To give financial support for Global Ministries missionaries, click here

The Missionary Relationship Program provides an opportunity for your congregation to gain greater understanding of mission around the world.  By developing a relationship with a missionary, your congregation can personalize mission, and provide a church family for a missionary. Receiving the gifts of prayer and shared spirituality from the missionary can give new insights into God's mission and appreciation for the whole family of God.

Each Global Ministries missionary is connected to at least one (and not more than three) UCC Conferences/Disciples Regions for the purpose of establishing an on-going two-way connection while the missionary is serving overseas. The missionary seeks to engage the congregations of the Conference/Region in global mission education and involvement. And the congregations grow in their ability to link local ministry to global ministry and be global mission churches. The Conference/Region will then receive an extended visit from their missionary at the end of his/her term of service.

To find out which missionary(ies) are in relationship with your UCC Conference click here

To find out which missionary(ies) are in relationship with your Disciples Region click here

To Establish a Missionary Relationship

• Consider a geographic area or specific type of mission your congregation is interested in learning about.  (In Mission, a Calendar of Prayer for the United Church of Christ and the Mission Personnel Directory provide information about our missionaries.)
• Select a missionary, or request assistance from the Missionary Relationships Program Office to select a suitable missionary relationship partner.
• Notify the Missionary Relationships Program Office regarding the person(s) you are proposing to be your missionary relationship partner.
• The Missionary Relationships Program Office will confirm your request to the missionary and formalize the relationship.
• A confirmation letter will be sent to the congregation, the missionary, and your Conference or Regional office.

Missionary relationships are renewable every two years with the consent of the missionary and the congregation.  If at the end of a term you wish to learn about another area of mission, the Missionary Relationships Program Office will be happy to assist you in establishing another missionary relationship.

Suggestions for maintaining a missionary relationship
Your missionary relationship partner can do much to enhance your congregation's awareness of mission.  A clear understanding of what you hope to gain from a missionary relationship is important.  To insure a successful missionary relationship you may want to:

• Establish guidelines -- write your expectations of your missionary partner and then negotiating with him/her to share his/her expectations as well.
• Determine the number of letters you will write to your missionary partner during the year (please send them newsletters or articles).
• Select the person(s) responsible for corresponding with your missionary partner and reporting back to the congregation.  Some congregations ask each church school class to take one month during which they are responsible for writing.
• Pray regularly for the missionary and those he/she works with.
• Consider creative ways for sharing news from your missionary partner in a variety of church group settings:  Church School, worship, newsletters, group meetings.
• Set aside space to display letters and pictures from your mission area.    
• Supplement letters from your missionary partner with area information available from Global Ministries, or from the library or Internet.
• If you wish to take a work trip to the missionary's country of service please contact:  People to People Pilgrimage Office: Maria Cruzado, P.O. Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1986.  Phone:  317-713-2579.  The staff can take into consideration the resources available to the missionary and his/her host church as well as helping you organize the event.
• A missionary serving as a teacher might arrange for some of their students to write occasionally to your youth.
• If the missionary has e-mail, arrange for a time to share information with the congregation for a special church event.  Please give the missionary ample time to prepare.Host a mission fair/event at your church and invite other churches in your area. 

Remember:  A missionary relationship carries no financial obligation.  Developing a relationship increases awareness of our church's global involvement and can result in increased DMF or OCWM giving, which provides the foundation for the work and mission of the entire church, as well as support of missionaries.

Missionary visits
Each Global Ministries missionary serves not only in another country, but also returns to serve in the US and Canada at the end of his/her term of service. Typically, a missionary who serves four years spends six months on home assignment. During home assignment missionaries are scheduled for four months of interpretation in specific UCC Conferences and Disciples Regions where they have Missionary Relationships. Usually these visits are scheduled 9-6 months in advance. Please be in touch with your Region or Conference office about your congregation's interest in hosting a missionary the next time a missionary is scheduled to be in your area. Should a Disciple and UCC congregation plan a special mission event, The Missionary Relationships Program office will try to provide a former Global Ministries missionary or volunteer as a mission speaker.

Click here to view which missionaries are scheduled to visit your UCC Conference or Disciples Region.

If you are a member of the UCC Conference/Disciples Region committee responsible for coordinating an upcoming missionary visit click  here for a document that will share 10 steps to planning a successful missionary visit in your Conference/Region.

If you are a member of a local congregation interested in requesting or receiving a missionary visit while a missionary is in your UCC Conference/Disciples Region please click here.

Missionary Resources

There are always new resources to read on the Missionary Stories and Letters page. You'll find worship resources, missionary photos, faith journey statements, and mission moments. Select a missionary letter the next time you prepare for worship, bible study or a prayer group. Click here for more ideas on using missionary letters.

 List of Missionary Relationships in UCC Conferences
 List of Missionary Relationships in Disciples Regions
 Planning a Missionary Visit in your UCC Conference or Disciples Region

 Conference/Region Evaluation of Missionary Speaker [PDF]
 Conference/Region Evaluation of Missionary Speaker [Word]

 Planning a Missionary Visit in your Congregation

 Church Evaluation of Missionary Speaker [PDF]
 Church Evaluation of Missionary Speaker [Word]

 List of Missionary Visits in UCC Conferences and Disciples Regions