Planning a Missionary Visit

A well-planned missionary visit can make a big difference in your congregation's vision for missions. Here are some hints to help you plan well:

• Think of your missionaries as members of your congregation. Help them enter into the life of the congregation.
• Involve your missionaries in one or more worship services. Most ordained missionaries love to preach. Many of the unordained do too.
• As much as possible, work the missionary presentation into the worship service. Most missionary audiovisual programs are short and suitable for worship services.
• Schedule a time for your missionaries to visit with your pastor. A chat over coffee or lunch works well.
• If your church is the missionary's home church, schedule a time for your elders to visit them. This is an ideal time to offer spiritual encouragement.
• Involve your missionaries in a variety of small-group settings such as prayer groups, adult-ed groups, youth group, GEMS, Cadets, home visits, potlucks, church picnics, etc.
• Schedule a time with your congregation's decision-makers such as your church council, missions committee or deacons.
• Ask your missionaries well in advance of their visit to talk about a topic particularly of interest to the congregation.
• If there is a pastor's gathering planned for your area, make arrangements for your missionary to attend.
• Link missionary kids with same-aged kids in your congregation.
• Include missionaries in social events.

Practical matters when planning for your missionary's visit:

• You will hear from Resonate concerning your missionary's ReConnect about four months before the event.
• Talk with your missionary about available dates for your missionary to visit.
• Talk with your missions committee or pastor about visit details. 
• Continue to develop the visiting schedule.
• Talk personally with your missionary at least two weeks in advance of the visit. Discuss and confirm all events.
• Look at logistical things such as extension cords, projector tables, video projectors, etc.
• On the day of the visit, meet your missionaries as they enter and shepherd them about. Make lunch arrangements if necessary.