Ideas for Emphasizing Missions in 2013

Connect with Technology
In the old days, missionaries would visit every couple of years lugging around slides and a projector. Nowadays, missionaries can email you their newsletter, instantly update their blog, post a video taken with their cell phone online, or even Skype call during a worship service. While in-person visits are still important for relationship-building, find out if your missionary provides updates in other formats. If possible, consider incorporating their newsletter (RSS) feeds into your website or promote them on Facebook. (For help with technology, check out http://www.churchjuice.com/)

Update your Missions Bulletin Board
I have seen some really creative missions bulletin boards over the years! If you have any digital scrapbookers, paper crafters, or teachers, offer them the chance to give a breath of fresh air to your church’s missions displays.

Make it Real
Engage all your senses to learn about the country where your missionary is working. Consider holding a dinner with foods from that country (lots of ethnic grocery stores are probably right in your own neighborhood!). Try to recreate a worship service as if it were being held in that country. A CRC in Texas did this and met outside under a tree and sang a song in the language of their missionary’s country.
 

Involve the Youth
No, I don’t mean send them on their own youth group work trip. I mean, consider an intergenerational work team to visit the missionaries you already support. If your missionary speaks in a country where the youth speak English (which is common in many African countries, for example), or if some of the youth in your church are learning Spanish, consider exchanging letters or videos to share what it means to be a Christian in your country.

What are some creative ways that you’ve emphasized missions in your church?