The Bible is full of examples for personal involvement in missions.

• Jesus was the ultimate cross-cultural missionary. He lived his life with a clear mission of seeking to save and save the lost (Luke 19.10). He reached out to cross-cultural people whom his culture deemed detestable and unreachable (cf. the Samaritan woman at the well, John 4)
• Paul is a premier example of a goer. With a clear strategy of going to unreached Gentile urban centers, he planted church after church that in turn planted many churches. Western Christians trace our lineage back to Paul’s efforts.
• The church at Philippi serves as a model of sending missionaries. Paul refers to its people as “partners in the Gospel” (1.5). Their support has included prayer (1.19), personal concern for him and his team (2.19-30; 4.10, 14), work alongside Paul (4.2), and financial and material support (4.14-18).
• The church at Antioch is a model of a sending church. It spent years preparing its best leaders for substantial missionary service, and sent them off as God directed its leaders through prayer and fasting (13.1-3).
• Epaphras served as encourager to Paul by coming from Colossae to Rome to visit him in prison.
• The church leader John is commended for the church’s hospitality, care, and financial support for missionaries as written in 3 John.
• The church in Rome was challenged by Paul to participate in his pioneer ministry to Spain (see Romans 15).
• Aquila and Priscilla were commended for coming alongside Paul and others in helpful assistance and discipleship of missionaries.
• Paul named many people who provided special assistance in hospitality, encouragement, provision, and prayer for his missions efforts. Check out the usual greetings and lists of people at the close of Paul’s epistles.