Caring Well Post-Field

After a decade of church planting in northern Italy, the Lord directed our family to local church ministry in central Florida. Since we were returning home, many expected our transition to be seamless. Certainly, some things went easily and without disruption. But a few areas caught us by surprise. For me personally, the faster pace of ministry was an unexpected challenge. I also missed extended and intentional time with unsaved friends and neighbors. Our children definitely felt the cultural change most acutely because they were in their teen years when we returned.

Missionaries leave the field for many reasons: issues with children, health concerns, a new job opportunity, a lack of support, retirement, the need to care for aging parents, and so on. Sometimes the return is planned and intentional; other times, it’s sudden and extremely disruptive.

No matter the reason, the return home can be bumpy, to say the least. Challenges include:

• Children’s reentry into an unfamiliar culture
• A faster pace of life and ministry
• A lack of close relationships
• Returning to churches that have changed significantly
• Reengaging with family members who now feel like strangers
• Feelings of isolation, confusion, and never feeling at home

So how do we care well for those workers who are navigating their new life? The best answer is also a simple one: through the local church.

The book of Acts lays the biblical framework. See Acts 13:1-3; 14:24-28; 15:35; and 18:22. Paul and Barnabas made regular visits to Antioch for refreshment and encouragement.

In that same spirit, churches today should prepare one another to provide for their missionaries.

Prepare

Churches should prepare to care for a returning missionary before the worker shows up. How? First of all, through regular and intentional communication. As the missionary prepares to return, there’s a mountain of details that needs to be handled. Sending churches can help with this. They can designate someone who will communicate timely and accurate information to the church regarding various needs the missionary may have.

Churches can also prepare by becoming familiar with the cultural context from which the worker is returning. Those coming from years of ministry in developed nations will face different challenges than those returning from developing nations. Differences in housing, food, healthcare, transportation, and other daily realities will be significant. The more churches understand this, the more patient and understanding they will be. From punctuality to manners to friendship, the cultural differences that could cause difficulty are endless. Returning workers will notice them all. The church will serve their missionaries well by being aware of these struggles and intentionally preparing to walk with them.

One Another

We want returning missionaries to be embraced by the simple yet profound one-anothering that characterizes a healthy local body: loving, showing hospitality, greeting, honoring, agreeing, living in harmony, bearing with one another, displaying kindness, comforting, caring, and praying. Is your church characterized by these activities now? If not, we shouldn’t expect them to suddenly start for a returning missionary. 

Hopefully, we can simply enfold returning workers into a healthy church body that will embrace them with community, accountability, and encouragement. That will be a balm to their weary souls.

Relevant one-another passages include John 15:12; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:2-3; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Peter 4:10; and 1 Peter 5:14.

Provide

Lastly, the church can care well for returning missionaries by providing them tangible necessities: vehicles, housing, furniture, etc. What can you provide? Surely not everything, but give whatever you can to help. Meeting tangible needs is yet another way to serve one another. So, as communication takes place before they return, the church can prepare in advance to make sure whatever they can provide is ready upon arrival. This will ease the transition and allow your returning workers to focus on spiritual and relational renewal.

Nothing above is innovative or surprising. Nonetheless, I pray it will remind churches how to care well for their missionaries once they’re off the field.