Encouraging an existing Link Up in your church

How to support your Link Up mission worker when they are overseas

• The most important thing you can do is to pray!  Extract some key prayer points from the mission workers’ communication (e-mails, letters etc) and use with other BMS material (photos on the website, videos, maps, publications etc).

• Contact your mission worker by e-mail and/or post. Write and offer your support and encouragement.  You could ask your workers what they most need, how they would most feel supported and valued eg it might be getting regular sports news from the UK or a Christmas parcel of goodies, or just knowing that you are supporting them in prayer – especially for those who travel through some of the most dangerous areas in the world.

• Encourage members of your church to subscribe to your Link Up mission worker’s prayer letter. 

• If you are not the Link Up group contact, please offer them your help especially during the planning of the mission workers’ Home Assignment visit.

• Try and arrange some meetings with your group before your mission worker arrives in the UK. The meetings could take the form of a prayer meeting or even a light breakfast or coffee morning. 

• If your church has any sort of newsletter, magazine or website you could include regular reports of their work.  With those workers who are in sensitive areas, you will need to be very cautious of what is said and especially what is written; please always refer to the briefing sheet and guidelines for sensitive countries and feel free to contact the Link Up Administrator if there are any concerns.

• Include children and youth groups where possible. Some groups may wish to send a card to the worker.  BMS produces resources for teaching children, young people and all-age services about world mission.  See FACE