Missionaries leave home, family, and what is familiar to share Jesus with people who have not heard Him yet. Most of us will never make that move ourselves, but all of us can stand behind the people who do. Here are four simple ways to support missionaries, starting today.
1. Pray for them
Prayer is not the small thing you do when you cannot do anything else. It is the first and most important support a missionary needs.
Pray for their safety and health, for their families, and for the people they are trying to reach. Pray for open doors, for language and culture to become clearer, and for strength on the days when the work feels slow or lonely. If you know a missionary by name, pray for them by name. It matters to them to know someone back home is praying.
2. Give financially
Missionaries cannot do this work without people who give. Most of them raise their own support, month by month, from churches and friends who believe in what God called them to do.
Giving does not have to be large to matter. A small gift given faithfully, month after month, helps a missionary plan, stay on the field, and keep serving. Every gift, no matter the size, becomes part of God’s work to reach people with His love and truth.
3. Encourage them
Life on the mission field can be lonely. A short message, a letter, or a word of thanks can mean more than you think.
Tell a missionary what their work has meant to you. Ask how they are doing, not just how the ministry is doing. Remember birthdays and hard anniversaries. When they come home on furlough, welcome them, feed them, and give them space to rest. Encouragement helps missionaries keep going when the results are hard to see.
4. Buy with purpose
You can also support missions through what you already buy. When you choose a shirt whose profits go to mission work, your purchase becomes part of the support.
That is the idea behind Clothing With a Mission. 100% of our profits are reinvested into the Kingdom of God through gospel mission work, including helping sponsor missionaries, supporting outreach and evangelism, and creating opportunities to share the Gospel. A shirt you wear every day can help fund someone who is sharing Jesus somewhere else in the world.
A real example: the Boyd family
The Boyd family are missionaries to New Zealand, called to train and disciple the next generation of missionaries and church leaders. They are involved in EBPN (End Bible Poverty Now) initiatives in the South Pacific and serve short-term and long-term missions throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania.
So far, Clothing With a Mission has given $1,600 to support the Boyd family in New Zealand. You can read their story and follow their work for yourself.
Start with one step
You do not have to do all four of these at once. Pick one. Pray for a missionary by name today. Send an encouraging message. Give a gift, large or small. Or choose a purchase that has a purpose behind it.
Wear faith. Share the gospel. Change lives.
