s home? What about hosting a gathering where the missionaries can give the latest presentation and updates? And of course, be faithful to gather to pray. The point is, be imaginative about providing opportunities for the support group to gather.

 

     Have vision for the breadth and scope of influence of the support group to grow. It requires a lot of people to fully support a missionary family. It has been said that for every missionary sent out on the mission field there should be eight people back home, supporting and praying for the team. (Serving As Senders. By Neal Pirolo. c.1991.) The families, that are moving up north, consist of four adults and four children. That means that at least 36 people, (to cover the four adults) are needed in a support group. This may seem to be a daunting number to achieve, but it is a goal. The numbers may not just be drawn from the members of one congregation, but may extend to supporters from other churches. God may also be calling the group to embrace other missionaries sent to other people groups. If we are faithful, God will increase the support group’s capacity to love and to serve many areas of mission.

 

     A support network may extend hundreds or even thousands of miles and include other denominations. When you start to learn more about the people group you are called to serve, you will discover that there are other churches called to serve in the same region. The support group network that I am getting involved in, mostly reside in a triangle, 1,000 miles X 500 miles X 900 miles. There are Christians from multiple denominations. They are involved in a myriad of ways. I found out who these people were by interviews, researching the communities on the internet and finding church blogs and videos of their missions and hearing about what others are doing in conversations. I would follow up with an e-mail or a phone call and even a visit. I am amazed at how many ministries are involved and how many layers make up a mission. How great it will be as we pray for one another and encourage one another.

 

Part: The Areas Of Support For Missionaries

 

There are six areas of support for missionaries.

                                                (Serving As Senders. By Neal Pirolo. c.1991.)

 

  1. Moral Support – giving an encouraging word
  2. Logistics support – all the bits and pieces
  3. Financial support – money, money, money
  4. Prayer support – Spiritual warfare at its best
  5. Communication support – letters, MP3’s, and more.
  6. Re-entry support – More than applauding the safe travels

 

 

In the back of the latest Ekballo Magazine (p. 19), March 2015 edition, (The mission magazine for “To Every Tribe”, missions agency), is a short article on how the home church can support the missionary team.  It is written by Justin Vander Ark, the director of communications and development for “To Every Tribe”. The following is a summary of the points he has made in the article. Some paragraphs are quotes and some sentences are summaries of what he has written. I did this for the sake of brevity for this report. To view the original article, go to the “To Every Tribe” web site.

 

http://www.toeverytribe.org/resources/ekballo-magazine/

 

The link to the March 2015 edition, page 19.

 

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-Y6w7CD4l6yZjNNZ185ZktGd1E/edit?pli=1

 

The topics Justin introduces are:

 

  1. Pray 2. Give 3. Send  4. Email  5. Email updates 6. Gifts 7. Visits  8. Care teams  9. The Loop 10. Ask

 

Justin fleshes out each category.

 

  1. Pray. Prayer is a weapon of warfare that God has given to his saints. Ask the missionaries how you can specifically pray for them.

 

  1. Give. Most missionaries are below their monthly support goal and have to spend precious time and resources on fund raising. Giving money is a direct way to bless the missionary.

 

  1. Send. More missionaries are needed. With thousands of unreached people groups remaining in the world, the need is great. Join with your local church in sending more missionaries to get trained and sent out into the world.

 

  1. Email . Missionaries love getting email. Send spontaneous words of encouragement and let them know you are praying for them. Think of the special days in their lives. Send some care packages.

 

  1. Email updates. Subscribe to missionary updates. Respond to the updates to let them know you are reading and praying for them.  Relay what you have been moved to pray.  Send church updates.

 

  1. Gifts. Missionaries are very frugal. They don’t spend on themselves often. People can send them gifts. What about favorite foods from the hometown, kindle books, digital music, gift cards, Christmas stockings? And don’t forget about the kids!

 

  1. Visits. Missionaries often feel isolated and all alone. Visit them while they are in missionary training. Invite them over to your home when they are on furlough. Visit them on the field or support someone who can. Visit them via social networks. Offer to pick up the tab for internet use.

 

  1. Care teams. Put together care teams from the church to head up efforts to care for and bless the missionaries. Prayer, care packages, notes of encouragement, offers of help while on furlough, are all essential.

 

  1. The Loop. Keep your missionaries up to date on what’s going on in your church so that they can pray for you. Let them know about answered prayers. Give them opportunities to bless you and your church.

 

  1. Ask. Ask your missionaries how you can bless them. Just this simple act of asking let’s them know you are thinking of them and want to be part of their mission.

 

 

Pray for workers to be sent out into the harvest field, but also pray for the raising up of a strong support network to be established from among the ranks of the sending church to support those missionaries.




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