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Serving As Senders: How to Care for Your Missionaries While They Are Preparing to Go, While They Are on the Field, When They Return Home
Serving As How to Care for Your Missionaries While They are Preparing to Go, While They are on the Field and When They Return Home. The title says it all! A missionary needs care in at least six Moral Support, Logistics Support, Financial Support, Prayer Support, Communication Support, and Reentry Support. This book gives scores of practical ideas in how a team can provide the necessary care for a missionary. Chapter One tells "when" and "why" a missionary needs care. Chapters Two through Seven deal with each of the six areas of care. Chapter Eight brings it back to the individual's involvement in caregiving. A Study Guide for groups is included.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 8, 2025
Good! Kinda old but great basic principles that I think a lot of churches//members could stand to read especially if aren’t feeling called. And pretty short I read it all in a day.
August 7, 2019
Neal Pirolo’s book Serving as Senders provides helpful insights for churches or individuals who want to have an active role in world missions by supporting missionaries who are sent out by the church.
Missions is not just the work of missionaries. The author emphasises this point in the first chapter of his book when he says,
"Missions does not just focus on those who go. Those who serve as senders are equally significant."
There are many ways that senders can serve their missionaries. All too often, the impression is given that missionaries only need prayer and finances. However, Neal Pirolo shows that there are many other areas where missionaries need support and where senders have a vital role to play. In addition to prayer and financial support, missionaries need moral support, logistics support, communication support and re-entry support.
Who will be there to encourage the missionaries in their work? Just a few words of encouragement can mean so much to a missionary and help him carry on. Who will help missionaries with logistical matters when leaving for the mission field or returning home? This is an area where those who enjoy providing practical help can be involved. Who will regularly communicate with the missionaries, be it by letter, by e-mail, by phone or by personal visits? And those are not the only ways to communicate – today there are so many options that it should not be impossible to find some way or another to communicate, no matter how remote the missionaries might live. It is really just a question of interest and time. And who will care for the missionaries, not when they are on the mission field, but when they are back home again? This is often an important aspect that is overlooked and to which Neal Pirolo gives helpful insights to understand the situation and needs of missionaries who have just returned from the mission field.
Neal Pirolo also discusses those two areas of support that are most commonly associated with supporting missionaries – prayer and finance. Concerning financial support, he writes, “Financial support is the most controversial, thus the most talked-about of the six areas of support. In fact, when you mention missionary support, most people think of nothing else but money.” He then proceeds to discuss the topics of giving, lifestyle and managing wealth. Too often the problem in giving is not that one cannot afford to give, but that one is not willing to sacrifice – and this applies both to the rich and to the poor.
Even though the author tries to show that support for missionaries involves much more than just finance and prayer, these two areas are not treated with any less importance. In fact, no area of support covers more pages in the book than the chapter on prayer. Prayer is the most important area of support. God must work in and through the missionaries. Ultimately, anything that the missionaries accomplish is His doing. And yet, God also uses the efforts of missionaries and those who are supporting missionaries to fulfil His will. Neal Pirolo quotes the words of St. Augustine,
"Without God, we cannot; but without us, God will not."
Throughout the book, Neal Pirolo draws on biblical examples and principles, as well as on positive and negative experiences of different missionaries, to illustrate the various needs of missionaries in these different areas and give practical advice how those needs can be met – often far simpler than one might imagine!
To serve as a sender in some way or another is something every Christian can be involved in! The question is not, “Can you…?” but, “Will you…?”
Missions is not just the work of missionaries. The author emphasises this point in the first chapter of his book when he says,
"Missions does not just focus on those who go. Those who serve as senders are equally significant."
There are many ways that senders can serve their missionaries. All too often, the impression is given that missionaries only need prayer and finances. However, Neal Pirolo shows that there are many other areas where missionaries need support and where senders have a vital role to play. In addition to prayer and financial support, missionaries need moral support, logistics support, communication support and re-entry support.
Who will be there to encourage the missionaries in their work? Just a few words of encouragement can mean so much to a missionary and help him carry on. Who will help missionaries with logistical matters when leaving for the mission field or returning home? This is an area where those who enjoy providing practical help can be involved. Who will regularly communicate with the missionaries, be it by letter, by e-mail, by phone or by personal visits? And those are not the only ways to communicate – today there are so many options that it should not be impossible to find some way or another to communicate, no matter how remote the missionaries might live. It is really just a question of interest and time. And who will care for the missionaries, not when they are on the mission field, but when they are back home again? This is often an important aspect that is overlooked and to which Neal Pirolo gives helpful insights to understand the situation and needs of missionaries who have just returned from the mission field.
Neal Pirolo also discusses those two areas of support that are most commonly associated with supporting missionaries – prayer and finance. Concerning financial support, he writes, “Financial support is the most controversial, thus the most talked-about of the six areas of support. In fact, when you mention missionary support, most people think of nothing else but money.” He then proceeds to discuss the topics of giving, lifestyle and managing wealth. Too often the problem in giving is not that one cannot afford to give, but that one is not willing to sacrifice – and this applies both to the rich and to the poor.
Even though the author tries to show that support for missionaries involves much more than just finance and prayer, these two areas are not treated with any less importance. In fact, no area of support covers more pages in the book than the chapter on prayer. Prayer is the most important area of support. God must work in and through the missionaries. Ultimately, anything that the missionaries accomplish is His doing. And yet, God also uses the efforts of missionaries and those who are supporting missionaries to fulfil His will. Neal Pirolo quotes the words of St. Augustine,
"Without God, we cannot; but without us, God will not."
Throughout the book, Neal Pirolo draws on biblical examples and principles, as well as on positive and negative experiences of different missionaries, to illustrate the various needs of missionaries in these different areas and give practical advice how those needs can be met – often far simpler than one might imagine!
To serve as a sender in some way or another is something every Christian can be involved in! The question is not, “Can you…?” but, “Will you…?”
September 20, 2022
The Good: Lots of practical advice on areas that Christians and churches overlook when it comes to supporting those they send out. The chapters on logistical, financial, communication, and re-rentry support are full of good counsel that many churches and Christians would do well to pay attention to. Good steps in here for how to practically care for missionaries in ways they might not even know they'll need help in. The chapter on prayer was also a good reminder of the value of consistent, regular prayer.
The meh: You will have to do some translation work from '90s technology to modern day. A lot of the particulars feel dated simply due to how the world has changed.
The bad: Two things that make this book really weak. The first is the utter lack of concern or interest in the doctrinal convictions or ministry methodology of ministry. The chapter on moral support seems to just assume that if a person has decided they want to be a missionary, a church or Christian must just support them wholeheartedly. A crucial part of support is giving good counsel on ministry itself, and helping that person persevere in faithfulness to the Word, a component completely lacking (or assumed).
The second problem is laid out in chapter 8 "Your part in the big picture". This chapter is built on Ralph Winter's division of the world into people groups, and utilizes statistics that suggests there are only a discrete number of people groups left to reach. It then clearly states that when we reach these groups, Christ will return. It's not simply the idea that after the gospel is proclaimed throughout the whole world the end will come (as Jesus said in Matt. 24), it's the notion that we can be "a part of the closure of his great plan of the ages," and that if we try to reach these groups by the year 2000, Jesus will come back then! This chapter's emphasis on unreached people groups so that the end will come is also odd given how the examples throughout the book are all of people going to places that would be considered 'reached', according to Winter's arbitrary statistical markers. But that inconsistency isn't apparent if you're reading quickly precisely because there's not really any clarity about what the missionary task is--that is just assumed.
These weaknesses limit the usefulness of the book. That said, there are still good nuggets of practical counsel worth picking out of the chapters mentioned in 'The Good' above.
The meh: You will have to do some translation work from '90s technology to modern day. A lot of the particulars feel dated simply due to how the world has changed.
The bad: Two things that make this book really weak. The first is the utter lack of concern or interest in the doctrinal convictions or ministry methodology of ministry. The chapter on moral support seems to just assume that if a person has decided they want to be a missionary, a church or Christian must just support them wholeheartedly. A crucial part of support is giving good counsel on ministry itself, and helping that person persevere in faithfulness to the Word, a component completely lacking (or assumed).
The second problem is laid out in chapter 8 "Your part in the big picture". This chapter is built on Ralph Winter's division of the world into people groups, and utilizes statistics that suggests there are only a discrete number of people groups left to reach. It then clearly states that when we reach these groups, Christ will return. It's not simply the idea that after the gospel is proclaimed throughout the whole world the end will come (as Jesus said in Matt. 24), it's the notion that we can be "a part of the closure of his great plan of the ages," and that if we try to reach these groups by the year 2000, Jesus will come back then! This chapter's emphasis on unreached people groups so that the end will come is also odd given how the examples throughout the book are all of people going to places that would be considered 'reached', according to Winter's arbitrary statistical markers. But that inconsistency isn't apparent if you're reading quickly precisely because there's not really any clarity about what the missionary task is--that is just assumed.
These weaknesses limit the usefulness of the book. That said, there are still good nuggets of practical counsel worth picking out of the chapters mentioned in 'The Good' above.
April 7, 2022
Provided a good framework and some food for thought about how to go about supporting missionaries. Pirolo recommends forming a team who are responsible for different areas - prayer, communication, encouragement, logistics, etc.
This book is unfortunately sorely in need of updating - many of the examples of communication and logistical difficulties simply aren't relevant in today's age where you can be in touch in an instant via email or even face to face via Zoom.
Also, there was some questionable exegesis in some pretty obvious ways - for example he cites Joseph putting Mary away privately as an example of lack of moral support when the biblical text is pretty clear that under the circumstances Joseph was exercising compassion to her by saving her from public disgrace (Matt. 1:19). There were a few other instances that made me raise my eyebrows - mostly trying to draw moral lessons from biblical narratives that just aren't clearly there.
Overall convicting, but I feel like there must be a better book on this subject out there.
This book is unfortunately sorely in need of updating - many of the examples of communication and logistical difficulties simply aren't relevant in today's age where you can be in touch in an instant via email or even face to face via Zoom.
Also, there was some questionable exegesis in some pretty obvious ways - for example he cites Joseph putting Mary away privately as an example of lack of moral support when the biblical text is pretty clear that under the circumstances Joseph was exercising compassion to her by saving her from public disgrace (Matt. 1:19). There were a few other instances that made me raise my eyebrows - mostly trying to draw moral lessons from biblical narratives that just aren't clearly there.
Overall convicting, but I feel like there must be a better book on this subject out there.
January 15, 2018
This is a very helpful book for any church planning to send/support missionaries. It's definitely a book a missionary should read when first starting down that path. It's pretty much a guide stressing the importance of forming a sending team from the get go. Pirolo highlights different roles needed to round out a sending team. Each chapter has Bible study and discussion questions to read the book in a small group. I found it helpful, and it stresses the importance that a missionary going out to the field isn't something to embark on alone. The church needs to take seriously the responsibility to send prepared people, and to care for them well while on the field and when they return home.
November 4, 2019
I struggled a little bit in reading this book. It was discouraging to hear of so many failures in the care of missionaries and I feel a little overwhelmed at times by all of the different areas that I feel like I could serve. There are a lot of helpful suggestions and I think this is a book worth reading (and rereading). I think the author makes an excellent and encouraging connection between those who are called to be sent, and those called to send,and how both share in the labor and the blessings.
November 8, 2021
Great book on sending missionaries… there is a lot of out of date statistics and info about the world as is to be expected of an older book, but the principles stand the test of time and are a good foundation for sending missionaries well.
August 31, 2023
This book is very informative. It’s interesting and especially for those who are interested in missions or want to support missionaries. I would recommended it to every Christian, church, church member, leader etc.
November 15, 2023
Part of my Mission-oriented collection in my bookcase, this book is still relevant and brings back memories of what others and I went through considering the mission field. Lots of good questions to work through at the end of each chapter along with a Group Leader's Guide in the back.
August 14, 2024
This is an excellent resource for those interested in missions- going or sending.
I actually read Serving As Senders Today- the more updated version- but goidreads doesn't have the page count updated.
I actually read Serving As Senders Today- the more updated version- but goidreads doesn't have the page count updated.
July 2, 2017
Awsome book ... Very challenging!
November 13, 2017
A lot of practical suggestions but verbose. A tine of "We did this so you should, too" throughout.
January 30, 2019
Spot on. Practical and necessary.
September 16, 2019
Eye opening especially towards missions
April 21, 2020
Algunas buenas recomendaciones y recursos.
September 3, 2020
Good overview. About 30yrs old so most data old but ideas still valid for missionary care
October 3, 2022
Some good key concepts
February 23, 2025
Romani 10:13-15
“I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the rope.” —William Carey, missionary to India
”In Romani 10, el clarifica rolul extrem de important pe care il au in misiunea transculturala aceste doua niveluri de implicare: cei ce merg si cei ce ii trimit pe cei dintai.” pag. 11
“Lucratori transcultural are nevoie de sprijinul unei echipe de oameni cand se pregatesc sa plece, cand se afla pe campul de misiune dar si cand se intoarce acasa.” pag.13
“Cercetati cu un gand evlavios posibilitatea de a sluji din linia a doua intr-unul sau mai multe domenii de sprijin din urmatoarele sase:
Sprijin moral
Sprijin logistic
Sprijin financiar
Sprijin in rugaciune
Sprijin in comunicare
Sprijin in intoarcerea acasa” pag.18
“Iata, deci șansa ta de a sluji ca unul care trimite.” pag.20
“Daca urmaresc sa-mi ridic o casa cu holuri lungi, dormitoare si bai uriase pentru fiecare membru al familiei, sufragerie, camera pentru intalnirile familiei, camera de recreare si camera de oaspeti, ar fi indicat poate sa-mi cantaresc si nazuinta de a avea o casa in orasul “al carui mester si ziditor este Dumnezeu” (Evrei 11:10). pag. 70
“Lumea crestina insa, cheltuie doar 0,01% in actiunile de a ajunge la popoarele care nu au auzit inca Mesajul Evangelic.” pag. 156
“Dumnezeu va implini scopul Lui istoric de a face “ucenici din toate neamurile” -grupe etnice ale lumii (Matei 28:19). La sfarsitul veacurile, Hristos va fi proslavit: “ai rascumparat pentru Dumnezeu, cu sangele Tau, oameni din orice semintie, de orice limba, din orice norod si de orice neam” (Apocalipsa 5:9). pag. 158
“Marea Trimitere va fi implinita. Isus Hristos va darui binecuvantarea rascumparari fiecărui neam. In fiecare grup etnic vor exista oameni ce vor fi primit invatatura poruncilor lui Hristos. Iar pentru a-si implini scopul Lui istoric, Dumnezeu se va sluji de o imensa armata de lucratori, cei care pleaca si cei care trimit pe acestia. Dupa cum ii spunea Mardoheu Esterei: “cine stie daca nu pentru o vreme ca aceasta ai ajuns la imparatie(Estera 4:14)?” Asadar, avem si noi privilegiul de a ne aduce si noi contributia in acest ceas in care ni se ofera prilejul potrivit.” pag.159
“I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the rope.” —William Carey, missionary to India
”In Romani 10, el clarifica rolul extrem de important pe care il au in misiunea transculturala aceste doua niveluri de implicare: cei ce merg si cei ce ii trimit pe cei dintai.” pag. 11
“Lucratori transcultural are nevoie de sprijinul unei echipe de oameni cand se pregatesc sa plece, cand se afla pe campul de misiune dar si cand se intoarce acasa.” pag.13
“Cercetati cu un gand evlavios posibilitatea de a sluji din linia a doua intr-unul sau mai multe domenii de sprijin din urmatoarele sase:
Sprijin moral
Sprijin logistic
Sprijin financiar
Sprijin in rugaciune
Sprijin in comunicare
Sprijin in intoarcerea acasa” pag.18
“Iata, deci șansa ta de a sluji ca unul care trimite.” pag.20
“Daca urmaresc sa-mi ridic o casa cu holuri lungi, dormitoare si bai uriase pentru fiecare membru al familiei, sufragerie, camera pentru intalnirile familiei, camera de recreare si camera de oaspeti, ar fi indicat poate sa-mi cantaresc si nazuinta de a avea o casa in orasul “al carui mester si ziditor este Dumnezeu” (Evrei 11:10). pag. 70
“Lumea crestina insa, cheltuie doar 0,01% in actiunile de a ajunge la popoarele care nu au auzit inca Mesajul Evangelic.” pag. 156
“Dumnezeu va implini scopul Lui istoric de a face “ucenici din toate neamurile” -grupe etnice ale lumii (Matei 28:19). La sfarsitul veacurile, Hristos va fi proslavit: “ai rascumparat pentru Dumnezeu, cu sangele Tau, oameni din orice semintie, de orice limba, din orice norod si de orice neam” (Apocalipsa 5:9). pag. 158
“Marea Trimitere va fi implinita. Isus Hristos va darui binecuvantarea rascumparari fiecărui neam. In fiecare grup etnic vor exista oameni ce vor fi primit invatatura poruncilor lui Hristos. Iar pentru a-si implini scopul Lui istoric, Dumnezeu se va sluji de o imensa armata de lucratori, cei care pleaca si cei care trimit pe acestia. Dupa cum ii spunea Mardoheu Esterei: “cine stie daca nu pentru o vreme ca aceasta ai ajuns la imparatie(Estera 4:14)?” Asadar, avem si noi privilegiul de a ne aduce si noi contributia in acest ceas in care ni se ofera prilejul potrivit.” pag.159
July 25, 2022
This book would be helpful to any sender, goer, or any person interested in missions. It‘s a well-rounded guide on how to support missionaries. One complaint is that the communication support chapter is a bit outdated, but there is an updated version of this book, so maybe that’s better.
April 18, 2012
Speaking as one who has served on both sides, sender and sent, I found this book pretty good. That being said, I believe there is room for expansion upon the subjects as they seemed thin and inadequate at times. Examples of ways to implement the ideas were good but lacked some of the obvious ones. It would probably be wise to update the book as well as there are so many new ways to effectively serve as senders that are linked to social media. Finally, while the material was good I did not appreciate the hard and almost exclusive promotion of OM litterature.
June 6, 2007
books like this are so hard for me to get through. and this one is really christianese so that irks me.
however - it was very practical in thinking about how i can be an active, involved partner to my friends who are leaving for africa. (and others) emphasized the importance of senders in the effectiveness of missions. helpful framework for those who care deeply about cross-cultural work but are not called to go abroad at this time.
however - it was very practical in thinking about how i can be an active, involved partner to my friends who are leaving for africa. (and others) emphasized the importance of senders in the effectiveness of missions. helpful framework for those who care deeply about cross-cultural work but are not called to go abroad at this time.
November 13, 2013
If you or your church supports or sends missionaries, read this book - SOON. Pirolo lays out 6 kinds of support that cross-cultural workers need. I think this should be required reading for every mission committee. Also good for relatives of missionaries. My opinion is informed by 17 years of my own cross-cultural service.
Available online at http://www.blueletterbible.org/commen...
Available online at http://www.blueletterbible.org/commen...
June 6, 2014
With friends who are getting ready to move overseas to do long-term missions work, this book was a must read. Very informative and helpful in establishing rolls within a Care Team, and lots of information on supporting missionaries. I love the emphasis on "senders" being just as necessary as the " goers".
July 17, 2008
Wow!
What a fabulous resource! Since I am starting to chair the Missions Team at our church, I was looking for a good resource for us to support our missionaries. This was great! I will recommend it to all the members of our Missions Team.
What a fabulous resource! Since I am starting to chair the Missions Team at our church, I was looking for a good resource for us to support our missionaries. This was great! I will recommend it to all the members of our Missions Team.
June 12, 2014
This book tackles a specialized subject: the importance of "senders" to the missionary. Great info for churches and for friends of missionaries who want to support them better (and not just financially). This is a good small group study as well.
March 7, 2007
A must read for anyone wanting to know how to help out those in the front-lines.
May 2, 2009
Highly recommended for church missions committees; translated into Japanese and available from Wycliffe-Japan.
February 24, 2012
A good read on how we can better assist those whom we partner with in missions.
January 2, 2016
What a helpful book! I read it with our missions team and we were greatly helped in thinking through how to best help our church send and support our missionaries.
July 29, 2015
This a great resource for churches to help them have a support system in place for missionaries. Every sending church needs to know this stuff!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews