It would be great if every believer had the chance to go overseas—even for a short-term trip—to experience life on the mission field. For a variety of reasons, most Christians simply won’t have the opportunity to lend face-to-face, boots-on-the-ground support to international gospel workers.
But that doesn’t mean brothers and sisters here don’t have opportunities to impact and encourage missionaries right where they live. Here are four ways you can support the work of the Great Commission around the globe without ever going to the field yourself.
Learn
It’s true: there’s nothing quite like seeing the work for yourself. Spending time with missionaries gives you a real sense of their day-to-day life, including how you can pray and support them when you return home.
There may be nothing quite like being there, but you don’t have to hop on a plane to educate yourself on what your missionary friends are facing. Ask them! I can guarantee the workers you support will appreciate the humility demonstrated in not assuming you know what they need most.
Show care and concern by asking about their souls. Ask them what’s been encouraging and what’s been discouraging in their season of life and ministry. Try to discern the particular challenges they face in their new context—first, to lend an ear to your friends and partners in the gospel, and second, to help them with more specificity in the future.
Serve
I’ll never forget when my pastor stood up and recruited me for a short-term trip to Slovenia. “Oh, cool,” I thought. “I wonder what kind of exciting ministry that will entail.”
Then, he explained the purpose of the trip was to provide childcare for missionary kids while their parents attended a conference. Isn’t that kind of boring? Probably, but it’s also just the help those couples needed. The gift of attending those meetings kid and distraction-free was priceless.
You may have the same opportunity to provide tangible, mundane support to the missionaries you or your church support when they come stateside. Consider providing them with food or a place to stay. Lend them your car or gift them with gift cards for what will inevitably be a whirlwind trip once they arrive.
Christians who aren’t able to serve overseas have a tremendous opportunity to show hospitality when missionaries come home. Ask your pastors or a deacon in charge of missionary care how you can jump into whatever practical support structures your local church has in place when supported workers are around.
Who knows, you might even offer to babysit!
Pray
Okay, I’m writing this article, and even I’m worried this is too cliche. It’s not though, and let me tell you why. God uses the prayers of his people to execute his sovereign plan in the world.
Your intercession isn’t an empty intellectual exercise; it’s not sending good vibes their way. You are asking the God of heaven and earth—your Father and theirs—to bear them up as they labor spreading the gospel for the sake of his name.
Don’t grow weary of praying. Pray on your own. Write down a list of missionary names, and use what you’ve learned to pray for them. Use your Bible to pray the promises of God over them.
Ask the Lord to keep them, so that they’ll continue to faithfully follow Jesus Christ with joy and confidence. Pray for fruit from their work, not just for the immediate but also for the long-term impact of their ministry.
And pray with others. Attend your church’s prayer meeting if you have one. Start one if you don’t. Gather around the dinner table with your family or small group and support the missionaries you love through prayer.
Give
Great Commission talk is a dime a dozen in evangelical churches. But is it time to put your money where your mouth is? Missionary work is expensive. Whether your supported workers are fully funded by their organization or raise their own support, sending and sustaining their presence on the field costs a lot of money.
Consider your role in helping to cover the cost. You can give to your church and let them use the money how they’ve budgeted for missions. You can also give directly to any number of good organizations out there doing incredible gospel work.
Think through your budget. What does where and how much money you give say about what means most to you? Be honest. Maybe you can set aside a little extra each month specifically to support missionaries.
It’s okay if it’s “not that much.” Giving from the heart is an act of worship, no matter the amount. Gifts of any amount are another tangible way to show support without even getting off the couch.
We all have a role to play in the Great Commission. Don’t let an inability to go overseas stop you from playing yours.
Colton Corter lives in Richmond, Virginia. He and his wife have three boys and are members of River City Baptist Church.
