If you’re like us at Live Global, you love Jesus and get passionate about spreading his name across the globe. But even so, not everyone is called to “go” and be a missionary cross-culturally. As we know from God’s Word, however, every Christian is still called to live missionally.
The first way that comes to mind for most Christians to do that is to give financial resources to those who are called to “go.” And that is a great way to get involved. Without financial support, most missionaries would find themselves back home in no time.
But, giving financially isn’t always an option for you. And sometimes, you just want to help in a different way. So here are five creative, non-financial ways to support global missions from home.
1. Pray for Missionaries
This first option cannot be overlooked! James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” And as you keep reading, this passage reminds us that Elijah was a man just like us who caused incredible things to happen through his prayers to his Creator.
Let’s go before the throne and ask God to protect and enable his workers on the field. Let’s ask him to bear much fruit for the gospel through these faithful men and women. This is really the best non-financial way to support global missions.
Action Step: Read “How to Pray for Missionaries” and start implementing some of these prayer pointers.
2. Advocate for Missions
Do you remember the first time you learned about Christians called “missionaries” who travel to another culture or country to share the good news with those who’ve never heard it? Do you remember the first time you heard about the 10/40 Window or the immense need for workers to “go” to unreached areas? Someone had to teach you these things! And now, it could be your turn to educate new believers about God’s Great Commission.
Additionally, think about the missionaries you know who are serving cross-culturally. What are their needs? Do people at your church know about these men and women? Consider how you could be these missionaries’ personal advocates to help them acquire more partners in ministry.
Action Step: Write down the names of three people who don’t know about the need for global missions or three missionaries who need advocates. Pray about how God might use you to advocate for global missions by teaching others about going to the field or about partnering with those who are already there.
3. Provide Emotional Support for Missionaries on the Field
If you just wrote down a list of missionaries who need advocates (see number 2), now could be a fantastic time to take your involvement in their ministries up a notch. Once missionaries are on the field, one thing they often lack is emotional support from friends, family, and their church back home. Many missionaries report feelings of isolation or being forgotten by those back home.
Often a video chat, email, or letter from a friend or acquaintance back home is the most encouraging thing a missionary will receive all month! It’s helpful for missionaries to know they have the love, support, interest, and prayers of someone back home. And it’s often whether or not missionaries receive the needed emotional support that determines how long they stay on the field. So this is one of the key non-financial ways to support global missions because it promotes longevity of the efforts already taking place.
Action Step: Reach out to a missionary you know to ask them how you can pray for them and if there is a good time to video chat together to find out how they are doing.
4. Give a Donation of Items
Although financial donations are usually welcome by missionaries and missions organizations, sometimes the need is for items of a more tangible nature.
For example, ministries that focus on assisting needy families can often use donations of canned goods, gently used clothing and toys, books, and other like items. Or, missionaries overseas may need supplies like clothing for growing kids, new computers, or a tasty non-perishable treat to remind them of home. It’s typically helpful for missionaries to receive these items while they are still living and working in their target countries, so they don’t have to take an expensive trip back home to get them.
Are you in a position to donate items like these to missionaries? Think about the resources you have access to and how you might give them as a blessing to a missionary on the field.
Action Step: Learn about a tangible need for solid theology books in Myanmar.
5. Make a Short-Term Trip
If you sense the Lord’s leading, pray about whether you might be called to go on a short-term trip to support the long-term efforts of global missions across the globe.
Sometimes missionaries and missions organizations require help with a specific task or project that will help sustain the long-term ministry of the gospel. And when these opportunities come up, the help of short-termers is key to completing the projects in a timely manner.
A short-term trip is probably not where you will see a tremendous amount of fruit in the lives of the nationals you encounter. But, going on a trip could be an opportunity for you to support the missionaries who are on the field long-term.
Action Step: Learn about a short-term missions opportunity at a summer camp in North Africa.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on Live Global. Used with permission.
