SUPPORT A MISSIONARY

Missionaries currently in the field need your prayers and your support, both financial and spiritual. You can support a missioner by including them in your prayers, following their blogs, and/or pledging financial support.

The missionary programs of the Episcopal Church – Episcopal Volunteers in Mission (EVIM) and the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) – are currently in transition. Please stay tuned for more information about how to connect with such missionaries.  

Offer Prayer Support:

Knowing that someone is supporting you in prayer is a powerful encouragement to a missioner in the field. You can make contact with a missioner and let him or her know that they will be lifted up daily in prayer. A sample prayer is shown below:

Gracious God, whose blessed Son came not to be ministered to, but to minister; we pray for your blessing on _________________. As your servant ___________________ follows in Jesus’ footsteps, loving and serving their neighbors, fill them with wisdom, patience, perseverance, humility and courage. Enable them to share their gifts generously with those whom they meets.

Give _________________ an attentive mind and compassionate heart to see the face of Christ in all those whom they may encounter. Give your servant daily encouragement and a ready will. Inspire them with your love, that they may minister in your name, in a spirit of reconciliation with God and with each and every neighbor.

Keep your servant _______________ safe from injury, and bring them home renewed and rejoicing. All this we ask through the One who laid down his life for us, your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Offer Financial Support:

Long-term missionaries usually must fund-raise the bulk of the funds required to support their ministry. They depend on mission-minded friends, family, congregations and organizations to sustain them as they serve in the field, either as a pledge to be paid on a monthly or annual basis or a one-time donation.

The best way to support a missioner financially is to contact him or her directly or visit their blog for information on directing the funds appropriately. Generally, these funds are tax-deductible if they are donated through the sending organization such as the Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society or the missioner’s sponsoring parish or diocese, or other sponsoring agency. Missioners also greatly appreciate personal funds (directed to the individual and not tax-deductible) for the myriad, often unforeseen, costs of daily living.

Other Donations:

Frequently, there are much-needed items specific to a missioner’s ministry or work in the mission field that may be welcome, such as Bibles in the local language, prayer books, altar linens, vestments, books, or similar difficult-to-obtain items. Again, the best approach is to contact the missioner directly to determine suitability of the items and the best method for shipping or transporting.  Bear in mind that some countries have poorly functioning postal systems or may require the missioner to pay large tariffs on incoming items. The missioner will be able to advise you about these types of donations.