For more information on Missionaries, check out www.cmalliance.org

World Population: 6 billion people
One third of earth’s people call themselves Christians.
One third of non-Christians live in already reached people groups.
One third of non-Christians live in unreached people groups.
680 million people (11.5%) are Evangelicals or Bible-reading Christians.

Persecution: Active persecution of Christians takes place in: Saudia Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, North Korea, Laos, Vietnam, China, Iran, Morocco, Libya, Egypt and Algeria. Over 160,000 believers will be martyred this year.

U.S. missionaries make up only 30 percent of the world’s missionaries. Our slightly declining annual number is being overtaken by increased participation from Africa, Latin America, and Korea.
Of those involved in missions in the US, 98% are Senders (Financial Supporters, Prayers, Letter, Mobilizers, Pastors, etc.), 0.5% are Servicers (Mobilizers, Administrative, Tech Support, Training, communications), 1.5% are Missionaries (Church Planting, Development, Tentmaking, Tribal Outreach, Health Services).

Worldwide: Last year alone, about 120,000,000 people were presented the gospel for the first time.
Worldwide: About 1.7 billion people now listen to Christian radio or watch Christian TV on a monthly basis.
Worldwide: Christians now spend 388,000,000,000 man-hours every year proclaiming the gospel of evangelism.

For more STATS, check out www.houstonperspectives.com

How to Really Support Your Missionary

Communicate

Get on their email update list.

Respond occasionally and let them know you notice and care about the important things.

Telephone (during their daytime!)

Go visit them  (IF they want you to and at their convenience.)

Pray

Pray regularly, consistently, faithfully.

Pray over their prayer letters and their email updates.

Keep their picture on your refrigerator.

Pray for them what you pray for yourself.

Pray for their ministry and the people they are helping.

Let them know you pray.

Provide Funding

Provide regular support at a significant level.

If they are salaried, you may help with special projects or provide special gifts.

Give thoughtful, creative, personal messages and gifts.

Meet Needs

Your missionary will share real needs if she knows you accept her and maintain confidence.

Find information, resources, materials, expertise, or equipment your missionary needs.

Identify professionals and tradesmen who will help your missionary at reduced rates.

Take a small group to go help them on site.

Make Home Assignment Refreshing

Review their letters to remind yourself of the key things in their lives.

Meet them at the airport.  Ask lots of questions.

Interview them at church.  Meet with them after the service.

Invite them to your home.  Invite others to meet them.

Ask to see their pictures.  Pray with them.  Ask lots of questions.

Help them get the resituated in and adjust to the culture.

Loan them your car, your cottage, your CD player.

Feed them sensibly.  Respect their diets.

Take them to picnics, outings, concerts, retreats.

Help the Kids

Look after them while they are here and their parents are there.

Help them get established in college.  Provide them a place to stay for holidays.

Be a friend.  Introduce them to friends.

Develop a Support Team and Get Others Involved

Recruit others to pray for and support them.