Frequently Asked Questions
How Missionary Sponsorship Works
We’ve put together some frequently asked questions below which we hope will provide you with a deeper understanding of how your sponsorship and our partnership works.
What is a National Missionary?
National Missionaries are working full-time within needy areas of their own cultures or very similar ones. The Missionary you sponsor will already know or easily learn the local dialect and customs of the South Asian villages where he or she is sharing Christ’s love.
National missionaries are vital because they can work in areas where Westerners are generally not able to work.
Through support from our partners (what you may refer to as donors), GFA World provides both male and female, single and married missionaries and each one plays a vital role in reaching Asia and Africa with the love of Jesus Christ.
How are Missionaries Reaching Asia and Africa with Jesus’ Love?
These national workers are ministering much like the Christians in the early Church did, sharing Christ’s love, caring for the sick and needy and leading local fellowships. He or she is working with others in the area to touch their communities with the hope of Jesus.
Depending on their situation, their ministry may include many forms of outreach:
- Child Sponsorship Programme– Rescuing Asia and Africa’s poorest children through education, love and the hope of Jesus.
- Literature Ministry– Printing and distributing Bibles and Gospel tracts in many Asian languages.
- Film Ministry – Showing Asian and African-made film about Jesus to those who don’t know Him.
- Radio Broadcasts – Speaking the love of Jesus in local languages.
- Leprosy Ministry – Caring for shunned leprosy patients and their families.
- Jesus Wells– Transforming villages, both physically and spiritually, by providing pure water.
- Slum Ministry – Reaching out to the millions who live in Asia and Africa’s massive shantytowns.
- Women’s Ministry – Building up Asian women in Christ through literacy, fellowship and discipleship.
- Compassion Services– Ministering to the practical needs of people in Jesus’ name.
What Training do National Missionaries Receive?
National workers often start serving the Lord as members of a local fellowship under the guidance of a pastor.
From there, the Lord may call them to attend a GFA-supported Bible college in their country. Training provides solid biblical teaching, character development and practical ministry training, including one full semester as an intern in a village under the supervision of an experienced missionary.
Many students will have already started leading a fellowship on the mission field by the time they complete Bible College.
Where are National Missionaries Working?
Your missionary’s home is in Asia, which has the largest concentration of peoples in the world still waiting to hear of Jesus’ love.
GFA World works in more than 12 South Asian countries and divides these countries into smaller geographic regions for organisational purposes. Within each region, the missionaries work together under a GFA World field leader who provides accountability and guidance.
How Will I Receive News About My Missionary?
As the Lord works through these national workers, great things will be happening! You will receive regular reports from the region your missionary is serving in. These “Regional Updates” will take you to your missionary’s region and tell you about the ministries taking place there and the people that are coming to Christ.
As you read these encouraging reports, you’ll be able to see clearly how your partnership with GFA World is fulfilling the Great Commission. These reports will also have insights about specific needs and opportunities to help you pray for the growth of the work.
How Should I Pray for My Missionary?
Your prayer will dramatically impact your missionary’s ministry and is one of the most important things you can do. Thank you for praying for him or her!
Spiritual & Physical Needs
- Pray your missionary will maintain a close personal walk with the Lord.
- Strength to withstand temptation – specifically the temptation of discouragement.
- Faithfulness to endure and refusing to let fear, loneliness, or lack of success affect his or her commitment.
- A heart full of faith to believe God for the impossible.
- Protection from the powers of darkness for your missionary and his or her family.
- Physical protection against illness.
- Stamina to make difficult journeys to bring the love of Christ to new areas.
Open Doors in the Region
- Pray for the Spirit of God to open doors and prepare hearts for the hope of Jesus (see Col. 4:3)
- Pray those sharing about Jesus will receive favour from the village chiefs and other leaders in the region.
- Pray the demonic powers holding the region captive will be broken in the name of Jesus.
- Pray and believe the Lord to work in the region: to heal the land and establish the light of Christ there forever (see 2 Chron. 7:14).
Adjusting to the Mission Field
- Pray God instils in your missionary a deep love for the people in the region.
- A willingness to pay the price of suffering – and possibly even death – in order to share Christ’s love with people.
- The ability to learn any new language quickly and fluently.
- Sensitivity to cultural differences and wisdom about how to best share the love of Jesus.
Effective Ministry
- Pray for unity in his or her family and that each family member will joyfully take part in God’s calling.
- Love and mutual encouragement to flourish among your missionary and his or her co-workers.
- Boldness to declare the love of Christ fearlessly (see Eph. 6:19-20)
- Pray the Holy Spirit will enable him or her to build up others through spiritual gifts.
- The ability to effectively share the Word of God.
- Pray God confirms the ministry of His Word clearly so people will know He is the true and only God as they witness answered prayers, transformed lives and the sick healed.
For Fruit!
- Pray for God’s blessing to touch the hearts of many and for a fruitful ministry (see 2 Thess. 3:1)
- Pray new believers will grow quickly to spiritual maturity.
- Pray God will raise up more missionaries from among the new believers (see Matt. 9:38)
God answers prayer – BELIEVE HIM! You can truly change the world as you pray for a national worker and his or her region!
How Does My Monthly Support Gift Get to My Missionary?
Once your gift is received at the GFA World office, we put it into our “National Missionaries” fund. This money is forwarded to your mission field partners and exchanged for local currency. It is then sent to various regions for distribution. GFA-supported missionaries receive their support from these funds.
We also have an “Unsponsored Missionaries” fund, which can help with any shortfall in a missionary’s support.
Is £25 per month Really Enough to Support a National Worker?
It takes up to £300 per month to fully support a national missionary, including family support and ministry expenses. This varies depending on the missionary’s situation and location.
GFA typically assigns several sponsors to each missionary in £25 increments. Distributing a missionary’s support in this way allows more people to cover him or her in prayer. Also, it prevents the complete loss of income in the event that a sponsor is forced to discontinue.
Can I Write to My Missionary or Send Special Gifts?
For security reasons, GFA World cannot allow direct correspondence between you and your missionary. Also, the logistics of translating letters and transporting them to remote corners of the mission field would create enormous overhead costs for the ministry.
In the spirit of unity and equality, GFA World is unable to deliver special gifts (financial or personal) to your missionary. Instead, leaders have an account form which gifts are drawn to meet special needs that your missionary may have.
What More Can I Do to Help the Lost in Asia?
You can make a huge difference by sharing your passion with others! Encourage your friends, family and church group to get involved and more national missionaries share Christ’s love.
- Share GFA World’s free book, Revolution in World Missions: Free Book – Revolution in World Missions – GFA UK
- Lift up urgent field prayer requests as part of GFA World’s Prayer Team: Pray – GFA UK
- Become a GFA volunteer: Volunteer – GFA UK
- Serve on staff at GFA World’s home office: Join Staff – GFA UK
You may also call or write to GFA to learn more about any of these programmes: Connect – GFA UK