Greg Alford posted some of his thoughts on the need for direct church communication with our missionaries. I think he brings up a great point. People are much more willing to pray for and support financially someone they have some personal contact with.

I would love for our church to partner with a specific missionary: be able to hear, maybe on a monthly basis, from him/her/them. It would give us a tanigible connection with that missionary and the IMB as a whole.

This would be good for the IMB as churches sense a fuller connection with the missions work around the world. It would also be good for churches to "put a face" to "our missionaries."