bleed

cut
bleed

cut
COMMUNICATION

04: GET BACK TO ME

Please return my phone calls, reply to my emails, or answer my inquiries.

The missionary system is designed in a particular way: We partner with local churches, whose prayer and
support enables us to go into the world to spread the Gospel. Every missionary is on his or her own—no one
guarantees our support; there is no central fund; there is no one who makes the connections or phone calls for
us.

We have to contact you, personally and individually. (Believe me, it is as hard for us as it may be for you!) We
make our services available to your congregation. We believe the Lord will provide through His people.
Missionaries ask––as the Lord guides them. Pastors respond––as the Lord enables them. We believe that as
God has called us to “go,” He has in turn called congregations among His people to “send” us. But as pastor,
in most cases, you are the “doorkeeper.”

One of the kindest ways to treat me is to reply to my inquiry: (a) “Yes.” (b) “No.” (c) “Not now.” (d) “As the
Lord provides...” All options are appropriate—and all of them are much, much better than silence.

THE PHONE PREDICAMENT…ONLY IN OTHER FELLOWSHIPS (OF COURSE)

Top 10 Reasons Why Pastors Don’t Return Missionary’s Calls: Top 10 Reasons Why Missionaries Hate Calling Pastors:

10. Missionaries have no short stories.
9. Missionaries do not bring snakeskins and shrunken heads to
churches anymore.
8. Missionaries talk after pastors quit listening.
7. Up to three missionaries will be on hold at the same time with
the same church.
6. The church has no open Sundays for at least 2 years.
5. The pastor has, by extensive counseling, been cured of re-
sponding to guilt motivation.
4. Missionaries’ sentences have no periods…
3. It’s hard to hold the phone and your wallet at the same time.
2. Cannot stand another bowl of rice for lunch.
1. Too busy praying, fasting, helping old ladies cross the street,
and other important things.
10. It takes an average of 44 calls to get through to one pastor.
9. Missionaries don’t like to make secretaries lie about pastors
being gone.
8. No one answers/has answered for months.
7. It’s tough being referred to a board member who has never
heard of missions before.
6. Answering machine technology has not yet reached their town.
5. The church has changed email addresses three times already
this month.
4. The wind noise through the cell phone at the golf course makes
it hard to understand the pastor.
3. Odds favor winning the lottery over getting through to the pas-
tor.
2. Years of telemarketing training never live up to its billing and
promise.
1. Too busy praying for pastors.

cut

bleed