Dear friends and supporters of Friends Network, I’m writing to you today to bring you up to date about a change in leadership at Friends Network. Our current Executive Director, Aaron Wakeman, has accepted a new ministry opportunity with Concordia University - St. Paul. Aaron Wakeman has long been a pillar of Friends Network. He has been at every meeting, in every decision, and has been involved in every effort of this ministry for many years. All of us have been blessed by

Friends Network missionaries embody the relational, communal work of the church. They are routinely found at gatherings, in living rooms, and around restaurant tables, with people. Talking, sharing, teaching, and praying. But cultivating that same culture within our organization presents a unique challenge. Our staff, missionaries, and board members are separated by thousands of miles and multiple time zones. Our Director of Member Care, Gwen Schroeder, has done a wonderful j

This post was shared by Kyle and Marisa Heise (pictured below on the far left), who are preparing to move to Cebu, Philippines as full-time missionaries. We recently completed two weeks of missionary training, and it was both eye-opening and life-changing. The training focused on changing our mindset as servants in the mission field and how to help others discover truths about the gospel in a relatable and easy way. As training came to a close, we realized that with a few mon

This post was shared by FN missionaries Billy and Rachel Hyer, who serve in Cebu City, Philippines with their kids Henry and August. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ." Colossians 4:2-3 Ministry momentum is rarely built through grand events. It grows through faithful prayer, ordinary conversations, open doors, and hearts that are willing to li

This post was written by Missionary Simeon Glende. He serves with his wife Reyah in Davao City, Philippines. Simeon speaks honestly about the difficulties of mission work. By many metrics, Simeon's ministry is a success. He is serving on a robust mission team, gathering friends around the Bible, and discipling those closest to him. And yet, ministry can be hard. Let me start here: I am very certain that God wants me to serve him here in the Philippines, and I thank him for t

Here's a great example of what a school partnership can look like! Last fall, St. John Lutheran School in Wrightstown, WI selected Friends Network as the recipient of its students’ quarterly offerings. Teacher Natalie Schultz reached out to learn about ways to engage her students in the ministry of Friends Network through encouraging relationships with our missionaries. We connected Mrs. Schultz and her classroom with missionary Lauren Christman in Seoul, South Korea. Over

The following reflection was written by Missionary Liam Kopp (Mito, Japan) and included in his recent newsletter. In church today we read the account of Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35), and I was struck by something I’d never considered before. On this road to Emmaus, Jesus demonstrates the perfect evangelistic model. Look at these individual steps: He approaches (instead of waiting to be approached) He establishes a relationship through curiosi

These stories were featured in Jacob and Heather Lambrecht's most recent missionary newsletter. The Lambrechts serve in Davao, Philippines, where they have regular opportunities to evangelize and teach the Bible to their neighbors and community. You can join their mailing list by signing up on their support page here. Our relationship with our landlord’s family has grown. Our Sunday devotions with them have focused on God’s grace, love, and forgiveness. These themes resonated

This post was written by Missionary Lauren Braatz, Chiang Mai, Thailand. As we roll out our new tagline , we find ourselves reflecting on ordinary stories just like this. The gospel reaches one person at a time through one person at a time. Once I moved into my first apartment in Chiang Mai, I started exploring my immediate community. In the first few days I stumbled upon Elm House of Coffee, tucked away in a large parking lot off a busy road by the airport. The greenery and

This Easter season, we find ourselves returning to a simple truth that has shaped Friends Network from the very beginning: God uses ordinary people to do his most important work. The first missionaries of the risen Christ were fishermen and farmers, tax collectors and tentmakers — ordinary people entrusted with the most extraordinary message the world has ever heard. That's why we're so excited to announce our new tagline at Friends Network: Ordinary people. Extraordinary mis

I have the privilege of serving Friends Network as the Director of Member Care, which means I get to love and care for all 50+ of our missionaries and their families...

The following story was shared by Colin Neville, FN missionary in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Colin and his wife Maida are serving as artists-in-residence, using their various artistic talents to develop relationships and illuminate Christ in a foreign mission field. In this story, Colin beautifully illustrates a strategy we sometimes call “releasing our agenda.” Missionaries meet thousands of people in their new communities. Some become life-long friends, but many do not. In the m

Merry Christmas! I’d like to share a story from Lauren Christman, a Friends Network missionary serving in Seoul, South Korea. Professor Guy Marquardt of Asia Lutheran Seminary recently visited Seoul to teach a class on Luther’s Small Catechism . Lauren attended and sat next to a young woman she had never met. During a break, they struck up a conversation. Lauren learned that this woman wasn’t a Christian, but she was genuinely curious about Christianity. When Professor Ma

When a living room is your sanctuary, and a dining table is your altar… This is House Church . With no building, minimal budget, and just a handful of workers, how are you possibly supposed to start a healthy church? Maybe—just maybe—that is not the recipe for a lacking church, but the very key to a thriving one. Let me explain… Barriers: Today, many are spiritually curious, but often distrustful of religious institutions. And in Manila, it often seems like people’s only al

As you probably know, Friends Network is all about friendship evangelism. Friendship evangelism involves sharing the gospel through genuine relationships built on trust, care, and everyday connection. The more time I spend living life this way, the more grateful I am that I’m doing it through the lens of friendship evangelism. There are many great ways to do ministry, and they all serve different people in different ways. I specifically like this method because it puts me rig

Near the end of August, I said my goodbyes and boarded the plane for the US. To be honest, I don’t really know if it has hit me quite yet...

We’re excited to announce the launch of our fall campaign, Scatter >> Multiply! The theme is based on Acts 8:4: “Those who had been...

I spend a lot of my time in coffee shops. Coffee shops are a HUGE part of the culture here. From early morning until very late at night,...

Our newest cohort of missionaries has completed their training, been commissioned, and is in the final stages of preparation before they...

Lauren Braatz serves as a missionary and evangelist in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She moved to the mission field in January but didn’t have a...

The following devotion was written by student missionary Dameon Highshaw from Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, WI. Dameon and...

(This blog post is the third in a series exploring the role of “community” in the mission field. Click here for Part 1 and Part 2 .) For...

Friends Network will commission its new missionaries in a special service on Sunday, July 20 at 2:00 PM. The service will be held at New...

A few Friends Network staff and missionaries were recently featured on a new podcast! "Whistle the Feast" is a podcast produced at...

(This blog post is a follow-up to an article posted a year ago entitled “ Gaining access to a new community. ” Praise the Lord for the...

“Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” 1 Thessalonians...

Sometimes mission work can feel frustratingly slow, and other times it feels dizzyingly fast. It’s important to remember that one outcome...

Maida Neville currently serves as an artist missionary in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She and a group of Lutheran artists recently collaborated...

The following is an edited excerpt from Missionary Lauren Christman’s recent Substack post, written after attending the annual Friends...

As much as we love training and supporting missionaries who "go into all the world," we know that not everyone is in a position to leave...

2025 may be the new year, but 2024 was the year of new for our family. New defined every season. Every month. New found its way into...

One of my most treasured possessions just arrived in our shipment. It’s a woven piece of cloth, a gift from a life group at St. Marcus...

"Your highs are going to be higher and your lows are going to be lower.” I said this to an aspiring Friends Network missionary at a...

Recently I was reading the story in 1 Samuel about the Israelites being afraid of an attack from the Philistines. Samuel prayed for the...

During summer vacation during college, I spent a few summers working at the Lowe’s in my hometown. While home improvement is not a...

The majority of our mission work is done through personal, one-on-one relationships. Most new believers will be able to point to a close...

Our Executive Director Aaron Wakeman was recently interviewed on an episode of “Where Two or Three,” a podcast hosted by Dr. Mark...

Friends Network will commission its new missionaries in a special service at 1:00 PM on Sunday, July 14 . The service will be held at New...

Most of our new missionary candidates are currently in the process of raising financial support for their full-time work overseas. Our...

At the risk of taking a metaphor too far... Look at this video. The fish will do anything to get that bread. They will bite, and climb,...

When missionaries enter a new country, it takes a while before they feel like they have access to their new community. They can walk...

The Christmas season is always a great opportunity for outreach in the mission field. We love getting reports back from our missionaries...

In November I was given an amazing opportunity to go to the middle east, specifically Kurdistan in northern Iraq and Syria. I first met...

Friends Network missionary Lydia Schultz recently returned from an amazing ministry opportunity in a south Asian country. Christine...

Dear friends, I am having a wonderful time here in Korea and I have many friends, but it is not always easy. There are times that I get...

Hiroko-san attends my adult beginner English class every Wednesday morning. She’s probably in her 70s, but she would definitely never...

“You're moving to the Philippines? I bet you will go to the beach ALL the time!" That was a response I would occasionally get from people...

Some exciting news from FN "headquarters!" We recently moved into a new office space at St. Croix Lutheran Academy in West St. Paul, MN....

One of the greatest joys for missionaries serving overseas is the opportunity to connect with a global “network” of believers and to grow...

Thank you so much for your support over the past two months! We are blessed to report that we more than doubled our goal and received...