As GFA national missionaries share Christ’s love with communities in Africa and Asia, they rely on a vital group of people—the Mission Support Team. As behind-the-scenes missionaries, the Mission Support Team keeps GFA World’s offices running. Their administrative work propels the ministry by linking national missionaries with their donors and prayer partners in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Finland, Germany, South Africa, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The staff who work in GFA’s offices have answered God’s call to give of their lives and use their skills to help fulfill the Great Commission. Many of these behind-the-scenes missionaries have moved from other states or provinces, leaving behind family, friends, careers or educational opportunities. GFA World’s Mission Support Team staff need partnership and prayer, just as the national missionaries do. Please lift up behind-the-scenes missionaries in prayer this month.
GFA World seeks to transform communities through Christ’s love, and GFA’s staff always needs to keep this vision in mind. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV).
As they go about their work—whether they’re writing a newsletter, mowing the office lawn or coding a webpage—GFA’s behind-the-scenes missionaries need to exercise faith to connect their daily tasks to their mission. They need to stay close to the Lord to live with His passion for those who are still waiting to hear about Christ.
Pray GFA’s staff will stay in prayer throughout the day so they can align themselves with God’s heart. Pray He will daily refresh their passion to transform communities through His love.
GFA World behind-the-scenes missionaries often juggle many responsibilities. Just like you, they need to eat, sleep, exercise, manage their homes and keep a budget. Some are raising young children or guiding teenagers into adulthood. Some wear multiple hats in the ministry, such as helping to lead GFA prayer meetings in addition to their office work. Some participate in volunteer activities or church groups as time allows.
Pray God will guide them in how to invest their time and energy soberly, staying focused on knowing Him and making Him known. At the same time, pray they can manage their lives well, remembering their ministry to Him is a marathon, not a sprint.
As GFA staff serve the Lord in their individual roles and in their united ministry, they face various dilemmas, both small and large. They may be wondering how to fix a problematic printer or respond clearly to an email from a donor. They may be meeting together to discern how best to communicate with GFA’s partners after a natural disaster on the mission field or how best to serve national missionaries when persecution mounts.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide GFA staff and leaders regarding how to share the ministry effectively, support the national missionaries faithfully and accomplish their daily work efficiently. Pray the Lord will give wisdom in both small and large decisions.
GFA World’s offices may not resemble the dramatic workplaces often featured on TV, but GFA staff members are human beings, too. They each have unique personalities, and sometimes personalities clash. Despite this human reality, GFA staff members strive to walk humbly and love one another, knowing they are family in Christ who share the same goal of reaching people who have yet to know Christ.
Pray God will help GFA staff to “keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3), loving one another, forgiving one another and honoring one another. Pray they can communicate well and work well together.
GFA World’s offices always need more staff to effectively complete the mission God has given them, linking hundreds of national missionaries to their current and potential partners in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea. While skills in fields such as graphic design and IT could help the ministry to thrive, the qualification GFA looks for is a calling from God. GFA World staff must have hearts willing to serve in community and surrender their time, talents and lives to the Lord’s purposes.
Pray God will prepare the hearts of the men and women He is calling to serve with GFA World. Pray He will confirm their calling and strengthen their faith as they step forward into it.
Join with us as we lift up in prayer those in need around the world. Receive prayer requests with a special focus each month. You can have a part in ministering to those in need, through our most powerful tool, prayer.