A Chapter for my Friend’s Book

Chapter Title: Shepherd a Missionary: What Every Pastor Should Know About Caring for Those They Send

Chapter Focus:

In a book designed to build a bridge from the pulpit to the mission field,

Why this chapter?

I have taught and modeled that missions is not a program but a relationship. I have emphasized that missionaries are not employees but sent ones—extensions of the local church. In my writings and leadership at World Wide New Testament Baptist Missions, I constantly advocate for missionaries to be understood, encouraged, and spiritually nurtured by their sending churches. This chapter would give pastors practical, biblical, and pastoral insight on how to do that well.

Key Points You Might Include in the Chapter:

1. Missionaries Are Part of the Church’s Flock, Not Outsiders

• The church is God’s agent in this era, not the mission board.

• Missionaries, though serving across the world, are not outside the pastoral care of their church. They are an extension of it.

2. The Call to Missions is a Call to Walk with God—Not Just to “Go”

• I often contrast dramatic moments (like Jonah or Paul) with the daily obedience of Enoch.

• Pastors need to understand that the health of a missionary’s walk with God is more important than the location of their ministry.

3. Missionaries Live Between Two Worlds

• my perspective as both a missionary and a mission agency president gives a unique lens on the emotional, cultural, and spiritual tension missionaries carry.

• I would explain to pastors that missionaries often feel like they belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time. They are always “on furlough” or “on the field,” but rarely “at home.”

4. A Mission Agency Assists and Facilitates, but the Church Shepherds

• The church should not outsource its shepherding duties to the mission board. They should lead in soul care, spiritual accountability, and ongoing encouragement.

5. Send with Care, Not Just Cash

• I often stress that generosity is measured in more than dollars.

• Teach pastors how to give their presence (calls, letters, visits), their prayers (specific and consistent), and their provision (timely, sacrificial giving).

6. Practical Tools for Pastors

• Offer ways pastors can maintain close, meaningful relationships with their missionaries:

• Monthly check-ins.

• Scheduled missions-focused prayer in services.

• Helping missionaries reconnect when on furlough.

• Supporting their children.

• Encouraging their spiritual, emotional, and relational health.

Closing Challenge for the Reader:

“The health of our missionaries begins in the heart of our churches. If we want healthy missions, we need healthy relationships. Pastor, the missionary your church supports does not just need your church’s money. He needs your shepherd’s heart.”

Unshakable Faith: How Believers Respond in Every Situation

A true follower of Christ doesn’t react based on how they’re treated—our response is already decided. No matter the circumstances, no matter how others act, we live by a higher standard.

This is what it means to walk in faith:

✅ Go the extra mile – We serve beyond what’s expected (Matthew 5:41).

✅ Turn the other cheek – We respond to offense with grace, not retaliation (Matthew 5:39).

✅ Give your coat and cloak – We give generously, even when it costs us (Matthew 5:40).

✅ Bless when reviled – We meet insults with kindness and prayer (Luke 6:28).

✅ Suffer it when persecuted – We endure trials for Christ’s sake (1 Corinthians 4:12).

✅ Entreat when defamed – We answer slander with humility, not hate (1 Corinthians 4:13).

The world says, “Stand up for yourself.” Christ says, “Stand firm in faith.” Our identity isn’t in how people treat us—it’s in the One we follow.

Are you living by this code? Let’s commit to walking in Christ’s example today.

#ChristianLiving #FaithInAction #WalkByFaith #BiblicalWisdom #LoveLikeJesus #FaithOverFeelings #UnshakableFaith

To Every Mother Who Feels Alone

To Every Mother Who Feels Alone

Motherhood is full of beautiful moments—first steps whispered prayers, and sleepy snuggles—but it can also be isolating. The demands never stop. Your days are full, yet sometimes, your heart feels empty.

You are not alone in feeling this way. Research shows that many mothers—whether rocking a newborn, chasing a toddler, guiding a child, or counseling a teenager—experience loneliness. It is not because you are failing. It is because motherhood, though rich with love, can sometimes feel like a road walked alone.

Why Do Moms Feel Lonely?

• The never-ending to-do list keeps you busy but disconnected.

• Unrealistic expectations from society and social media create pressure to be “the perfect mom.”

• Lack of support systems means fewer hands to help and fewer voices to encourage.

But Here’s the Truth: You Are Never Alone

The God who called you to motherhood walks with you in it. Psalm 46:1 (KJV) reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” In the unseen, exhausting moments, He is there.

How to Combat Loneliness as a Mom

✔ Stay Connected – Find community, even in small ways. Send a text, join a Bible study, or open up to a friend. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” (Hebrews 10:25).

✔ Be Honest About the Hard Moments – Struggles do not mean failure. Share them. Let others help. “Bear ye one another’s burdens.” (Galatians 6:2).

✔ Fill Your Own Heart – Motherhood requires constant pouring out. Make time to be poured into. Read God’s Word. Breathe. Renew your mind. “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2).

✔ Serve with Joy – Acts 20:35 reminds us, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” But do not forget—God also designed you to receive His love and care.

Loneliness does not mean you are alone. God sees you. He loves you. And He is with you—right now, in the middle of the mess, the joy, the exhaustion, and the beauty of raising your children.

If this encouraged you, share it with another mom today. Let’s remind one another: We are not alone. 💛

#Motherhood #LonelyMom #EncouragementForMoms #ChristianMom #FaithfulMothering #GodSeesYou #BiblicalMotherhood #MomLife #YouAreNotAlone

The Value of a Sunday School Teacher

The Value of a Sunday School Teacher

When a church commits to educating its children, youth, teens, and adults, it provides a vital lifeline that connects the Word of God to the hearts of its people. The Sunday school teacher stands at the center of this connection—God’s chosen bridge between His Word and the student.

Sunday school teachers fulfill an essential role in the Great Commission. Without them, the mandate to “teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20) would go unfulfilled. A church that neglects its educational ministries risks losing a generation’s knowledge of God, His worship, and His ways.

Sunday school teachers are more than educators; they are the first line of defense for a church’s faith and future. By introducing children and teens to the truths of Scripture, Sunday school becomes a powerful avenue for evangelism and discipleship. It offers families a safe space to learn about faith, worship, and obedience to God. Sunday school teachers often act as the primary evangelists in the classroom, presenting Christ to their students and encouraging them to walk in His ways.

Imagine a church without Sunday school teachers. Such a loss would leave a gaping hole in our efforts to teach, evangelize, and obey our Lord’s command. The harvest is plentiful, and Sunday school teachers are the laborers who reap it. Their work changes lives and ensures that the light of God’s truth is passed on to future generations.

To every Sunday school teacher who may read these words, please know this: You are deeply valued. We cherish your relationship with God, your dedication to your students, and your commitment to the ministry of teaching. You stand on the front lines, bridging the gap between ignorance and knowledge, error and truth, and darkness and light.

As a church, we invest heavily in sending missionaries to foreign fields and supporting pastors in their pulpits. But our volunteer Sunday school teachers—this faithful brigade—often fill the gap, ministering directly to those who sit before them each week. Your labor is not in vain.

So, as you step into your classroom this Sunday, know that your efforts are appreciated beyond words. Go prepared—prepared before the Lord in prayer, prepared with the material you have studied, and prepared to change the world one soul at a time.

Thank you for standing in this sacred place.

John O’Malley

Lessons from Affliction and Pain

Several years ago, I wrote a friend who knows chronic pain. I shared my words and an excerpt from Stream in the Desert.

Dear friend, I am learning that when pain is present, discomfort is an undercurrent in the flow of the day. Pain inconveniences, irritates, and frustrates. I sure don’t know how your pain feels.

Yet, I know Pain’s cousin. Pain is the unwelcome guest at every hour. Pain disturbs your sleep. Pain stays too long, visits too often, and does not know when to leave.

Do you feel anger, fear, shame, or guilt because your pain might disadvantage you? You shouldn’t.

God chose a life with pain for you. But it’s not just a life with pain alone. Yours is a life with His presence and pain.

Pain brings out God’s beauty of His working in us.

I am sad you hurt today. I see His beauty in your pain.

I read this from the October 1 reading from Streams in the Desert; it helped me.

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted.” (Psalm 119:71.)

It is a remarkable circumstance that the most brilliant colors of plants are to be seen on the highest mountains, in spots that are most exposed to the wildest weather. The brightest lichens and mosses, the loveliest gems of wild flowers, abound far up on the bleak, storm-scalped peak.

One of the richest displays of organic coloring I ever beheld was near the summit of Mount Chenebettaz, a hill about 10,000 feet high, immediately above the great St. Bernard Hospice. The whole face of an extensive rock was covered with a most vivid yellow lichen which shone in the sunshine like the golden battlement of an enchanted castle.

There, in that lofty region, amid the most frowning desolation, exposed to the fiercest tempest of the sky, this lichen exhibited a glory of color such as it never showed in the sheltered valley. I have two specimens of the same lichen before me while I write these lines, one from the great St. Bernard, and the other from the wall of a Scottish castle, deeply embossed among sycamore trees; and the difference in point of form and coloring between them is most striking.

The specimen nurtured amid the wild storms of the mountain peak is of a lovely primrose hue, and is smooth in texture and complete in outline, while the specimen nurtured amid the soft airs and the delicate showers of the lowland valley is of a dim rusty hue, and is scurfy in texture, and broken in outline.

And is it not so with the Christian who is afflicted, tempest-tossed, and not comforted? Till the storms and vicissitudes of God’s providence beat upon him again and again, his character appears marred and clouded; but trials clear away the obscurity, perfect the outlines of his disposition, and give brightness and blessing to his life.

Amidst my list of blessings infinite
Stands this the foremost, that my heart has bled;
For all I bless Thee, most for the severe.

Upon reading the passage and the above reading from Streams in the Desert, I concluded:

If you suffer today, Psalm 119:71 teaches:
1. Pain is a teacher: pain teaches me that my life’s condition is good even when afflicted.
2. Pain is a path: The path of pain leads to His presence. Pain is the path He chose for me.
3. Pain is a classroom: The classroom of pain teaches me His statutes.
4. Pain is a lonely place: The loneliness of pain brings me His presence.
5. Pain is a Divine workplace: The workshop of pain is where He displays His handiwork in my life.
6. Pain is a decision desk: Pain is what He chose for me; He sees it as good for me; therefore, it is good.
7. Pain is a worship place: The cathedral of pain allows me to see Him, know Him, and remind me that He is working in my pain. My conditions do not determine if I worship. He is worthy of my worship when I am afflicted.

Learn in your pain:
He is good. He is gracious. He is God.

My affliction must not cause me to say, Why me?
Rather, my affliction must cause me to say, why not me?

The Mom in the Arena

Theodore Roosevelt’s famous words, “The Man in the Arena,” (See quote below) have inspired many.

Today, I want to speak directly to the young moms I’ve been watching in churches across America.

I see you trying hard. I see the battles you fight at home, the struggle to get to church, and the criticisms you endure from those around you.

I want to use my voice to say to you, young moms: Keep going. Keep pressing toward your goal of leading your kids to follow Christ.

I’ve heard the unkind words spoken by those who think they know better than the mom who is in the arena.

In the spirit of Theodore Roosevelt’s quote, I submit this for your reading:

The Mom in the Arena

It’s not the critics at church, home, school, or work who count. It’s not the uncaring and forgetful moms and grandmas who laugh when you stumble, mock when you fail, or gossip about your perceived inadequacies. It’s not the voices from the sidelines who claim they could do better with twice as many kids and half the resources.

The credit belongs to the young mom in the arena of diapers, dirty clothes, and the never-ending Mount Laundry. The credit goes to the mom whose face bears more tears than makeup, more wrinkles than her years should show, and more gray hairs than her age should reflect.

The credit belongs to the mom trying to raise her children with Godly values, often alone. The proper credit goes to the mom who fights against the world’s culture and the negativity of others—scorned by those who forget the struggle and focus only on your lowest moments, when your children don’t measure up to their expectations.

You, dear mother, deserve the credit when you manage children in the mall, grocery store, or at church. Strangely, it’s the strangers who esteem you for trying, while those closer to you murmur and scorn you for not trying hard enough.

Mom, it’s you who counts as a mom of toddlers, teens, and tweens. We see you. We are proud of you. You count.

Mother, you are in the arena, and you are in the battle. Don’t listen to the blather of the critic; you matter. God trusted you with your children, not the malcontent in your life.

You are doing the deeds. You are walking your toddlers, teens, and tweens into the next generation. You give every moment of your day to teach them a love for God, for your family, and even for your critics.

You carry shame, guilt, fear, and anger even before anyone speaks a word of criticism. You may find this short essay hard to believe with all the words that play in your mind. You know all the critical thoughts you tell yourself before anyone even looks your way, casts a negative glance, or speaks a word.

But hear this from someone who is cheering you on: there is no shame, fear, anger, or condemnation from which God cannot release you. Dear Mother, when you are in Christ, no condemnation can stick.

Mom, do not be your own worst critic. Do not allow others to diminish you with their wagging fingers, loose lips, and cold hearts that haven’t borne kindness in decades.

You are a mom, and there is no effort without error and shortcomings. You know your why, your drive, and your calling. You are spending yourself on a worthy cause. Your children will rise and call you blessed.

You dared greatly to have children. Do not allow yourself to hear, believe, or receive the words of the cold and timid critics in your family, neighborhood, church, or community.

You are the mom in the arena, and many of us out here believe in you.

If you are not the mom in the arena, let me suggest this: be kind to the moms you see in the arena. She knows she’s not perfect without any word spoken by you. So, find the comforting word, not the corrective word. Find the helpful word, not the hurtful word. Find the words that build her up, not bruise her. Share a smile with each mom you see. Offer her help and a hand. She needs you to remember when you had no one to speak words of life into you, and to speak words of peace, not pain. Keep your opinions to yourself. You don’t know what it took for her to show up today. You don’t know what challenge she faced alone today. Choose to bless moms, not belittle them.

Roosevelt’s Quote:

The Man in the Arena

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasm the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

33 Questions about Church…

I wrote these questions and read them to a church during their missions conference.

I love church.

I love how imperfect people, united by grace, find unity, purpose, and answers in a messed-up world. In a culture which questions the value of church, its vital to ask these centering questions.

    1.    Why do you come to church?

    2.    Why do we have church?

    3.    Why did Christ start His church?

    4.    Does church membership have any meaning?

    5.    Is church just about the feeling we get or give?

    6.    Is church just about the sense of community it brings?

    7.    Is church just about the spiritual guides it provides? (pastoral staff)

    8.    Is church just about having help when we need to marry our kids, bury our dead, and administer care when life erupts?

    9.    Is church just about money?

    10.    Is church just about giving and receiving?

    11.    Is church just about giving grace in grief?

    12.    Is church just about showing love when life hurts?

    13.    Is church just about offering hope when life looks hopeless?

    14.    Is church just about judging others? (Judging=making others look or feel bad to affirm your self-righteousness)

    15.    Is church just about its ministries?

    16.    Is church just about its youth?

    17.    Is church just about its events?

    18.    Is church just about its people?

    19.    Is church exclusively about member maintenance?

    20.    What if church was intended to be more than its activities?

    21.    What if church was meant to be the base of operations for God’s mission?

    22.    What if the purpose of our meeting together each week was not for us or about us, but for the mission of God?

    23.    What if church membership meant I belong to a fellowship of believers focused on God’s mission in reaching every citizen of the world with the message of Jesus?

    24.    What if every ministry, activity, or event, was run through this filter? "How does this ministry, event, or activity bring the Gospel to people?"

    25.    What if we spent every moment of our days focused on God’s mission?

    26.    What if we saw ourselves as people of influence for the sake of Christ’s name and the Gospel?

    27.    What if we saw every relationship (kids, grandkids, and friends) as opportunities develop harvest workers?

    28.    What if we saw ourselves as ambassadors of the Great Commission and responsible for developing harvest relationships with people who do not know about God’s desire to adopt all men into his family?

    29.    What if the resources I have were meant to be used for the harvest?

    30.    What if my life was to be about God’s mission and nothing else?

    31.    What if I had to stand before God and give account for my involvement in God’s mission?

    32.    How much of your life is submitted to the will of God?

33. What if my life was to be about God’s mission and nothing else?  Hebrews 10:25