Sending a short-term team can feel like the most practical way to help a missionary — but it isn't always the most useful. Missionary Jennifer Su McIntyre, who serves with her husband as a church planter in Taiwan, wrote a piece for The Gospel Coalition outlining six alternative, often more sustainable ways for churches and individuals to support missionaries. I translated the full article into Portuguese for this blog; below is a short summary of her six points in English, with a link to read her original article in full.
- Pray for missionaries regularly — and tell them specifically what you're praying. A quick message naming a specific prayer request means far more than a generic promise to pray.
- Commit to regular financial support, not just one-time gifts. Consistency gives missionaries the security to focus on ministry instead of fundraising.
- Help fight homesickness. A care package, a streaming subscription, or a favorite snack from home can mean more than it seems.
- Support missionaries well during home assignment. "Furlough" is rarely a vacation — it's an exhausting season of travel, reporting, and cultural readjustment that deserves real practical help.
- If you visit the field, go to serve and learn, not to lead. Visits are most valuable when guests arrive without preconceived agendas and simply ask the missionary what would actually help.
- Consider sending a "mid-term" worker. Someone willing to give one or two years can free up long-term missionaries for the work only they can do.
Jennifer Su McIntyre and her husband, Thomas, are church-planting missionaries with OMF International in Taiwan.
Read her full original article at thegospelcoalition.org/article/ways-you-can-support-missionaries. A complete Portuguese translation is also available on this blog: 6 Maneiras de Apoiar os Missionários.
Want to put one of these into practice?