This resource is a practical guide for church leaders on how to create and sustain Advocacy Teams—small groups of church members dedicated to providing ongoing care and representation for missionaries and partners. It outlines the vision, structure, responsibilities, and specific action steps needed to ensure missionaries remain relationally connected and well-supported throughout their time on the field. Church leaders can use this guide to train team leaders, mobilize volunteers, and cultivate a church culture that reflects God's advocacy and care for those sent to the nations.

Jesus described the Holy Spirit as our Advocate—one who comes alongside us, intercedes for us, and reminds us of God’s presence and truth (John 14:16, 26). While we are not the Holy Spirit, we reflect his heart when we come alongside others with the same kind of intentional care and advocacy. When church members form Advocacy Teams for their missionaries, they are embodying this divine pattern—caring, interceding, and faithfully representing the interests of those sent out for the sake of the gospel. In doing so, they not only support the missionary but reflect the ongoing love and presence of Christ through his people.

What Are Advocacy Teams?

Advocacy Teams (also commonly referred to as “Barnabas Teams” and “Care Teams”) are a tangible expression of a sending church’s commitment to support their missionaries. These teams are centered around team leaders and are often made up of 4–8 individuals. They can serve as the primary link between the church as a whole and the missionaries.

Simply put, Advocacy Teams are groups of church members who deeply love their missionaries. They advocate in two directions: on behalf of the missionaries to the church, and on behalf of the church to the missionaries. This is accomplished most basically by ongoing communication, prayer, and relationship. Because of the bond with Advocacy Team members, missionaries can be open and honest, allowing the team to see their strengths, weaknesses, successes, failures, and needs.

What Is the Vision for Advocacy Teams?

There are two major roles for Advocacy Teams: care and representation. A team's success depends on its ability to fulfill these roles from the time a missionary prepares to leave for the field until they return.

Care

Many missionaries live in physically, emotionally, and spiritually challenging environments. Some are raising children far from extended family. Others struggle with cultural adjustments and language barriers. Most significantly, all serve on the front lines of spiritual warfare. For survival and spiritual health, missionaries need assurance that they are not alone, that others in the body of Christ love them and are committed to their welfare and success. They need empathetic listeners—compassionate, caring friends who are not in a supervisory role. This also involves identifying specific needs which the team can meet or organize others in the church to meet.

Representation

Among the church, Advocacy Teams champion the missionaries and their ministry. They call for ongoing participation in the missionaries’ lives and ministries, even though they are far away. Through the efforts of Advocacy Teams, the sending church can maintain a healthy, ongoing connection to the missionaries and their ministry.

What Do Advocacy Teams Look Like?

A simple foundation for Advocacy Teams begins with committed team leaders. They are usually the ones who have the deepest connection with the missionaries and may have been personally recruited for the task. Team leaders take on the responsibility of keeping team members accountable.

Each Advocacy Team looks different. If candidates are responsible for cultivating their own teams before being sent out (which we recommend), the quality of the team will depend in large part on the candidates’ level of investment. The teams’ success also correlates with church leaders’ encouragement, training, and accountability, as well as the missionaries’ willingness to stay connected from afar. If there are multiple missionaries, we recommend building a separate team for each individual or family.

It is important to clarify expectations of commitment for joining a team. A good balance is to ask team members to commit to the missionaries’ next full term, which is usually 2–4 years. This keeps the initial commitment from appearing either indefinite or too casual. Depending on team members’ life seasons, people may need to step out of the team. It is wise, therefore, to set the expectation that members must replace themselves if they cannot finish the term. Otherwise, missionaries might face the difficult task of recruiting new members themselves.

What Do Advocacy Teams Do?

There are many things that Advocacy Teams can do. The following list, however, provides the basic categories of team responsibilities. You may choose to revise or add to them. 

Meet Regularly

Teams usually meet briefly once per month for prayer, updates, projects, and communication with the missionaries.

Pray

The most critical role of Advocacy Teams is to pray together as a team and on an individual basis. The missionaries should ease this process by providing up-to-date prayer needs.

Stay Connected

It is difficult for missionaries to maintain healthy relationships back home. Part of providing care for them is the commitment to stay connected. Team members should aim to personally connect at least once a month. This can happen through emails, videos, social media, texts, handwritten letters, or other creative means—as directed by the missionary, especially when secure communication is necessary.

Send Care Packages

Nothing says “I love you” to missionaries like a box full of thoughtful gifts (especially when knowing what the missionaries need and enjoy most). Advocacy Teams should aim to send a certain number of care packages each year. Church leaders should clarify whether funds are provided or if this responsibility falls to team members.

Visit

While not always possible, individual team members or entire teams may visit missionaries on the field. These visits can be life-changing for both parties.

Help with Departure and Arrival

Some of the hardest times for missionaries occur when they are preparing to leave for the field and when they return home. Advocacy Teams should seek to identify needs and help as much as possible during these transitions.

Give Special Attention to Children

It’s easy to overlook the needs of missionary children. Tragically, their needs are often the greatest and can go unfulfilled. Advocacy Teams should seek to identify their unique needs and meet them as much as possible.

How Do Advocacy Teams Get Started?

Advocacy Teams can develop in ways that range from organic to formal. Below we have included a basis process to consider, though it will need to be customized based on the church context and structure.

Designate a Church Leader

A designated church leader should oversee the Advocacy Team(s), providing training, encouragement, and accountability for the team leader(s).

Establish a Team Leader

Each team must have a faithful leader (or couple) who is deeply committed to the missionaries. This person (or couple) should be vetted and clearly understand their responsibilities.

Gather the Team

Once the team leader(s) is in place, they can recruit the rest of the team. Alternatively, church leaders may recruit team members. In some cases, missionary candidates build their own teams before departure. Regardless, it’s important early on to build camaraderie, understand each member's connection to the missionaries, and provide some training.

Contact the Missionaries

The team leader should reach out to the missionary, let them know the team is forming, and invite them to participate in the first meeting via video. 

Meet as a Team

Set a regular time and place to meet. Gathering in a home and sharing a meal can foster a sense of teaming together.

Specific Ways Advocacy Teams Can Care Well

In addition to the general categories of responsibilities provided above, this section identifies specific, practical steps the team can take. 

Become Educated 

• Spend time with missionaries and their families prior to their departure. Get to know them and their kids on a personal level.  

• Ask specific questions about their lives: What kind of work are they doing? What does a typical day look like? What are their living arrangements? What is transportation like? What is it like to shop for food or cook there? What is the climate and how does it affect them? How are they treated by the locals? How are their children treated by the locals? Do they work on a team? If so, how are their relationships within the team?  

• Ask specific questions about the culture: What is the host culture's attitude toward time: slow or fast-paced? Do locals tend to be more task-oriented or people-oriented? Are the locals generally open to interacting with foreigners? What is their attitude toward Americans? How welcoming are the national and local governments to foreigners like themselves? What is the level of risk in operating in the host country? If a high level of risk is involved, what kinds of precautions do they take to do their work? What are the prevailing beliefs in the area? What is the level of oppression, including outright demonic activity in the area? How does this affect them and their family? How healthy is the local church (if any)? What kind of interaction do they have with the local church?  

• Ask specific questions about their projects: What are their objectives? How are they pursuing those objectives? What obstacles have they run into? What are some encouraging aspects of the work going on there? What are some discouraging aspects of the work?  

• Read up on current events in their country and/or region, and ask how these events affect their lives and/or ministry.  

• Read a book about missionaries to better understand their experience, such as On Being a Missionary by Thomas Hale.

Pray  

• Beginning six months before their departure, meet with the missionaries monthly for prayer.  

• After their departure, communicate regularly to develop a working prayer list. Use the list to pray individually and as a team. 

• Pray for the missionary in small group, with family, and in personal prayer time.  

• Pray not only for the missionaries, but also for the people whom they serve. 

Communicate  

• Text, email, call, or send a letter at least once a month.  

• Send birthday cards, anniversary cards, or Christmas cards.  

• Send them a gift card they can use online for digital goods.  

• Ask if they have any practical needs that the Advocacy Team and/or the church body could help with.  

• Ask questions about their physical, emotional, and spiritual health.  

• Inform them of recent happenings with the church, in your own life, and around your city.  

• Understand that life on the field is just as full (if not more so) than life in the US, and that you may not immediately hear back from them. If they respond within a week or so, try again. If they continue to be non-responsive, contact church leaders.  

Represent 

• Relate emergency information about the missionaries to church leaders. 

• Find channels for communicating prayer requests securely to the entire church. 

• Distribute the missionaries’ prayer cards to church members. 

• Collect church members’ email addresses to receive the missionaries’ newsletters.  

Provide  

• Ask if they need assistance in areas of personal business, such as preparing taxes or registering for absentee ballots during elections.  

• If they will be coming home on furlough, ask them whether or not they need assistance finding housing or a vehicle.  

• Help clean their residence and stock their pantry before they return.  

• Coordinate meals and/or childcare for them the first week of their arrival.  

Departure and Arrival  

• While they are in pre-field training, meet together once a month for prayer and encouragement.  

• As the departure date draws near, assist in packing, moving, shopping, and/or childcare.  

• If possible, be present at the airport when they depart and return (if desired).  

• Read a book about reentry to better relate to them. 

• If needed, assist in securing housing and a vehicle before they return.  

• If possible, meet them at the airport when they return.  

• When they come home, schedule time with them to ask questions, see pictures, and talk about life in their host country.  

• After they return, pray with them about their host country, including their friends and contacts in the host country.  

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Advocacy as a Lifestyle of Sending

Faithful advocacy is not just a program or checklist—it is a lifestyle that reflects God’s ongoing care for his people. Advocacy Teams provide a structure for this care, helping your church embody its identity as a true sending community. When church members step into this role, they become more than supporters; they become active participants in God's global mission, ensuring that no missionary walks alone. 

Next Steps

The journey toward sending well happens one step at a time. Here are three ways you can continue helping your church grow in providing ongoing care:

1. Develop a list of potential advocates in your church—people that have gone on short-term trips, have been long-term missionaries, or that you think would do a great job of being reliable care-givers for missionaries. Invite them to a meeting where you cast vision for starting Advocacy Teams.

2. Read chapter 12 in The Sending Church Applied for an overview of providing ongoing care. 

3. Consider joining Upstream’s Missionary Care Cohort to develop a holistic strategy for caring for missionaries.