Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
“I don’t have connections and contacts with people I could raise support from. I don’t know any __________________.” Fill in the blank. Some would say I don’t know pastors. Others would say I don’t know many foreigners. Some would say all my friends are fellow …
“Soon I will be going home. I am excited to see family, but I am dreading the support-raising part of it. I really need God’s help to get into the right mindset.” These words flowed out of my friend’s mouth a month or so ago. …
Have you ever needed money for a ministry project and not had it? Maybe you’ve struggled with daily needs like food, housing, or paying for your kid’s schooling. Financial challenges drain energy and affect fruitfulness on the mission field. They are common to most of us.
Is it God’s intention that we continually struggle in this area as missionaries? I don’t believe we need to suffer as much as we sometimes do.
There are skills we can learn to help us gain and sustain financial and prayer support on the field. One of the most important skills is communication. It must be not only a skill but a high value.
“I hate writing newsletters!” you might say.
Or maybe your first reaction is, “It is hard for me to write in English well.”
Another common thing I hear is “I’m too busy to write support letters. If God wants them to give, He will speak to them.” It sounds spiritual, but maybe it’s not.
Time pressures are a reality. Language issues and writing skills can also be real factors. Especially if your support comes from the West, which it doesn’t necessarily have to.
The good news is – there are simple ways to overcome these things. The main obstacle is often in our minds.
Missionaries who communicate well gain and maintain support for their ministry. Those who ignore this find it much more difficult.
Authentic, regular communication is necessary. It does not have to be done in English unless you have chosen to believe that only people who speak English can be your supporters. This is not true! Click here to read another blog about that.
A few times over the years we’ve had people back home mention particular newsletters we wrote. Though they are busy pastors who get a lot of letters, they remembered these letters. They noticed.
What kind of letters were they? The amazing breakthroughs and victories we reported about thousands coming to faith? Actually they were not.
One was a letter we wrote as new missionaries struggling to learn the language. Another was about a particularly difficult period in our ministry life. In both, we were open and honest about what we were facing.
What impressed them? It wasn’t the victories. It was our willingness to be real. We were not trying to look perfect. We were simply normal people attempting to obey God in hard situations. This was what got their attention.
“Speak the truth from the heart.”
PSALM 15:2
Psalm 15:2 describes the person who will come into God’s presence. It says they “speak the truth from the heart.” Speaking honestly is an important principle of quality communication for missionaries.
As mentioned already, share both success and failure. Our struggles and breakthroughs are both important to communicate.
I understand the pressure we all feel to make ourselves look good. We fear telling our personal and ministry struggles. “Our supporters will be shocked. They might decide to no longer invest in us,” you think. You could be right, but it’s a risk worth taking. Click here for tips about how open to be with whom.
People will connect with the real you, not the missionary image you might feel tempted to project. When it’s going well and you’re on a mountain top, share the joy! And when you are not, let them be true partners who walk with you through the struggles of missionary life.
Missionary communication is part of your job. Schedule time for it. Be consistent. Don’t see it as a burden, but as part of your ministry.
Always remember, money should not be the focus of your communication. Some people only focus on missionary communication when they are struggling financially. Inconsistency will affect your ability to gain and sustain both prayer and financial support.
How regular is enough? It is different for each context.
We send a prayer update every 4-6 weeks and a snail mail letter 3 times a year. I update our closer prayer partners (via a Facebook secret group) every few weeks. I know people who text their ministry partners every week. It’s up to you, you know your context and the kind of people supporting you. Whatever you do, be consistent.
Use your own style and personality to communicate! There are many different ways to communicate with supporters and potential ministry partners.
Some people like to write letters and emails. Others like to make videos on their phones. Text messaging is another option.
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, setting up a website are all possibilities. (Please see our article about doing this wisely). Find what works best for you.
Don’t use the excuse that you are too busy in “real” ministry to communicate. Communication is part of our ministry. If writing newsletters is hard for you, find a different way!
Why not consider a fresh, new plan for this part of your ministry? Sit down with your spouse or team and discuss what needs to happen to improve your communication.
My action step in the area of missionary communication is to get our “snail mail” letter written this week. What is yours? Let me know in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook Page.
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I lay awake at night thinking about some big bills, yet unpaid. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was overwhelmed by worry about money. There was a tightening in my stomach and a feeling of stress as I pondered. How would we pay …
Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.
Proverbs 10:4 NIV.
Every year I ask the Lord a question. “What one thing do you want me to do this year?” I like to get my priorities crystal clear. When I know what God has said to do, I have my marching orders. I know my one …