How the Church Can Care for Those It Sends Out: Getting Started

Your church may be enthusiastic about sending people out on mission, but are you prepared to support them well?

In the New Testament we get to see some beautiful examples of how the church can minister to those who are sent out on mission. The church supported Paul with prayer, financial and material provisions, relationships and encouragement. Paul knew the church cared for him and he could ask for their help when it was needed. The church also welcomed him back and was eager to hear about all that God was doing.

The role of supporting those we send out is a task the church should take seriously, as both a responsibility and a gift. There are so many ways that a church can care for its sent ones. For those who are trying to figure out how to even get started, here are a couple key ideas for laying the foundation:

Care

Choose two or three people to serve as advocates on a care team, with one team assigned to each family unit overseas. Each team would be responsible for checking in with their sent one regularly, encouraging them, and staying aware of how the church can meet their needs.

Connect

That same care team would function as the sent one's representatives to the church so that they stay connected. In conjunction with the church leaders, the team can figure out the best way to regularly communicate the sent one's prayer requests to the congregation. There are many other ways to connect, but establishing and maintaining this work of prayer is vital.

Those who are sent out to serve overseas can feel forgotten by their home church. They face many unique struggles, and often without a strong community of local believers supporting them. With the intentional love and care of the sending church, they can be spiritually and emotionally healthier, and able to be more effective in their work.

Whether your church is preparing to send out its first overseas workers, or you're looking to improve your support of existing workers, it's important to think well about how to start. Focus on care and connection, then grow from there.