Advocacy Teams

A living example of a great A-Team, from Pastor Tom Sanchez:

"I just had a great visit with Jennings McClarty, who is in Austin for the Thanksgiving break. As you may recall, Jennings spent a year in Orlando working with the PIONEERS home office, mobilizing for summer trips. At the end of the summer he moved to Denver, Colorado, to enroll in the Denver Theological Seminary in order to fulfill PIONEERS' educational requirements for overseas assignment. I thought his comments might be an encouragement to you on your A-Team.

Jennings said, 'Moving to Denver, in a big way, was like missionary training. I moved to a city where I really didn’t know anyone. My A-Team let me know I wasn’t alone. I got phone calls, cards, and e-mails assuring me of their prayer and support. They really did a great job!'

It’s not a big job, but it can make a world of difference!!"

What is an Advocacy Team?

It’s a group of people who serve as supporters or champions for a particular missionary or missionary family. These teams can serve five primary functions:

• Enhance connectedness with our missionary through creative communication.
• Enhance a sense of belonging for our missionaries to the Grace body.
  
• Provide prayer support and pastoral care that is not always provided by sending agencies.
  
• Enhance world vision in the Grace body by being a spokesperson for the missionary and by continuing to recruit new families onto the advocacy team.
  
• Provide a family within a family when the missionary is in town.

If you are interested in being part of a missionary’s Advocacy Team, contact the Global Outreach office.