Senders serve in a variety of creative ways, including giving financial support, visiting on the field, mailing care packages and birthday greetings, and providing or paying for services for missionaries while back home (dental visits, vacations, car repairs, financial consulting, etc.).

Neil Pirolo in his defining book on senders’ roles, Serving As Senders, poses six areas in which senders help missionaries:

• Moral support (encouragement)
• Logistics support (shipping, transportation, housing)
• Financial support (fund-raising, partnership developing/maintaining)
• Prayer support
• Communication support (basic communication, prayer letters/emails)
• Re-entry support (“furlough,” and ultimate re-settling back home)

We would add four other possible areas of concern:

• Children’s education
• Technology
• Security & contingency
• Field visits and home assignment

You may be unsure about your role in general. Being a “Sender” is a crucial and exciting role, being a critical part of what God is doing around the world. If you are feeling unsure or unfulfilled in your direction, you might take some time for prayerful self-examination as described in this article, entitled, “What is God’s Purpose for Your Life and How to Find It.”