By Mary Schaeffer

A few weeks ago, we said farewell to a couple whom we have grown to love dearly.  Philip and Cathy, along with their two young children and lots of duffle bags, boarded a plane bound for a creative access country (closed to the gospel and missionaries), where life promises to be difficult.  As they left, Cathy confided in me, “I just can’t believe Grace Church, and the incredible love we’ve been shown these last few months.  Our Adopt a Missionary group has been amazing.”

Her words struck a chord with me, as I too had been overwhelmed by how our church family had rallied around and walked with them through the process of closing up their lives here in America and opening a new chapter on distant soil.  I thought of the words of King David, “We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.”  As Philip and Cathy “go to battle,” they leave behind a dedicated group of people to “guard the equipment.” 
 
Brent and Lauren lead the Adopt a Missionary Group (AAM) for Philip and Cathy, coordinating monthly prayer meetings for them and rallying the troops to share in Philip and Cathy’s lives. Providing the group with specific prayer requests, it is their desire to equip them to pray more effectively for their missionaries.  The bonding that is taking place was evident at a Bon Voyage party where 80 of us shared plenty of laughs and tears, and much encouragement and prayer.  Besides prayer, this AAM group packed boxes and moved Philip and Cathy out of their home, cleaned their house, provided lodging between the time their house sold and the time of departure, took care of their children, gifted them with a getaway to a nearby resort for a time of refreshment, sponsored a registry at local stores so people could buy the needed items for life in their new country, stuffed duffle bags (into the wee hours), gave financially, mailed numerous postcards encouraging and reminding them that they were being upheld in prayer, and finally met at the airport for final prayer and hugs, where they once again stuffed and reshuffled the contents of those duffle bags! 
 
As Philip and Cathy boarded the plane, a young woman from their AAM group boarded with them.  She has answered God’s call to give five weeks of her life to travel with Philip and Cathy and help with the children as they settle in.  There are others who are planning short term trips to in the near future, to teach English, help with technical needs, and bring encouragement and practical help.
 
Praying for missionaries has always been an integral part of life at Grace Church.  Our pastoral staff has led the way, praying faithfully for missionaries and encouraging the church family to do the same.  Their hearts for God and for the lost have been contagious. This year, Grace sent out two new missionary couples and one single woman, and saw two families return abroad after a year of home service.  That fact, coupled with rapid numeric growth at Grace, seemed to indicate God’s timing for a new thrust for missions prayer.  So last year, we launched our Adopt a Missionary Program, with 6 different groups for missionaries from our church.  Our goals are threefold, 1) that the people of Grace church, even the newcomers, will identify with at least one missionary family, and will become part of “those who hold the equipment.”  2) that our missionaries will be well cared for, both in prayer and in practical support and 3) that our missions fervor at Grace Church will grow, causing us to live with focus, sacrifice and expectation. 
 
We're excited about the way our AAM groups have given our congregation a sense of ownership, focusing on the ministry of one missionary family rather than being overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility for multiple individuals.  We're doing better now at both caring and praying specifically for each missionary.  Most of the AAM groups meet on a monthly basis, some gathering during another midweek event taking place at our church so that child care can be provided for.  Leaders have been given books and other resources on prayer to help facilitate new ideas for leading their groups in intercession.  Some people want to be a part of AAM, but can’t commit to attending meetings, so we encourage them to pray with their families or on their own. 
 
In addition to the Adopt a Missionary program, we seek to cultivate a missions heart in our congregation in other ways.  Most Sundays, we pray as a congregation for a missionary or a people group in another area of the world.  Our new members’ class has a session on missions where God’s Missionary heart is traced through the Bible.  We have been blessed by hearing regularly from visiting missionaries, and seeing DVD clips of what God is doing around the world.  On our weekly prayer sheet, the current needs of several missionary families are highlighted.  Wednesday nights, we pray collectively for specific missionaries, for the persecuted church, and for unreached peoples. 
 
We have also developed a “Missions Information Center” in our lobby, where people can pick up prayer letters and prayer cards, and find out how to contact a missionary or join an AAM group.  Our elementary age children are invited to be a part of our Worldchangers, where they can learn about missions and pray for missionaries.  As their hearts are touched by God, we want to help them hear His call on their lives. 
 
For our youth, we’ve hosted Global Impact the last few years, a Saturday extravaganza where our teens are challenged to be sold out for God, and to listen for His call on their lives as they serve a world in need.  Our pastor has reminded us that “if the great commission is not the wavelength of our lives, then our lives are irrelevant to the destiny of history.”  It is our goal to be relevant, to be faithful in “guarding the equipment” for those who have “gone into battle.”  And what joy it is to “share and share alike,” in what God is doing.

Mary Schaeffer is the senior pastor’s wife at Grace Church in Middleburg Heights (Cleveland), OH. She is also a mother of five who still has time to train for a triathlon!