“That personal connection with a missionary makes all the difference in our congregation”

Christ commands us to be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The churches in our districts do so much in sharing God’s love through their churches in their communities and in our conferences.
When it comes to reaching “to the ends of the earth,” a pastor told me, “That personal connection with a missionary has made all the difference in our congregation.”

Some churches are already in a covenant relationship with a Global Ministries missionary, other churches have not yet found a way to include any level of “ends of the earth” support in their budgets. What about your
church? Have you found that personal connection with a missionary, where your congregation can get excited about supporting God’s mission “to the ends of the earth”? The Virginia Conference currently partners with seven missionaries serving various parts of the world. You can find a list of them on the Serving Ministries Missionaries page. A good way to connect with a missionary is to find a common area of ministry concern and service.

I am writing specifically to the churches in the Virginia Conference with the opportunity to be in a relationship with Global Ministries missionary Jennifer Moore. She serves in the Balkan country of North Macedonia. Jennifer is responsible for leadership and program development for ministries with children and youth in the Macedonian District. Her bio can be found here:

Does your church work with children and youth (in your church or in your community)? If so, this is a connection to which you can relate! Or does your church NOT have children or youth but wish it could? This
is a way you can be in ministry beyond your doors by supporting God’s mission in another part of the world. Jennifer will be in the US and available to speak in your congregation from November 5th through December 20th. (She will also be available for online Zoom visits and presentations from January 14th through February 28th.) Want to meet her individually? She will be opened to talking about her ministry over a cup of coffee! 

Here is a short reflection in a video made in June of 2020 that gives you a glimpse of Jennifer’s honesty and appreciation for the people she lives and works with:

Does it seem overwhelming to launch a commitment in these days of congregational and financial uncertainties? Let me emphasize the congregational benefits of establishing a missional relationship: you pray for them, they pray for you; you share your ministries successes, you gain ministry ideas; you share financial resources, and you see God’s faithfulness as Provider for your needs and for the needs of your missionary. And, you don’t have to do this alone: an idea proposed by the Conference Serving Ministries is for churches to cluster together to join in support and relationship with a missionary. With our connections system, we can do so much more together by collaborating and covenanting together towards Jennifer’s support – financially, prayerfully, and experientially.
Please respond to me with your interest in pursuing this relationship by proposing a date for Jennifer to visit you (and an alternate date if possible).  Are there other congregations you’d like to collaborate with in this venture? Be sure to include your church name (and district) and your Mission Outreach contact information to Ann Klotz. Click here to email Ann.