The more I get to know missionaries around the world, the more I’m convinced — behind every great missionary or missionary family, there’s an entire crowd of teammates that help make their work effective. For example, there might be any number of …
*** Mothers and fathers who possibly raised them to care
*** Church leaders and teachers who prepared them
*** Financial supporters who make their work possible
*** Prayer supporters who undergird them
*** Agency leaders, trainers, and sustainers who help them
*** Friends and helpers who take care of logistical burdens for them
*** Correspondents (via email and/or Facebook) who keep them connected
*** Specialists who help make their work happen by providing special services
…and the list goes on. We sometimes lift the missionary or missionary family on a kind of pedestal. Most missionaries I know are rather uncomfortable with that status because, notwithstanding the sacrifice they make separating themselves from homeland, friends, and family, they are (and want to be considered as) people, just like everyone else in the Kingdom. The people who make their work possible — the virtual crowd of witnesses (taking a page from Hebrews 12) — are, in many ways, also inspiring to me because they work behind the scenes, without the limelight, without the pedestal, and often without every receiving any kind of recognition at all. The typify true Christian love — selfless, patient, determined, and focused. Praise be to God that when people hear the Good News, they hear it through the combined efforts of a great crowd of witnesses that extends across continents and truly exemplifies the concept of a Kingdom united.
When we talk with people about our ministry, we compare it to the US space program. The astronauts get all the glory and everyone knows their names. They’re the ones who have the pictures in the newspaper and the ones interviewed on TV. But the reality is, they would go nowhere if it wasn’t for the thousands of people behind the scenes that make everything happen.
Truth be told, the astronauts don’t even press the launch button – it’s some guy in a back room with taped up glasses and a pocket protector that launches the shuttle. But we never hear about him or his co-workers who are the true players and ones doing a lot of the work. In many ways, the astronauts are simply along for the ride.
It is vital to recognize and honor the teams that make the work we do possible. Without them, we’d be sitting in an empty shuttle that will never launch.
It’s no coincidence that the space program refers to each rocket launch program as a mission. And what is the name of the control center on earth? You guessed it, Mission Control. That’s what are sending churches are – our Mission Control office.
Ready for launch…