Step 1 was Recognizing the need
Step 2 – Providing moral support
Having invested my career as a cross-cultural health care missionary, I offer these comments after reading the second chapter of Neal Pirolo’s book.
What is moral support comprised of?
- Encouraging simplicity in ministry goals and lifestyle
- Integrating mission with the ministries of the sending church
- Active Listening
- Just a word of encouragement and listening with positive feedback helps your global partner clarify his thoughts and feelings.
What is all included in the commissioning process?
- Confirmation
- It should be the role of the sending church to be involved in the decision to choose an applicant.
- Strategy determined
- The sending church should be involved in guiding an applicant into an area of ministry.
- Commissioning service
- This service can be the capstone in the process of preparing a missionary for service.
All too often after a commissioning service has been completed, any involvement by the sending church in the ministry of the global partner discontinues and the sending organization assumes all management responsibilities. Being an active participant in the direction of a global partner is a critical element of moral support for the sent one.
What are the implications of committing to offer moral support?
- It’s important for a global partner to know that his supporters believe in what he is doing.
What does moral support include?
- Frequent statements of affirmation
- Offering logistical support through the transition to and from the field of service.
- Some of the biggest practical needs of a global partner on his home assignment are where will we live and what kind of vehicle will we have to get around?
- Sending notes reflecting interest, not just waiting for the global partner’s prayer letter.
Note: The Global Partner Preparation Handbook, available from the FEBC Global Office, goes into detail with practical ways to interact with your global partner in the preparation stage and, hopefully, continue into the serving stage.
Author: This article was written by Roger Reimer, retired global partner with Reach Beyond, formerly known as HCJB in Quito, Ecuador.
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