Supporting Missionaries is More Than Writing a Check

Zach Bradley • Mar 01, 2016

Finances are just one of many ways that you can be supporting missionaries around the world.

This post is the third in a three-part series exploring the role of the sending church in missions. Catch Part I and Part II here.

The following is an excerpt from The Sending Church Defined, written by U pstream Collective. It can be purchased in print.

A Sending Church is a local community of Christ-followers who have made a covenant together to be prayerful, deliberate, and proactive in developing, commissioning, and sending their own members both locally and globally, often in partnership with other churches or agencies, and continuing to encourage, support, and advocate for them while making disciples cross-culturally.

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. (3 John: 5-8)

Who would’ve thought that such significant words for the sending church would come from such a tiny letter! In a brief correspondence with his friend, Gaius, the apostle John rejoiced that he was “walking in the truth” (v. 3). This was evidenced in large part by Gaius’ working for the truth. How was Gaius working for the truth? By supporting those sent out from the church to proclaim the truth. He was practically making the mission possible.

The church cannot be the church without sending, and sending cannot happen without support.

Expert in missionary care, Kelly O’Donnell, writes, “It is imperative that the local church play a larger role in world missions, particularly in the care and development of missionaries that they send out.” [footnote]Kelly O’Donnell, Missionary Care: Counting the Cost for World Evangelization (Elizabethton, TN: William Carey Library, 1999), 299.[/footnote]He even places support on par with key missions aspects, such as strategy and contextualization.[footnote]Ibid., xiii.[/footnote]But what exactly is support? Is it just money?

Christoph Stenschke says that support reflected in the New Testament is the financial maintenance of missionaries, the provision of co-laborers, and prayer for the workers and the work.[footnote]Robert L. Plummer and John Mark Terry, Paul’s Missionary Methods: In His Time and Ours (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2012), 80; see Christoph Stenchke’s chapter, “Paul’s Mission as the Mission of the Church”; quote is taken from John P. Dickson.[/footnote]Neal Pirolo adds logistics to the list.4 And Eric Wright includes accountability.[footnote]Eric E. Wright, A Practical Theology of Missions: Dispelling the Mystery, Recovering the Passion (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2010), 230.[/footnote]Let’s take a look at each one.

Finances

According to professor Craig Blomberg, Gaius’ support of the sent ones referred to in 3 John probably included not only “bed and board, [but also] often donated funds as well [pay] for past or future travel expenses.”[footnote]Craig L. Blomberg, From Pentecost to Patmos: An Introduction to Acts through Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2006), 503.[/footnote]Gaius had put his money where his mouth was. In Paul we see examples of both ongoing support from the church (Romans 15:24, 1 Corinthians 9:14, Titus 3:13) as well as one-time gifts to advance the mission (Romans 15:26, 2 Corinthians 8-9, Philippians 4:18). John Stott applies this in his commentary on John’s epistles by affirming that “Christians should finance Christian enterprises…there are many good causes which we may support; but we must support our brothers and sisters whom the world does not support.”[footnote]John R. W. Stott, The Epistles of John (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988), 227.[/footnote]

Realistically, however, most churches cannot fully support every missionary whom they send out. Even in light of God’s abundant provision and believers’ sacrificial generosity, churches have limited resources to steward. That’s why pastor David Horner says that his church “soon realized that if [they] were going to reach the nations beyond [their] borders, [they] needed a strategic plan for how [their] dollars would be invested.”[footnote]David Horner, When Missions Shapes the Mission: You and Your Church Can Reach the World (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2011), 170.[/footnote]

Support is firstly financial, and it must be strategic to have the greatest impact.

Co-laborers

It only takes a skimming of the book of Acts to see that Paul rolled with an entourage. As reflected in the Trinity, community and mission go hand in hand. So Paul regularly sought from the church his most critical missional resource: co-laborers. He took Silas with him in Acts 15:40, commanded Timothy to come to him ASAP in Acts 17:15, and even beckoned for formerly disappointing John Mark in 2 Timothy 4:11. Likewise, today the sending church eagerly seeks to outfit its sent ones with co-laborers through short-term teams, mid-term apprentices, and long-term partners.

Prayer

Jason Mandryk , author of Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation, says that “missions and prayer for the world should be at the heart of every [church].”[footnote]Jason Mandryk, Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2010), xxiii.[/footnote]Paul certainly held this conviction long before us, as he consistently asked churches for prayer in his letters to them (Ephesians 6:19, 1 Timothy 2:1, 2 Thessalonians 3:1).

Sending churches are praying churches. According to Tom Telford’s study of all-star missions churches, this form of support can and should involve the entire church.[footnote]Tom Telford, Today’s All-Star Missions Churches: Strategies to Help Your Church Get Into the Game (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001), 28.[/footnote]

Logistics & Accountability

“Nobody can handle everything!” is Pirolo’s tagline for the critical role of logistical support.[footnote]Pirolo, Serving, 54.[/footnote]Thriving cross-culturally involves a host of finely-detailed challenges. We see snippets of this in Paul’s life, such as his request for “the cloak I left with Carpus at Troas and the books, but especially the parchments.”[footnote]2 Timothy 4:13, NIV.[/footnote]

The church has the capacity to lend a hand, allowing sent ones more freedom to focus on the work. Closely related is the concept of accountability. Wright notes that sent ones, like all of us, need accountability to remain focused and doctrinally sound. “Churches should not feel they are intruding by lovingly monitoring their missionaries’ work.”[footnote]Wright, Theology, 232.[/footnote]It’s actually a support.

And that’s the very thing sending churches are eager to do.

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Loving Like Jesus Cross-Culturally (Part 1)

By Megan Lunsford • 23 Apr, 2024

When seeking to serve cross-culturally with an authentic love for others, there’s no better example for us than Jesus. If we sat around a table and threw out the question, “How do we love like Jesus?” I think we would have several commonalities as we respond. For example, Jesus loved all people right where they were. He loved those who were deemed the least, those hardest to love, or those who were His enemies. These are all beautiful realities of the heart of Jesus. When we step into relationships, it can be easier to take on the warmer, more gracious gestures of Jesus’ love, especially in cross-cultural relationships. Think about it––when doing life with those who look and act differently than us, we are already out of our comfort zones and would rather keep things as simple and familiar as possible. But there are other facets of Jesus’ heart we often overlook that can transform us and others even more into His likeness. Jesus is love because God is love. Everything Jesus did was out of love; it’s the mere definition of who He is. As followers of Jesus, He calls us to the same: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John:7-12) Every display of love we offer to others is an opportunity for them to encounter the ultimate love of the Father. That’s a pretty big deal! In this article, we’ll look at three expressions of Jesus’ love that we tend to overlook when engaging others cross-culturally. (Next month, we’ll look at three more.) 1. Jesus loved sacrificially. Everywhere Jesus went, crowds followed Him. We even see times in Scripture where Jesus had plans to step away for time alone but those who were hurting found Him and He had compassion on them and stayed with them. Can you imagine rarely having any time to yourself but, instead, constantly being surrounded by crowds of people wanting help from you? Jesus loved sacrificially. He welcomed all who came to Him with love and compassion, never turning anyone away. “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) In the same way, we can make room in our lives for Jesus to bring sacrificial interruptions which, in His eyes, are orchestrated encounters to transfer His love to others. It can be tempting to be so “on mission” that we are full steam ahead and find ourselves frustrated when the Holy Spirit sends an interruption into our path that we feel we don’t have time for. Or, perhaps, we have scheduled a meet-up but it’s the norm in another culture to be 30 minutes or an hour late. We anxiously think through how it will affect whatever we have planned next. While it’s normal to feel a little stressed, what if the very "interruption” standing in front of you was really a divine appointment sent by God? Or what if that person running late experiences how peaceful and gracious you are in adapting to their culture and therefore, they can encounter a beautiful display of Jesus’ love? To truly represent Christ, we should remain ready and willing for each assignment the Lord sends into our path, no matter the cost or how much we will have to re-route our day. He is always a hundred steps ahead and will work all things for His glory and our good. 2. Jesus loved by discerning each situation well. Think about how many situations Jesus had to respond to on a daily basis. We read in Scripture that there were lines of people waiting to be healed by Him, talk to Him, hear His teachings, or simply touch the hem of His robe. Jesus was fully dependent on His Father to discern each situation before addressing it. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) Another temptation we can have when in a relationship with those God has sent us to is to think we already know the solution or what God wants to do before we’ve even asked Him. We believe we are full of knowledge, so we just pull from the bank we have stored within and go with it. However, when we access what is familiar to us as our default, we risk missing out on a God-given solution that might truly be the key to unlocking whatever challenge is in front of us. What does this look like when interacting with others? We can simply ask, “God, what is on Your heart for the person standing in front of me?” Then we listen and respond as He speaks. When we make it a daily habit to pause and hear God’s heart for each situation before responding, we are guaranteed to be effective in loving those around us. He knows the heart of every person that will cross our paths. Imagine how impactful we can be if we first lean on His wisdom and discernment before moving forward. 3. Jesus loved by speaking truth. Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. If we are honest, this conversation makes us a bit nervous as none of us would be comfortable with Jesus calling out intimate details of our lives that we would prefer to hide. But Jesus went further than just airing her dirty laundry. He offered her the hope of the Gospel and a relationship with Him - a divine fulfillment that could never be found in an earthly relationship. Jesus modeled a powerful example of loving others well cross-culturally. He took the low place and spoke truth, truly out of love––speaking to her heart from His. Like Jesus, our goal in sharing the truths about Him and His Word is to bring hope and satisfaction through Him alone. When we speak truth from Scripture, we are calling others higher into all God has for them. The tricky part here is we should avoid speaking truth if it isn’t first fueled by compassion. If it merely comes from a place of judgment, condemnation, or self-righteousness, it will fall flat 100% of the time. But if it truly comes from love, you are likely to not only win a heart back to the Father but, like the story of the Samaritan woman, even an entire village! If you see someone living outside of God’s best for their lives, ask God to show you your heart before engaging theirs. Once your heart is properly postured, you can speak truth out of an overflow of God’s love and trust Him for a transformation in their lives.

Hospitality, Help, and the Hope of the Gospel

By Suzanne Pearson • 16 Apr, 2024

TEAM Canada provides warm welcome and trusted friendships for diaspora populations living far from their native countries. As TEAM Canada workers Peter and Ruth (names changed) drive from their home to a nearby community center, they pass numerous apartment buildings and townhouses. Most of the families who live there are immigrants. They’ve left their countries of origin due to political unrest, trauma, and other difficulties. They’ve left family, friends, homes, jobs, and personal wealth behind. They search for peace, justice for the oppressed, and rest from fear and weariness. And as they adjust to a new country and a new language, they are often very isolated from others around them. “The sad reality is most immigrants are never even invited inside a Canadian home,” says Ruth. Peter and Ruth and their team try to change that reality. For the last nine years, the team, which includes workers from partner organizations as well as volunteers, has held English classes at the community center. Three days a week, over 60 students from more than 20 countries come together to learn English as well as to fellowship together and receive practical help in assimilating to a new normal. Meeting Needs and Building Trust That practical help may come in the form of procuring furniture, clothes, or dishes for newcomers, assistance with creating a resume and finding a job, or teaching people how to navigate Canadian laws and the medical system. As these tangible needs are met, relationships are built. “We invite them into our homes for meals and games,” Ruth shares. “We take them on hiking trips, picnics, outings, and out for coffee.” This is particularly important in this type of ministry because most immigrants come to Canada from cultures that value hospitality. Conversely, Canadians do not typically prioritize hospitality and consequently many newcomers feel lonely and isolated. Inviting folks to various gatherings and outings allows the team to spend extended time hearing people’s stories, struggles, hopes, and dreams. When she speaks about building friendships, Ruth’s heart for the people she serves is evident. “Hearing their stories, it’s easy to love them, and many have become close friends,” Ruth says. “We recognize the value of steady one-on-one relationships.”