10 Steps to Writing a Memorable Missionary Newsletter

Bethany DuVal • Jul 19, 2016

Staring at a blank screen when you sit down to write your missionary newsletter? Try out these time-tested tips to make updating your supporters a joy.


This is part one of two-part series on missionary newsletters. Read part two, “How to Design a Beautiful Missionary Newsletter,” here.


It was the kind of moment every ministry worker on a support trip looks forward to: The woman shared how excited she always got to see my blue newsletter envelope in the mail. Then she took me to the church sanctuary and told her friend, You’ve got to meet Beth. She’s been to Asia and Africa and all over the place!


It was great. Except that I’d been to Asia once, my missions organization didn’t send people to Africa and, as a home staff copywriter, I did all my work from a cubicle near Dallas.


Getting people to read your missionary newsletter can be tricky. Getting them to remember what they read can be even harder. But in the world of missions and writing, there are a few time-tested tricks that can help your newsletter do both. Today, in hope of sparing you the awkwardness I once faced, we’re sharing our top ten.


1. Write down ideas throughout the month.

This simple tip fixes a plethora of ministry newsletter hassles. No more hastily throwing together updates because you put it off, because you didn’t have time, because you couldn’t think of what to write. No more hemming and hawing at the beginning (“It’s been so long time since I last wrote, and it’s hard to even know where to start. …”). Keeping a simple log as events happen and thoughts come to mind will help you jump into writing with ease.


2. Be specific about what you’re doing.

Your readers will never know all the details of your work, but they should be able to concretely explain what you do, how, where and why. This not only gives them greater confidence as they invest in your ministry, but it also equips them to share your ministry with others. To them, you won’t be “a missionary I support doing stuff with African orphans.” You’ll be “someone I support who runs a skills training program for aged-out orphans in Zimbabwe. What’s neat about it is …”


3. Write stories.

One of the most engaging ways to be specific? Share a story in your missionary newsletter. The truth is, people don’t connect with numbers, lists or schedules. People connect with people. So rather than listing neighbors you’ve talked to, describe an interaction with one of them: where you were, who they are, pieces of the dialogue, how the relationship has been building.


“Recently I was having lunch with my friend. … Two tables from us was a couple eating. The man came over and said that he knew me and had been to our house twenty years ago. …”


Not only will a story be far more memorable, but it will also give readers something to share with others, and it will help them understand your ministry in a more practical way. No longer are you just sharing missions theory; they’re getting to see how things actually work.


4. Balance personal and ministry news.

As you share ministry stories, be sure to throw in one about your personal life. Yes, people support you to fill a ministry role. But they also support you because, at some point, they decided they like you as a person. So let them know how you are doing. Are you making friends? Have you been sick? How are the kids doing in school?


Even if you never hear the same news back from them, they will feel like they know you better, and that connection will encourage long-term, heartfelt support.


5. Don’t preach, but share.

You’ll learn a lot while working in ministry and living in an unfamiliar setting. And it’s natural that you’ll want to share that. But be careful about how you do it. People generally don’t respond well to preaching, but they are open to hearing about your personal experiences of growth.


When you want to share something you’ve learned, imagine sitting down for coffee with a good friend. What anecdotes or struggles would you share? What weakness would you admit you still have? How would you ask for prayer? How would you invite them into the conversation? Preaching tells others they still have a ways to go. Sharing invites others to journey and grow with you.


6. Be vulnerable.

Missionaries face a lot of pressure to be perfect, but you don’t have to add to it by only sharing your triumphs. In fact, sharing only the good times can be immobilizing for a support team. How do you pray for someone with no problems? How do you encourage someone who’s never had a bad day? Why send extra money to someone with no needs?


Remember that you are writing to a group of people who chose to support you. Give them the chance to do their job well by writing an honest missionary newsletter.


7. Practice continuity.

Part of letting supporters do their job well means updating them on what you wrote before. Make a note of what prayer requests you’re sharing so you can update readers in later missionary newsletters. When you share a story about someone, look for opportunities to share a sequel.


Doing so will keep people from feeling like they’re praying into a void and will make them look forward to future letters. Even within individual newsletters, you can aid your readers by summing up main prayer requests in call-out boxes. 


8. Make things bite-sized.

The more often you write missionary newsletters, the easier this becomes, because you know you’ll have future opportunities to communicate. You may have a lot to share, but fire-hosing your supporters can unintentionally sway them from reading any of it.


In our fast-moving world, people are intimidated by long blocks of text. So break things up into short, digestible sections. Use bullet points. Use subheadings. Limit your word count on each subject. It may seem like you’re getting to say less, but your supporters will read more.


9. Make your captions count.

It may be unfair, but after all the work you put into your missionary newsletter, some people will only read your photo captions. Don’t waste them. Instead of listing names of people in a picture, write a full-sentence caption that describes who the whole group is and what they’re doing.


“This crew of college students meets at our house every Thursday for a study on the book of John. Last week, Rosa (far left) stayed late and received Christ!”


At bare minimum, a good caption gives people a hint at what you’re doing. At best, it pulls skimmers into the rest of the story. Either way, you and your supporters win.


10. Thank your supporters.

If you look over your missionary newsletter and you haven’t thanked your supporters in some way, you aren’t done writing. Very few missionary supporters are in danger of being over-thanked, and it’s easy for them to lose sight of how much your work depends on them. Thank them often, and tell them why you’re thankful.


“With that, all of you came to my mind. How you’ve sacrificed money from your salary, time from your schedule, even given us your blessing to move far away from you to the other side of the world (here’s looking at you, Mom and Dad) to join in what God invited us to do.”


Let your supporters know as much as you can that they are more than a paycheck to you. Make them feel appreciated, and they will appreciate you even more.


At the end of the day, remember why you’re writing to these people: They care about you, and they want to be part of your work. Your newsletter is all about letting them do that in the best — and most informed — way possible. Happy writing!


If you’re still hungry for more tips, check our follow-up post on newsletter design and them follow our Pinterest board for even more missions resources. 


By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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