LINKS

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main job of a LINKS secretary, and how does our church receive information about our LINKS missionaries?

 

Contact your church's LINKS missionaries regularly (at least two or three times a year). Missionaries love to receive cards and notes; however, don't expect a reply to every correspondence. Check with your missionary before sending any e-cards. See note below. The best person to contact regarding details about your LINKS missionaries is your district LINKS coordinator. If you do not know who holds this office, you can look it up in the district journal under District NMI Council. (Your church should have a district journal.) If a missionary notifies you of a change of information, such as a new address or plans for retirement, please inform the Global NMI Office.

 

Do missionaries like to receive e-cards or newsletters?

 

The general answer is "No." Depending on the Internet connection speed where the missionary is located, e-cards can sometimes take a long time to load. Some missionaries have to pay by the minute for Internet and/or e-mail access, making e-cards costly. Always check with your LINKS missionaries to see what service is available to them personally.

 

I can't find our missionaries' addresses on the web.

 

To ensure the safety of missionaries, Global Mission does not include missionary contact information on Missionary Profiles Online. If you need contact information for a missionary, please contact either your district NMI president or your district LINKS coordinator.

 

How should our church's LINKS cash assignment be handled?

 

Please do not send money directly to the missionary. It may never reach them, and money is sometimes difficult to exchange in some world areas. On the remittance form that is sent to the Global Treasury Services Office with the money, always include the name of the LINKS recipient. Money cannot be credited properly without the missionary's name. Each time you send a monetary gift, notify the recipient beforehand:

 

• The reason for the gift (cash assignment, birthday, Christmas, love offering, etc.)
• When the gift will be sent
• The amount of the gift.

 

Notifying the missionary ahead of time allows them to ensure the gift is received properly.

 

The children of my church want pen pals. Can I have addresses and e-mail addresses for all of our missionary kids (MKs)?

 

Global Mission asks that we not distribute lists with street and e-mail addresses for MKs due to security, expense, and the protection of our missionaries' time. Here are a few suggestions:

 

• Check with your local NMI president to see if your church has LINKS missionaries with children.
• If not, check with your district's LINKS coordinator to see if your district has a LINKS missionary with a child who would like to be a pen pal. NOTE: Missionaries may not have reliable/affordable e-mail or Internet access. Also, missionary kids may not be able to keep up with pen pal correspondence.
• Consider sponsoring a child through the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Child Sponsorship program. These children correspond with their sponsors as a part of the program. For more information, contact NCM Child Sponsorship (913-577-2880), or via e-mail:child@nazarene.org.

 
What is the difference between Missionary Christmas Fund and monies we send through the Global Treasury Services for our LINKS missionaries as a Christmas gift?

 

The Missionary Christmas Fund (MCF) is NOT a part of LINKS. MCF is a separate Global Mission general fund that provides Holiness Today, Reflecting God, Day by Day books (pocket calendars), and a monetary bonus at Christmas time to all qualifying missionaries. Since Missionary Christmas Fund is a general fund, specific missionaries names should not be mentioned when remitting the Missionary Christmas Fund.

 

If you would like to send your LINKS missionary(ies) a LINKS Christmas gift, include a remittance form with the following information:

• Amount of LINKS Christmas gift on “LINKS” line
• Missionary's name (necessity)

Send the check and remittance form to:

 
Global Treasury Services
Church of the Nazarene
PO Box 843116
Kansas City MO 64184-3116

 

Do you still have questions about the difference between Missionary Christmas Fund and LINKS Christmas gifts? Contact Global NMI Office. Phone: (913) 577-2970

 
What is Missionary Care and how does that affect LINKS and Missionary Christmas Fund?
 
A local church may continue sending in LINKS, Missionary Christmas Fund (MCF), and Missionary Health Care offerings. However, for the local church that does not want to send in so many different offerings, Missionary Care was created. All three of the above offerings can be sent in under one heading…Missionary Care (with the name of your LINKS missionary). The formula used is that 60% of the amount will go to Missionary Health Care, 30% LINKS, and 10% Missionary Christmas Fund.
  

Do missionaries and their families still like to receive packages?

 

Yes, if they are not in a country where receiving packages is prohibited. The forms you receive at your district convention often have gift suggestions. However, always contact the missionaries before sending a package, verifying it is something they need/want and ask for any recent changes in mailing instructions. Also check USPS.com for approximate size, weight, and cost of packages.
  

Double wrap items, and don't send perfumed items in same containers with food. Small packages generally pass through customs more easily than large boxes, plus they are less expensive to ship.

 

What's the best way I can encourage my LINKS missionary if they are working in a Creative Access Area (CAA)?

 

Pray for them daily. Remember that you are making a difference in missionaries' lives, even though the results may not be visible. Send CAA missionaries generic cards (not Christian) and DO NOT mention words such as missionary, church, prayer, etc. Thinking of you and Hello cards translate to the missionary that you are praying for them. You may not hear back as often from those serving in sensitive areas so keep in touch also with your district LINKS coordinator for updates.