You can develop your partnership with your link missionary by providing practical support to them while they are on location or visiting Australia on Home Assignment.

• Caring for your missionary on location
• Caring for your missionary on home assignment

Caring for your missionary on location

What can you do?

1. Pray

As well as praying for them on your own you can bring your missionary’s prayer needs before your church. Aim for brief but regular updates.

• Include prayer for your link missionary in services.
• Distribute their prayer points and newsletters to members of your church and small groups. Don’t forget to help your church kids to pray! Sue Jaggar received drawings from Sunday School children, and was delighted to know a six year old was praying for her.
• Collect e–mail addresses so that CMS can e–mail your link missionaries’ prayer points directly to people.
• Start a mission prayer group.
• Encourage people to take part in CMS prayer events.
• Use up-to-date prayer points that are added to the CMS website each week.
• Let missionaries know about your prayers—Russell and Kay Clark said “the best thing is to hear that we are being prayed for”.

2. Keep in touch

Write a letter or e–mail them

You can encourage your link missionary by telling them about what’s been happening in your family, church, neighbourhood.

When e–mailing check before sending attachments or long messages. In some countries e–mails are monitored. Find out if there are topics that you should avoid mentioning for security reasons.

Keep them in the loop

Send the parish bulletin occasionally and tell them about what’s going on at church.

Send a tape

If you prefer talking to writing send an audio or video tape or a CD of you or people at church. You could also send sermon tapes to encourage your link missionary.

3. Treat them

You can help missionaries to feel cared for by sending birthday cards, videos, magazines, books, chocolates or things for their children. Paul and Sandra King look forward to a yearly Postpak of goodies from a link church, and Sue Jaggar enjoys receiving chocolate and cheese - rare commodities in Africa.

Check first to see what they would like. If you send parcels check that they won’t have to pay heavy customs duties. Mark your parcel ‘printed matter only’ (if that is what it is), ‘NCV’ (no commercial value) or ‘gift’. Tell them that you are sending the parcel and what is in it.

4. Send resources to help with their work

Frances Boland said, “It’s most encouraging when link churches send books, ideas and give creative suggestions for reaching activities and presentations for students and children.” Sue Jaggar welcomes craft things, balls and pencils, as well as puppets to explain Bible stories.

5. Visit them!

A well–planned visit from supporters can be a great encouragement to missionaries.

Caring for your missionary on home assignment

What is Home Assignment?

Most missionaries spend about three years in their location followed by six months in Australia. It’s a time for refreshment but it can also be demanding as missionaries re–adjust to Australian culture, follow an irregular routine and travel long distances.

What can you do to help?

1. Pray

Pray that missionaries will:

• Adjust
• Have opportunities to share about their ministry
• Enjoy times with families and friends
• Have stability in family life despite their changing program
• Be refreshed

2. Help them to settle in

Coming back to Australia can be a bit of a culture shock.

Help set up their house

Arrange a welcome home box of basics for the pantry and help to set up their home with furniture. As Frances Boland put it, “When I arrive back, I feel rather like a fish out of water—cards, phone calls and gift baskets of basic household supplies for the first few days helps tremendously!”

Lend them a car

Steve and Narelle Etherington said, “Supporters have arranged for us to have long–term loans of vehicles, without which deputation would have been very limited!”

Help settle their kids

Ask your link missionary if they need any help settling their children into the local schools and culture.

3. Help missionaries to feel at home

Visit them

Invite them to join a home group or ask their kids to join Sunday school or youth group.

Offer a holiday house

Perhaps you know someone who has a holiday house so your link missionaries can get away for a break at a reasonable cost.

Lend a hand

Think of the things you struggle with during busy periods. Dave and Leoni Painter loved having some meals provided during weeks with heavy deputation loads.

Treat them

Helen Hoskins appreciated a book of vouchers for kindnesses such as driving her to a deputation meeting, taking her to a concert, and coming around for coffee. Why not shout your link missionaries a family dinner at a local restaurant, hire them some videos, take them to the movies or invite them on a picnic?

4. Make the most of their visit to your church

Arrange for your link missionary to spend a week visiting your church, sharing about their ministry in a variety of meetings. Ask your link missionary for ideas.

Advertise

Ask your pastor/service leader if you can do a quick skit or quiz on the country of your missionary the week before their visit to your church.

Cultural Evenings

Organise a cultural night with food, local customs and items that teach how local culture impacts on your missionary’s life and ministry.

Church services

They may preach, speak about their ministry or be interviewed in church meetings. An informal meeting after church can be a good way of finding out more about them.

Small groups

Small groups allow a missionary to share at a deeper level.

Youth groups

Parish Weekend Away

Invite your link missionary to attend the church’s weekend away—not necessarily as a speaker. This is a great opportunity for building relationships.