Ministry during COVID-19: Moving your church’s Missions Sunday online
By Josie Oldenburg, SEND Communications —
This year, Granada Heights Friends Church
in Southern California adopted a new, quarterly approach for engaging the congregation in missions. January’s Missions Sunday was a success. Then COVID-19 hit and, like churches around the world, services moved online.
What to do? Push pause on the quarterly plan and lose momentum for inspiring the church toward greater missions involvement? Surely it would take a LOT of work to involve people around the world in a Sunday service?
The church was up to the challenge. “There was never a discussion about postponing Missions Sunday,” said missions coordinator Ben Saucy, who grew up in Ukraine where his parents served with SEND. “If anything, we felt it was needed much more now. We wanted to raise awareness to pray for our missionaries who are struggling just as much as we are, some even more.”
The missions committee came up with creative ways to add a global focus to nearly every element of the service. You can watch the whole service here
or by clicking on the embedded video. In case you want to check out a particular element, we’ve included the start times below.
1. Between-service Zoom call with missionaries
The church holds “watch parties” of the prerecorded service on Facebook at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Generally, children’s classes meet virtually between the services, but this week the entire church was invited to a Zoom call with five missionary families. Each missionary gave a short update on how COVID-19 is affecting life and ministry and shared prayer requests. More than 75 church families “attended” the meeting and even the youngest members of the church could hear how God has protected and provided for his people around the world! (This intimate time of sharing was not posted online.)
The church holds “watch parties” of the prerecorded service on Facebook at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Generally, children’s classes meet virtually between the services, but this week the entire church was invited to a Zoom call with five missionary families. Each missionary gave a short update on how COVID-19 is affecting life and ministry and shared prayer requests. More than 75 church families “attended” the meeting and even the youngest members of the church could hear how God has protected and provided for his people around the world! (This intimate time of sharing was not posted online.)
2. Special guests via video
This Missions Sunday focused on partnerships in Africa, so the church’s missionaries on that continent sent 90-second video updates of their ministries. One of them showed the church a sneak peek of a newly translated New Testament—the fruit of 25 years of labor—that arrived in his Muslim country from China just before lockdown began! (5:13, 17:44)
This Missions Sunday focused on partnerships in Africa, so the church’s missionaries on that continent sent 90-second video updates of their ministries. One of them showed the church a sneak peek of a newly translated New Testament—the fruit of 25 years of labor—that arrived in his Muslim country from China just before lockdown began! (5:13, 17:44)
3. Prayer
About two weeks in advance, the missions committee asked all the church’s missionaries to send in a verse that the church could pray over them. For Missions Sunday, people in the church recorded themselves praying each verse. This involved 18 members of the local congregation (including some very darling and dramatic children) in the service. (28:40)
About two weeks in advance, the missions committee asked all the church’s missionaries to send in a verse that the church could pray over them. For Missions Sunday, people in the church recorded themselves praying each verse. This involved 18 members of the local congregation (including some very darling and dramatic children) in the service. (28:40)
4. Announcements and children’s message
Rather than having the connections pastor and the children’s director handle these aspects of the service, they were turned over to the missions coordinator and one of the church’s supported missionaries. (Children’s message at 20:25)
Rather than having the connections pastor and the children’s director handle these aspects of the service, they were turned over to the missions coordinator and one of the church’s supported missionaries. (Children’s message at 20:25)
5. Sermon
A Granada missionary in Africa recorded a sermon in his home. It was edited into the service, and then his daughter sang an original song in English and Swahili. (Sermon at 35:20; song at 1:09:42)
A Granada missionary in Africa recorded a sermon in his home. It was edited into the service, and then his daughter sang an original song in English and Swahili. (Sermon at 35:20; song at 1:09:42)
Tips for moving Missions Sunday online
The service, which was put together over about two weeks, was not without challenges, mostly due to the quick timeline. “It was definitely worth it! We now understand what it takes to put on something like this, and we believe the Lord was glorified in how our congregation continues to uplift our missionaries,” Ben said.
“The way we have done missions has, I believe, changed for the good since the onset of COVID-19,” said missions committee co-chair Kirk Stevens. “More use of video and Zoom brings living examples of the missionaries we support into our worship service. I look forward to how the Lord will use this technology in the days ahead.”
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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