7 Fun Ideas for Stay-Home-Missions
You’re not alone in feeling discouraged about canceled mission plans. With borders across the globe closed, more travel restrictions, and uncertainty on the horizon, things can look discouraging, even for the most faithful believer. This has led many to start asking about stay-home-missions.
As a pastor or church leader, you are also not immune to feelings of sadness about the global pandemic. If you have family who were supposed to accompany you on upcoming mission trips, the kids and partner could be feeling downcast. Now is the time to try to keep their spirits up and focused on all the blessings they can enjoy from home.
While we don’t know what the future holds, we do know who holds the future. The following ideas for weekend activities may come in handy for pastors who need an impromptu “stay-at-home-mission”!
1. Start a foreign prayer chain as a stay-home-mission
The pandemic is affecting each country differently. Take some time to think about those who may undergo even more hardships or restrictions because of local regulations. Make a prayer list of those you know. Ask for prayer requests on your online church boards, and start round-the-clock schedules for prayer meetings. You can pray for their safety, health, wisdom and spiritual guidance as they navigate a troubled time.
2. Keep learning the language of the country you planned to travel to
Just because you can’t travel there yet does not mean you cannot communicate with folks abroad. Using online platforms, you might still want to chat, converse, or hold streamed meetings with those in foreign countries. So, keep learning their language. Keep honing and strengthening the skills you learned to prepare for your mission trip. Whether they were first-aid skills, Bible knowledge, or foreign languages.
3. Watch movies or documentaries related to that country
To keep you well-informed about the mission field, learn all you can. This might mean using online apps or watching good documentaries. Even travel shows about the country or continent are a fun way to pass the weekend. Movies can be a great source of entertainment and keep you think about the mission field in an inspired and excited way.
4. Use stay-home-missions to save, plan, and invest in future missions
Yu may find that you saved a lot of budget by not travelling this year. So there is always a positive to every negative. Perhaps you can not put the mission budget to other good causes. Meet or discuss with the donors who sponsored your mission trip to let them know if the funds will be saved for a future trip, or used for other church projects. It’s good to consider their opinion on how funds must be handled in cases like these. If you need to invest in other projects, ask them for advice and guidance. Let them be involved with these type of financial investments.
5. Upgrade your digital skills while you have internet access and fast speed
This is something that many take for granted until they are somewhere without signal and a way to connect online. While you still have fast internet speed at home, work on strengthening your digital skills, learning a new app, or do some online projects. This might mean updating your website, writing those blog posts you always wanted to get around to writing, or cleaning up last year’s digital clutter on your hard drive. Consider using a cloud app for centralizing your church communications and scheduling.
6. Have virtual meetings with friends in mission fields
With so many platforms like Zoom, Skype, and church digital resources for video streaming, you can find many ways to keep in touch with other church members. You may have to social distance for now, but keep your social networks alive with positive content, constructive dialogue, and uplifting conversations.
7. Online mission retreats as the perfect stay-home-mission
Now is the time to reach out and make connections with your donors, even if it is only online. Offer to host a virtual retreat and invite them to attend. These could be simple weekend meetings to keep everyone abreast of church missions, or a simple coffee-meet online to see each other virtually. People who have little contact with the outside world tend to think more about their inner problems and difficulties. Keep being the leader they can trust and go to for comfort and spiritual guidance online.
Verses to motivate your stay-home-mission
Matthew 6:34
‘Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.’
Proverbs 21:21
‘Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.’
We hope this article provides encouragement that there is still a lot you can do from home. Stay-home-missions aren’t the only way, however, you can continue to worship. For more resources and tips for staying connected to your church digitally, visit Donorwerx today.
