I met my former neighbors in a bomb shelter.
Political violence had surged in our region of the Middle East, and attacks and air raids upended our daily lives. It quickly became apparent that to sustain ministry in this turbulent location, my team and I would need steadfast support from those holding the rope in North America.
Our situation was not unique. The 100 largest unreached people groups—comprising 24 percent of the world’s population—all dwell within the 10/40 Window, a swath of global territory spanning North Africa, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and much of Asia. Most nations in this region restrict Christian activity, and missionaries regularly confront religious hostility, closed borders, harsh climates, inadequate medical care—and tremendous gospel need. Yet only 3 percent of the missionary force has answered this call.
When Jesus appointed 72 disciples for short-term mission, his commission included not only a mandate but a warning of the risk they would assume. “And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves’” (Luke 10:2–3).
Jesus’ words still resonate today as a clarion call to risk-averse generations. The gospel will not penetrate the ends of the earth without missionaries willing to face danger. The question, therefore, is not whether we need to risk but how to support those who do.
Jesus’ words still resonate today as a clarion call to risk-averse generations. The gospel will not penetrate the ends of the earth without missionaries willing to face danger. The question, therefore, is not whether we need to risk but how to support those who do. Consider these five principles to guide our efforts.
1. Provide for Their Daily Needs
Most missionaries need financial support. For those whose daily life includes navigating threats or adverse conditions, a stable income becomes even more crucial. Being able to rely on consistent contributions to provide their family’s daily bread can free up their already-occupied minds and hearts to more fully engage in ministry. Beyond their routine personal and ministry budgets, unexpected costs can arise for emergency situations or special ministry projects. Giving generously is an opportunity to demonstrate tangible care.
During his imprisonment in Rome, the Apostle Paul commended the Philippian church for their financial gifts and concern for him, describing their support as sharing in his “trouble” (Philippians 4:14). He later encouraged churches in Crete to send missionaries such that they “lack nothing” (Titus 3:13).
This holy admonition to share in our missionaries’ trouble includes not only financial support but regular personal encouragement. Following the Philippians’ example, we can communicate our care through messages, emails, or calls. Even short, simple messages demonstrate love and value. In locations with few other Christ-followers, missionaries may not often hear biblically grounded encouragement on difficult days or have opportunity to discuss life events with like-minded friends.
2. Engage in Fervent Prayer
Amy Carmichael (1867-1951), pioneer missionary to India, once remarked, “If you are ever inclined to pray for a missionary, do it at once, where ever you are. Perhaps he may be in great peril at that moment.”
We cannot expect to press the gospel into nations gripped by the darkness of false religions and antagonistic political systems without acknowledging the spiritual forces at play. Missionaries serving in these areas feel this darkness acutely. Therefore, when the Lord brings them to mind, pray. When you hear their country mentioned in the news, pray. Pray for wisdom and discernment, strength and endurance, boldness and clear witness, and abundant growth for them and for the national churches.
3. Set and Follow Security Guidelines
Take particular care to find out which modes of communication your missionaries consider secure in their context: email addresses, messaging apps, social media platforms, or mail. When corresponding with those in creative-access locations, where communications may be monitored, learn which specific phrases or sensitive topics to avoid and what to use instead. For their safety and ongoing ministry, it’s usually best to avoid referring to these workers as “missionaries” and ensure that you do not post their names or personal information online.
Security guidelines are usually determined by missions agencies or sending churches, who can also provide personal security training for those serving in places of risk. Understanding situational awareness and threat assessment—along with real-time assistance from professionals and debriefing when needed—can give confidence in turbulent situations.
4. Set Realistic Expectations
While we certainly should honor those who serve in the hardest places, let us not forget that they are people like we are with feet of clay. They can get sick, tired, and discouraged and need periodic time away for refreshment, along with grace and compassion. Likewise, ministry in these regions can seem more like plowing concrete than planting in good soil, and it’s often necessary to break through layers of hostility and opposition before seeing the kind of spiritual results which supporters may expect.
As much as we may yearn for missionaries’ on-the-ground ministry to continue, partnership also involves openhandedness: they may face complex decisions of whether to stay on the field or to evacuate to best steward their resources, ministries, and very lives. Here too, they appreciate compassion, understanding, and practical assistance as they follow the Spirit’s leading and the guidance of designated church and agency leadership. These missionaries stand in good company: both the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul at times withdrew from life-threatening situations and at others boldly endured persecution to fulfill their mission.
5. Join in Their Risk
The best way we can support missionaries in risk is by being willing to risk ourselves. Rather than viewing missionaries as somehow separate from other believers—or exempting ourselves from ministry with a well-intended “I could never do what you do”—let us consider what God has called us to do. Christ’s commission to “go and make disciples of all nations” was issued to all his disciples (Matthew 28:19–20)—or, as Charles Spurgeon summarized, “It is the whole business of the whole church to preach the whole gospel to the whole world.” God may not have called you to places of risk, but he has placed you in a specific family, neighborhood, and city. We must all daily preach the gospel to ourselves, remind ourselves of Jesus’ sacrifice, and follow his model as we selflessly engage the lost, hurting world around us.
When one day we stand before God’s throne, in a kingdom of peace and justice, our lives will not be evaluated by the degree of our risk but by the measure of our faithfulness.
When one day we stand before God’s throne, in a kingdom of peace and justice, our lives will not be evaluated by the degree of our risk but by the measure of our faithfulness. Let us boldly follow him into the harvest field to which he has called us and expend ourselves in sacrificially supporting those sent to the hardest fields.
That is a risk worth taking.
