How Missionaries Can Influence Their Sending Church

This resource equips church leaders to help their missionaries actively influence and strengthen the sending church, both while they are on the field and during furlough. Drawing from the model of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14, it casts a vision for relational, spiritual, and missional reciprocity between missionaries and the church. With practical ideas for communication, storytelling, presence, and teaching, it helps leaders guide their missionaries to bless the church even as they serve abroad.

One sign of a healthy sending church is that it doesn’t just send missionaries—it also receives from them. This is a vital rhythm of mutuality: churches send, and missionaries return—not just physically, but relationally and spiritually—to encourage, exhort, and strengthen the very body that sent them out.

As church leaders, we should actively create space for this kind of influence, knowing that missionaries bring perspective, faith stories, and lived wisdom from the frontlines of God’s global mission. But even when churches fall short in initiating this connection, missionaries themselves should still seek to influence their sending churches. We see this modeled beautifully in Acts 14:26–28, when Paul and Barnabas return from their first missionary journey:

From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

Three clear actions emerge:

• They reconnected intentionally. Paul and Barnabas gathered the church together—they took the initiative and sought the reconnection. 

• They shared stories of God’s work. They reported what God had done through them, stirring up worship and encouragement.

• They reinvested relationally. They stayed a long time with their sending church, re-entering the life of the body from which they had come.

While this is descriptive rather than prescriptive, it offers a compelling example of the missionary posture we hope to cultivate: one of humble initiative, gospel storytelling, and relational investment.

This resource is designed to help you, as a church leader, cast vision and give practical guidance to your missionaries—both those preparing to go and those already sent—on how to influence your church in meaningful, Spirit-filled ways. Below, you’ll find a set of ideas and examples gathered from years of observing missionaries who’ve done this well. Use these ideas to encourage your missionaries and help them see that their influence on your church is not just welcomed—it’s needed.

Encouraging Missionaries to Influence the Church from the Field

The keyword here is proactive. While churches should take the initiative to stay connected with their missionaries, the reality is that it doesn’t always happen. One of the best ways you can support your missionaries is by encouraging them to see themselves as influencers to the life of the church—and equipping them with practical ideas for how to do that.

You can recommend some of the following practices and help create space for them within your church rhythms:

• Set up video calls for updates. These can be scheduled with pastors, staff, small groups, children’s classes, or even during a Sunday gathering. Seeing and hearing from your missionary firsthand creates a connection and reminds the church that this is their mission too.

• Encourage brief, story-driven updates. Whether via email or social media, help your missionary keep communication consistent and compelling. Ask for photos, short ministry stories, and specific prayer points.

• Start a group text thread. Suggest that your missionary create a thread with a few key people from the church. This allows real-time updates and prayer requests to flow more naturally.

• Use short videos in church settings. Invite your missionary to send informal updates filmed on their phone—these don’t need to be polished to be powerful. You can feature them in services, small groups, or on social media.

• Invite them to create a virtual prayer walk. This could be a video or audio-guided experience that allows your church to pray through their city or ministry context. Help them make it as immersive as possible through visuals and sensory details.

• Share physical reminders like prayer cards or magnets. Help your church stay prayerful and aware by distributing visually appealing materials from the missionary. Include links or QR codes to sign up for updates or learn more.

• Encourage handwritten letters. A personal note from the field—whether to a pastor, a mission team, or the entire congregation—can have a profound, relational, and spiritual impact.

• Flip the care package model. Instead of just sending items to the field, encourage your missionary to send a care package to the church. Cultural gifts and explanations can stir curiosity, compassion, and intercession.

• Facilitate a virtual mission trip. Guide your missionary in creating a virtual experience to invite the church into their world, even if physical travel isn’t possible.

Encouraging Missionaries to Influence the Church While on Furlough

Furlough is one of the best opportunities for a missionary to influence their sending church—not just through updates, but through presence and relationship. Because many churches don’t always know how to make the most of this time, you can help your missionary prepare well by encouraging them to be proactive.

Start the conversation early—ideally six months before their visit—to brainstorm ideas and discuss availability. Aim to finalize a basic reentry plan about a month before the furlough begins. Remember to give them time and space to rest and recover. When they’re ready, here are some ways you can encourage your missionary to engage while they’re home meaningfully:

• Coach them to prepare three versions of their story: a 30-second snapshot, a 5-minute overview, and a 30-minute deep dive. These timeframes reflect the range of conversations they’re likely to have with church members.

• Involve them in a Sunday service. Give them as much platform time as possible and help them prepare to make the most of it—through storytelling, clarity, and a clear next step for those who want to learn more.

• Host a post-service reception. Set up a space with snacks and decor that reflect their culture, and make it easy for church members to stop by, connect, and ask questions.

• Send them to visit small groups. Coordinate with group leaders to schedule a visit where the missionary can share briefly and participate fully. These smaller settings often yield the richest conversations.

• Use video and prayer together. Ask your missionary to create a short, quality video that can be shown during a service or gathering. Pair it with time for the church to pray specifically for them. If security isn’t an issue, share the video on social media to broaden its reach.

• Arrange a staff or leadership meeting. Encourage your missionary to share candidly with pastors and staff about their life and ministry—and consider making it special by ordering food from their host culture or home.

• Provide teaching opportunities. Whether it's in a missions class, a Sunday school group, or another setting, allow them to teach on something they’re passionate about. Their lived experience can inspire and inform the church.

• Schedule intentional time with missions leaders. Encourage your missionary to attend missions team meetings or even host special sessions for deeper reporting and possible debriefing.

• Coach them to be relationally intentional. Remind them that one of the most powerful ways they can influence is through love and presence. Instead of waiting for people to engage them, they can take the lead—by listening, showing interest, and asking good questions.

• Encourage hospitality. Whether it's through inviting others into their home or sharing meals out, eating together remains one of the best ways to deepen relationships and share life. This kind of table fellowship likely mirrors how Paul and Barnabas reconnected with the church in Antioch after their journey.

Bringing the Blessing Back Home

The goal isn’t to implement every idea in this resource, but to help your missionaries find a few meaningful ways to engage your church community. Just as Paul and Barnabas strengthened the believers in Antioch through their stories and presence, your missionaries have unique experiences, wisdom, and testimonies that can edify the body back home. As a church leader, you have the opportunity to help them see that their influence doesn’t end at the field—it extends back into the life of the sending church. When nurtured well, this kind of reciprocal relationship fosters a lasting partnership and keeps your church closely tied to God's mission in the world.

Next Steps

The journey toward sending well happens one step at a time. Here are some ways you can continue drawing out the rich influence of your missionaries:

1. Make a plan to incorporate a clear emphasis on missionaries intentionally investing in your church into your sending process. Provide training on the topic and use examples from this resource to cast your vision. 

2. How can you, as the sending church, proactively create opportunities to benefit from your missionary’s influence—rather than waiting for them to initiate? Explore practical ideas in the Upstream resource, “How the Church Can Invite Missionaries’ Influence”.

3. Read chapter 14 in The Sending Church Applied for an overview of inviting missionaries’ influence back into the sending church.