Most missionaries have logged countless hours at many different types of church missions conferences or giving presentations at churches. During my years serving with Mission to the World, I often enjoyed comparing notes with fellow missionaries about our experiences. It was refreshing to find camaraderie with others who understood that part of the missionary role—processing together the highs and lows of representing our ministries in a variety of different ways, venues, and time allotments. Nearly every missionary can recall moments when being spotlighted by a supporting church felt deeply encouraging or even healing, as well as moments that felt draining or superficial. Personality certainly plays a role in how these experiences land, but even so, there’s a lot of similarity in the types of interactions that missionaries tend to appreciate. I’ve felt cared for in a variety of ways in a number of different settings. Following are several different ways churches can spotlight missionaries and care for them at the same time.

Small-scale, interactive presentations provide a safe, give and take environment.

Public speaking is not one of my favorite activities, however as a missionary wife, I gradually learned to wear that hat. Over time, however, I discovered that in the right context I genuinely enjoy an opportunity to share about the things I am passionate about. Speaking in front of an entire congregation is not my cup of tea, but I came to treasure smaller, more intimate group settings which lend themselves to some give and take from the audience. This gave me a sense of appreciation and engagement from the people I was sharing with, and even afforded me the freedom to tailor what I shared based on the curiosity and interest of those present.

Room-to-room missions rotations allow missionary creativity in a relaxed setting.

I often fondly recall one church’s Sunday evening event that gave attenders the opportunity to rotate in small groups from one classroom to another, hearing briefly from a different missionary in each room. As a missionary, I appreciated the more relaxed atmosphere created by this format as well as the creativity it afforded us regarding how we wanted to spend the time with our audience. My husband and I were able to briefly share the things that we most wanted to convey about our ministry, and then spend time responding to questions and comments for several minutes before receiving a fresh group. I felt like our presentation improved with each fresh group, and similarly the questions and comments offered by those listening became more and more insightful as people learned from their time hearing from the different missionaries.

Missions committee dinners provide an opportunity to share our deepest felt needs.

Occasionally a church’s missions committee invited us for a meal with them. This always felt super honoring and engaging. As people who were practiced at engaging with missionaries, reading our prayer letters, and regularly praying for us, they were able to ask really wonderful questions and express care and concern in a more familiar way that was so thoughtful and even healing for us at times. These interactions with missions committees provided us an opportunity to share our deepest felt needs as well as discuss ideas and suggestions on how the church might engage with our ministry moving forward. I always felt like these dedicated times with a missions committee were quite fruitful for our relationship with the church moving forward.

Quality panel discussions spark meaningful conversations.

Many churches have discovered the value of a well-planned missionary panel, and I’ve always enjoyed participating in them. They do require intentionality and thoughtful preparation, however. I was especially grateful when a panel host reached out beforehand to ask for my input on helpful questions—and even more appreciative when they shared the questions in advance so I could organize my thoughts.

As someone who doesn’t love the spotlight, panels allowed me to speak as one voice among many, which felt far more comfortable. Often another missionary’s comment would spark a memory or example I could then add to the conversation. Another benefit of missionary panels is that a flexible facilitator can give missionaries room to take a question in a meaningful direction, guiding the discussion toward important insights the audience may not have considered.

Missionary-to-missionary gatherings offer encouraging connection.

One of my favorite missions conference experiences was when a church intentionally carved out time in the schedule for visiting missionaries to connect with one another. This kind of planning shows genuine care and a humble recognition that those who often understand and support missionaries best are fellow missionaries. It was such a joy to meet other global workers, hear about their ministry strategies, commiserate over shared challenges, and celebrate victories with those who understand best. These moments of connection were deeply encouraging and refreshingly life-giving for my husband and me.

Fellowship and prayer in homes welcomed our children.

During home ministry assignment, we occasionally visited churches that arranged a meal in a member’s home or a gathering with an in-home small group. While walking into these settings could feel a bit nerve-racking as a mom of young children—some homes are more child-friendly than others—our hosts almost always did a wonderful job of putting me at ease. They offered welcoming spaces where our children could play and showed genuine care through their thoughtful hospitality.

After sharing a meal and conversation, these visits often concluded with our hosts praying over us and our ministry. Those moments of heartfelt fellowship—getting to know people personally and opening our hearts to them—helped knit us to their congregations, and hearing their sincere prayers for our family was truly a gift.

There are so many creative and meaningful ways churches can care for missionaries and highlight their ministries during missions conferences or visits from the field. These events can richly bless those who attend, inspire deeper kingdom engagement, and strengthen connections within the global body of Christ. For churches planning a missions conference—whether for the first time or as part of an ongoing rhythm—fellow congregations, mission agencies, and missionaries themselves can offer valuable insights and ideas for crafting a thoughtful, strategic event.