Many times, the last words someone hears from us - no matter what the situation - are the most significant, because they're the most lasting. Jesus' last words to his first disciples were about mission. In many ways, his teaching and mentoring of them over the previous three years was all about preparing them for that moment when they would pick up Christ's mission of bringing hope and healing to the world. 

We are the beneficiaries of that. The good news of new life in Jesus Christ has come to us because of those first disciples, and because of those who carried on that work through each subsequent generation. Anyone who follows Jesus does so because at some point a missionary brought the gospel to people who hadn't heard it yet. At Maple Grove Covenant, we are striving to be a healthy missional church, and a key component of that is having a global perspective and engagement. That means we look beyond our own congregation and community to what God is doing in the world.  And it means we create pathways for both the church as a whole and individuals to participate in what He's doing elsewhere.

We are privileged to support both individuals and couples who serve in a variety of ways around the globe. Some serve under the umbrella of the Evangelical Covenant Church, while others serve with independent missions agencies. They serve in church planting, leadership development, economic development, youth, and discipleship ministries in various parts of Central and North America, Europe, and Asia. Because some serve in sensitive parts of the world, we cannot share specific information online, but you can learn more about who we support and how they serve in our “Pray for Missionaries” booklet available at church.

Serving as missionaries is hard work that can affects not only the missionaries themselves, but also on their children. MKs (Missionary Kids) are sometimes called “third culture kids” because they have to straddle the divide between American culture and the culture of where their families are stationed. The opportunity to live in a different part of the world can be a great blessing, but also a significant challenge, and it’s vital that we support our missionaries by also supporting their families, including with prayer. Here are a few suggestions on how to do that.

• Pray that missionary kids would come to a clear personal commitment to what it means to follow Christ. 
• Pray for them as they follow their parents, relocate, adapt to new cultures, learn new languages, make friends and find a place in local churches and activities. 
• Pray that God will help them through the many changes with schools, friends, and culture as they move between passport country and their parent's country of service. 
• Pray for missionary kids as they choose colleges, professions, and life direction.

There’s probably been no greater missionary than the Apostle Paul. He was an exceptionally gifted and effective leader in the early days of Christianity. But even Paul knew he couldn’t do it on his own. When we read through his letters in the New Testament, it’s not unusual to see him asking for prayer for himself and his ministry. As part of our own support for missionaries today, we also need to pray, just like Paul’s friends did nearly 2000 years ago. Here are some ways to do that:

Pray for Open Doors

• Pray that God will open doors of ministry, blessing partnerships and friendships. 
• Pray that God will lead His people past barriers to hearts ready to receive His Word.