Missionary Support Teams
A Missionary Support Team (MST) is usually a group of six to eight people with an interest in a missionary, and serve as a vital link between the missionary, the supporting home community, and EMM.
One MST chairperson has commented:
[Raising support] is also for our benefit.… One, we talk to a lot more people about [the missionary’s] work than we otherwise might, and two, we think of her and support her in prayer much more than we otherwise might if the funds were all taken care of. This brings about growth in our own spiritual lives.
Strengthened connections among the missionary, the sending churches, and EMM have numerous benefits. Churches are stimulated by greater engagement with the “front lines” of ministry; missionaries experience a broader base of emotional and financial support; and EMM gains increased connections and support, allowing us to invest further in the health of churches and missionaries.
An MST is usually made up of six to eight people in the following roles:
Chairperson: gives administrative oversight.
Church communicator: ensures that two-way communication is happening between the missionary and the home congregation.
Newsletter manager: receives and distributes letters from the missionary to supporters.
Pastor or elder: gives spiritual support; connects the MST to the church’s leadership.
Prayer facilitator: circulates the missionary’s prayer requests and leads the prayer network.
Children’s peer: if missionary children are old enough to have interested peers, include them in supporting them in supporting the family.
Treasurer: monitors finances in cooperation with the congregation’s treasurer.
Want to learn more about missionary support teams? Download an electronic (PDF) version of EMM's MST brochure. >
Care teams A Care Team is the short-term version of the MST – an MST focused on providing support to individuals on short-term teams. A Care Team usually consists of four people in the following roles:
Leader: makes sure the team is functioning effectively, leads meetings, and connects with EMM staff as needed.
Prayer facilitator: circulates the missionary’s prayer requests and leads the prayer network.
Finance coordinator: makes sure finances are channeled to the proper place on time.
Church communicator: ensures that communication flows smoothly between the missionary, the home congregation, and other members of the supporting network.
