Don't forget the close family members at home who are dealing with a child, sibling, or close friend moving out for a while as a short- or long-term missionary. Drop a note, grieve with them, help them to not feel forgotten. Be interested when they talk about what is going on their missionary friend's life, even if you hear about it every time you see that person. And if they don't share right away, ask!

One missionary support team sent "puzzles" to their friend overseas, which they had cut out of poster board – in the shape of a cross (at Easter) and a heart (at Valentine's Day. On one side of the puzzle pieces were Bible verses (pertaining to love for Valentines, etc.); on the other side, parishioners jotted a personal note. To encourage church members to follow through with the mailing of the puzzle pieces, the Support Team provided envelopes with puzzle pieces inside them, all addressed and stamped with airmail postage. (They were first taken to the Post Office to be weighed for proper postage). Each envelope had 2-3 puzzle pieces in it. The worker enjoyed receiving these pieces over several weeks from the various church members, so she was eventually able to complete her puzzle.

Be aware of holidays in your missionary’s outreach location. For example, in the Middle East where our missionary serves, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is significant. This is a very special day when Jewish people pray that God would forgive them for all their sins and inscribe their names in the Book of Life. Jewish believers give thanks to the Lord Messiah for his sacrifice, for they know that their names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Awareness of the holidays makes the missionaries feel like we are more in tune with their lives, and can help us know how to pray.

Subscribe to an internet news source concerned with the area where the missionary serves, and then provide the missionary support team and church with regular news updates.

During our Sunday Night Service, we decided to focus on Peru, where our missionaries (also members of our congregation) are serving. We had praise and worship, then had someone share a ‘focus on Peru’ for about 15 minutes, including history, geographic info, the work our missionaries are involved in, and the national church in Peru. After that, the workers called during the service and greeted the congregation. We were able to collect a special offering towards their ministry, and other people pledged support. One comment I heard: 'It was easier to give after we heard directly from them, even if over the phone lines.' We also gave the attendees a newsletter and prayer card as a way of getting to know the missionaries more personally. We decorated the sanctuary with Latin American flags and memorabilia from Latin countries, so as people walked in, it was like walking into the country of focus.

Become an intercessor for a missionary kid. Write a note to the child, saying that you are praying for him/her; send a small gift or treat along with your note. Ask how you can pray, and ask about the exciting things God is doing in the child's life or in those around the child. Share about the exciting things God is doing in your life and the prayers that he has answered. Be dependable and faithful to this child.

Encourage your family (and others in your congregation) to make a mission project part of Christmas gift-giving. Choose a project that impacts a mission worker/family you know. Then, either treat the project like an additional family member (and give monetary gifts equal to what you spend on other family members), or give to the project instead of giving each other gifts.

One thing that really blessed me (and other co-workers) was a $20 bill sent with instructions to take some of the others working with me in Honduras out for ice cream. What a treat!

Pray that the worker’s drive to “succeed” as a missionary would not become more important than God’s voice, or than family. Pray that he or she can find a balance between ministry and home responsibilities. Inquire if you can help the worker with this balance in any way (perhaps serving as an accountability partner while the worker is on location, or assisting with some duties while the worker is at home).

‘Mail-a-prayer,’ putting your words on paper: When you e-mail the worker, write out your own prayer specifically for them and their needs.

The sound of a loved one's voice is amazingly special to those far from home. Record yourself and/or family and friends talking, singing, etc. Share funny memories, encouraging verses, prayer requests, praises, favorite new songs, favorite recipes, words of appreciation for the worker, etc. Be creative! Then make a copy of the tape, and mail it to your missionary friend.

"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 6-7

The obvious ways to support missionaries is through our prayer and giving, but there are other ways we can use our personal gifts in sending and supporting missionaries.

Pete Sommers says "We all want volunteer fundraisers, of course, but God gives us people with a mix of gifts instead: wisdom, service, prayer, hospitality, giving (cash and in-kind) and maybe exhortation. And we need them all. If you are headed overseas, you need someone to help with communications, to take your letter, get it formatted, stuffed, addressed and sent here in your home country. You need people with the gift of hospitality in cities where your donors are grouped, prayer warriors and perhaps someone with the time and knowledge to assist in getting visas. If you're building support in or near your place of ministry, you need a prayer groups, a communications assistant, hosts for events to promote your work or encourage your donors. You need an advisory group, formal or informal, beyond your organization." Getting Sent p. 138.

Be a Local Church "Champion"
Be the one in your local church who keeps up-to-date on a missionary and his or her work - and keep your local church up-to-date as well. Keep in touch with them personally. Endeavor to learn as much about their field of ministry as you can. Frequently share specific prayer requests both orally and in church publications. Put together an attractive display on their ministry. Organize fund-raisers, or special projects. Make phone calls in behalf of your missionary to supporters thanking them for their involvement.

Getting Them Sent
Perhaps the greatest struggle a missionary has is getting to the field to begin with. This often involves many personal sacrifices, and sometimes years of preparation, travel and building a support base. So anything and everything you can do to assist them in this task is of great importance. "Speed them on their way" (Titus 3:13; Romans 10:14-15)

Hospitality
There are a number of ways you can support a missionary through hospitality. Hosting "events" - both large such as banquets or conferences; but also small such as gathering people from your personal "networks" for small group breakfasts, desserts, teas, or prayer meetings where you introduce and increase interest and contacts for supporting the missionaries work. Or providing comfortable places for itinerating missionaries to stay while preparing to go to the field, or as they return and re-adjust to life back home. (Romans 15:24; 16:2; 1 Corinthians 15:5,6; 16:10.11)

Newsletters and Administrative work
Yes, mission boards do this-but it is a great help to have someone to assist in preparing attractive up-to-date prayer letters, or even a web site for a missionary. Or to assist in keeping contact lists up to date. And there are a host of other administrative tasks people at home can take on - check with your missionary or the mission board for ways you can help or things you might be able to do.

Communication
Once on the field and the new routine of their work sets in, missionaries feel isolated, out of touch. Letters, e-mail (observe the guidelines), phone calls, care packages, can do much to encourage them. Share things that matter, your thoughts and feelings - be realistic and honest - and encouraging. Show interest in their lives on the field, their concerns and what specifically you are praying for them. Encourage your children to connect with their children. Care packages could include even little things: packages of seasonings unavailable on the field, or new Christian books or music CD's, sermon or Bible study tapes etc. You might even pay visit them on the field, getting a first hand taste of life there; or facilitate a pastor or someone else in doing do. Best of all ask the missionary what you personally can do to encourage them and their families. And be sure to follow through! (Titus 3:15; 2 Timothy 3:10ff)

Logistics
Overseas ministry has many special needs. Material goods may need to be obtained, packed and properly shipped, duties paid, and often times even be shepherded along in order that they reach their destination in a timely manner. And a missionary's "affairs" and property at home may have been entrusted to the care of others. Someone may be needed to ensure that those commitments and promises of people at home are followed through and kept. Perhaps a short term team being send assist in the work needs help with planning, recruiting and a myriad of preparations. Missionaries need diligent, detail-orientated people with the knowledge at home that can both facilitate their ministries and free their minds of concern. (1 Timothy 4:13)

Re-entry Support
The shock of coming home is frequently worse than that going to the field. Reverse culture shock, as it is called, results in stress, frustration and depression, made much worse because it is not expected. After even a brief a time overseas, people return home to find "home" and its culture is no longer familiar to them - places, people, verbal expressions, and life-styles have gradually changed. They return excited about their cross cultural experiences, and find people quickly are bored, or have difficulty relating to their new "world" awareness. The missionary may critically view his own culture's self-absorption through another culture's eyes. The shock waves of coming home have kept many missionaries from ever returning to the field.

Be sensitive and aware! Do your best to grandly welcome them home - and be sure their immediate living and transportation needs are met, and help ease them into being "home." While giving them ample opportunities to share their experiences, give them space to say "No." Be patient, watch for the indications they may be struggling spiritually, mentally or emotionally; and be someone they can open up to and talk through their spiritual or emotional ups and downs. Help them to slowly integrate their new identity and lifestyle into their new environment. Help them build new friendships and relationships and look for ways they can share their global perspective and experiences in your community. (Acts 14:27-28) .

So take stock of your gifts and re-consider your role as a sender - neither your prayers nor your giving will suffer!

"We must either go out for the sake of his name, or we must send and support such people who do, and do so in a manner worthy of God. . . . The name of God is at stake in how we treat our missionaries. God is glorified when we support them substantially with our prayers, our money, our time, and in myriad other practical ways. God is not glorified when our missionaries are simply a name on the back of the church bulletin or a line item in the budget." Tom Steller, in Let the Nations be Glad by John Piper, p. 236.