About us- Family Outreach
The primary mission of Family Outreach is to serve as a mission board to assist missionaries and their families. The board provides a means of accountability and support for families who desire to commit to full-time ministry in the mission field for extended periods of time. As needs arise, the board may engage in other religious activities, such as publishing religious literature or providing assistance to the poor and needy.
Family Outreach currently supports the Charles Sperry family, who have been serving in the mission field in Honduras since 1994.
Why focus principally on family missions?
Why does Family Outreach support sending families full-time into the mission field?
We believe that all missionary endeavors which are led by the Spirit of Christ may be profitable to building up the work of the Lord.
However, often when missionaries come to a foreign country for only a few weeks at a time, they fail to fully appreciate the unique needs and complexities of the local population. Such missions often dwindle in the long-term, because new converts do not receive regular ministry, and indigenous priesthood lack training in the ordinances and doctrines of the gospel.
Another weakness that comes with occasional in-country visits is the novelty factor. Locals may come out of the woodwork when a visiting missionary is around, but afterward most disappear and do not support the local congregation. Others may come looking for a handout from the perceived "rich missionaries". By living in the country for an extended period and becoming part of the local culture, missionaries are better prepared to minister, understand the culture, strengthen the faith of new converts, and discern those who are only coming out of self-interest or novelty.
The Family Outreach mission board is incorporated as a Missouri not-for-profit religious organization, with its primary purpose being to support and sustain missionaries and their families.
Please contact us if you or your family are interested in participating in a similar missionary endeavor.