I Need Your Thoughts Please

[Ryan&Amber2013]

My wife and I are about to really start praying for direction on whether or not to pursue working with a church on the mission field to provide care for families and orphans. The question is, would it be legitimate to ask for support from reformed churches to help fund us, though we would not be Word and Sacrament preachers, but rather, a couple who is being the hands and feet of the church in a missional area? So we would work alongside the pastor to help start an orphanage. Could you see us being able to raise support for this? Or are there any other ways to be funded that you can think of? We haven't brought it up to any of our Christian friends yet as this is a newly forming passion. Thank you all so much.

 

[johnny]

I have met church members who have not been missionaries, but have assisted by teaching english or helping with building projects or helped with clerical matters ect, is this what you are suggesting?

 

[Ryan&Amber2013]

Yes, but in so far as starting an orphanage. Did they do this full time while receiving support?

 

[Jack K]

Many people do this kind of work full time while receiving support. A lot of churches or mission agencies like to send teams to a location rather than just individuals. So a team will consist of a pastor or pastors doing direct ministry of the Word, and also others who have support functions or serve other needs in the community where the team works. Missionary doctors, water engineers, etc. are examples of this sort of team member. Certainly, orphanage work not only qualifies but is fairly common. There would be no reason to feel like a second-class team member just because your function is more diaconal than pastoral. Many mission efforts need both.

I think you could raise the support, provided the plan is sound and you get good guidance on how to ask. However, there is a trend to have some mission workers, especially those in non-pastoral functions, actually work overseas part-time or figure out a way to draw some pay locally from their mission work. The reason for this is not so much financial need (you really could raise support and are entitled to it) but the fact that sometimes it's easier to make cross-cultural connections when you hold down a "real" job just like everyone else in the community where you'll be. Starting an orphanage might not be a situation in which that would work, but it's something you could talk about with your sending agency/church.

 

[johnny]

Yes, but in so far as starting an orphanage. Did they do this full time while receiving support?

Yes, I believe they are offered some support by churches and the denomination.
One was a school principal paid by the school but assisted through the church, the other family I know are working with churches in Japan to offer assistance to the local Minister and to teach free english clases as a way of evangelism for the local church. So there are roles and opportunities but I don't know how one should go about getting started into this kind of Ministry.

 

[Edward]

You might check out this team

https://www.mtw.org/teams/latin-america/cusco-peru

There used to be an orphanage in the Philippines, but I don't see it on the map.