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Mission Volunteers

PARTNERING IN GOD’S MISSION ACROSS CULTURES AND CONTINENTS

UMC Mission Volunteers, Shari Nelson (far left) and David Nelson (3rd from right) pose with members of the Pijal Methodist Church in Ecuador in the valley of Imbabura Volcano.

Photo: Courtesy of the Nelsons

Mission Volunteers are short to long-term self-funded individuals or couples. Placed at partner sites worldwide, Mission Volunteers serve in a variety of roles, from working with refugees, children and youth to serving as a teacher, pastor, camp director or health care professional.

Get Involved in God’s Mission

Learn how you can become a Mission Volunteer or request a partnership.

Apply to Become a Mission Volunteer

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Chosen applicants attend a virtual interview. Selected volunteers attend a training event before leaving for their placement site.

Apply Now

Attend a Training Event

 

Mission Volunteer Training Events
• May 4-7, 2026 – North Central Jurisdiction
• October 26-29, 2026 – Southeastern Jurisdiction

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Host Mission Volunteers as a Placement Site

View our partnership request form to learn more about hosting Mission Volunteers and applying to become a volunteer site.

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Current Opportunities for Mission Volunteers

Explore available placements to discern how God might be calling you to mission.

Africa (3)
Asia (1)
Europe and EurAsia (1)
Latin America (13)
United States (20)
Position
Country
Location
Duration
Position: Assistant English Teacher
Country: Cameroon
Location: Bitame Nursery and Primary School, Yaoundé
Duration: 2 to 6 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$330 which includes housing, meals and utilities. Visa and transportation costs are additional.
Work Description:
Support and give assistance to students ages 2-10 in content comprehension and homework completion; supervise students during lunchtime and field trips. Functional French is helpful.
Position: Assistant Social Media Developer
Country: Cameroon
Location: Yaoundé (with remote U.S. option)
Duration: 2 to 6 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$330 which includes housing, meals and utilities. Visa and transportation costs are additional if based in Yaoundé.
Work Description:
Work with the Communications Team to develop and implement a social media strategy; train local church communicators; update social media pages; interact with users and respond to messages, inquiries and comments; create content and short videos; and promote UMC Cameroon to global UMC partners. Functional French is helpful.
Position: English Teacher Assistant
Country: Tanzania
Location: Wesley Primary School, Morogoro
Duration: At least three months, longer preferred.
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$650 which includes on-campus accommodation, meals and contribution to campus security.
Work Description:
Assist with developing English curriculum for students; participate in classroom instruction; support opportunities for practicing English; assist with other school activities such as sports and games; assist visiting Volunteer In Mission (VIM) teams.
Position
Country
Location
Duration
Position: ARI Training Program Volunteer
Country: Japan
Location: Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in Nasushiobara-shi, Tochigi-ken
Duration: 2 to 12 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$500, including housing and meals.
Work Description:
Volunteers will serve as part of ARI’s diverse and vibrant community and help support the training program. Each volunteer is assigned to a work section dependent upon their skills and the needs of ARI. Work assignments include livestock, crops and vegetables, office, meal service, maintenance and food processing. In addition to working in their assigned sections, volunteers are engaged in activities that contribute to the life of the community. The ability to co-exist humbly, work hard and live in an international and, at times, challenging community is a requirement for the volunteer. ARI asks that the volunteers be in good basic health, as much of the work is physical.
Position
Country
Location
Duration
Position: Client Care Assistant
Country: United Kingdom
Location: The ROMILDAMOR Foundation (Milton Keynes)
Duration: May/June & Flexible – 3 months, possibility of extension
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$800 includes private room, shared bathroom and kitchen
Work Description:
Assist by befriending survivors of human trafficking, gender-based violence and child marriage. Work with trained professionals and provide support during coffee breaks, bibles study and worship. Provide administrative assistance, printing and distributing monthly encouragement letters, packages and reminders of appointments for survivors.
Position
Country
Location
Duration
1 2
Position: English Teacher Assistant
Country: Chile
Location: Colegio Ingles, Iquique
Duration: Two months and up
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$200, including housing, meals and ground transportation.
Work Description:
Aid the English learning process of the students, assist the English teachers and support the English workshop.
Position: Assistant to Librarian
Country: Costa Rica
Location: Universidad Biblica Latinoamericana (Latin American Biblical University), San Jose
Duration: 2 to 3 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$450, including housing, meals and transportation.
Work Description:
A library background is needed, as the volunteer will be using library software, cataloging, shelving and restocking. The volunteer is invited to attend general community gatherings and activities of the university, especially weekly community chapel services. Some Spanish is helpful.
Position: Green Project Assistant Facilitator
Country: Costa Rica
Location: Universidad Biblica Latinoamericana (Latin American Biblical University), San Jose
Duration: 2 to 3 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$450, including housing, meals and transportation.
Work Description:
Help with gardening tasks, work with UBL Green Team to plan garden design and educational projects, participate in off-campus exchanges with other area gardening groups, and participate in environmental justice activities. Some Spanish is helpful.
Position: Ecology Education Promoter
Country: Ecuador
Location: El Sembrador Primary School, Pastocalle
Duration: 2 to 6 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$1,100, including housing, meals and ground transportation.
Work Description:
Assist the school to develop a program for creation care and ecology; provide basic ecology classes and on-campus activities; offer other classes such as music and computer science; engage in community programs; promote projects; and conduct mission fund raising.
Position: Assistant English Teacher
Country: Ecuador
Location: El Sembrador Primary School, Pastocalle
Duration: 2 to 6 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$1,100, including housing, meals and ground transportation.
Work Description:
The Mission Volunteer will help with the school’s English language program; teach English classes; help with Christian education in the local church and the school; help the school with community programs; promote projects; assist with mission fundraising; and develop U.S. contacts and partners, such as Volunteers in Mission teams. The Mission Volunteer will participate in worship and help with other church activities.
Position: Assist with hosting volunteer teams
Country: Honduras
Location: Honduras Mission Initiative
Duration: 2 to 6 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$120
Work Description:
For 20 years, the mission initiative in Honduras has developed meaningful and impactful ministries with the most rural and vulnerable communities in Honduras. Services focus on children, family, spiritual and health care, medical needs and education. In some regions, the focus is on church development, growth and leadership. This Mission Volunteer position will assist in: preparations prior to teams arriving, team orientation, managing a database, team debriefing and assessing team engagement before and after the team visit.
Position: Education Specialist
Country: Mexico
Location: Manos Juntas Mexico, Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Duration: 2 to 6 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$350, including housing, meals and ground transportation.
Work Description:
Manos Juntas’ broad ministry to families with low incomes or lack of resources includes two community centers and a family clinic. The volunteer will visit the two community centers and the clinic to assist teachers with educational techniques at all levels of school and help children who have learning difficulties. Some Spanish is helpful.
Position: Volunteer in Mission Coordinator
Country: Mexico
Location: Manos Juntas Mexico, Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Duration: 2 to 12 months (12 months preferable)
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$350, including housing, meals and ground transportation.
Work Description:
The Mission Volunteer will help manage orientation, logistics and debriefing/assessment of visiting teams; coordinate meals for teams; maintain and clean facility; prepare area ministries for team arrivals; and provide training for area ministries. Some Spanish is helpful.
Position: Care and Teaching Assistant
Country: Mexico
Location: House of Hope Children’s Home, Mexico
Duration: 2 to 6 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$480, including housing, meals and in-country transportation.
Work Description:
House of Hope Children’s Home seeks to alleviate the suffering of orphans and their guardians, by taking care of children without parents or whose parents cannot care for them. The Mission Volunteer will provide care and mentoring to the children under the supervision of the house staff, help teach English and assist the director. Some Spanish is helpful.
Position: Assistant Teacher
Country: Paraguay
Location: Mary Jo Phillips Methodist Daycare Center of Asunción
Duration: 2 to 6 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$600, including housing and meals.
Work Description:
Provide a calming presence in the classroom; play with and monitor the children during playtime; assist the teacher in the classroom; prepare and print classroom activities; and help students during meal and snack times. Optional: Help with facility repairs and maintenance; do computer updates; and prepare and lead conversational English classes for adults and youth in the community. Some Spanish and/or Guaraní is helpful.
Position: Assistant Physical Education and Art Teacher
Country: Uruguay
Location: The Methodist Church In Uruguay, Montevideo
Duration: 2 to 6 months, preferably longer
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$1,000, including housing, meals and ground transportation.
Work Description:
Help to design neighborhood youth programs; select, create and produce any required support materials; and help with arts and crafts or PE activities. Functional Spanish is helpful.
Position: Assistant Christian Education Teacher
Country: Uruguay
Location: The Methodist Church In Uruguay, Montevideo
Duration: 2 to 6 months, preferably longer
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$1,000, including housing, meals and ground transportation.
Work Description:
Assist with designing neighborhood youth ministry programs; select, create and produce any required support materials; and help with Christian educational activities for all neighborhoods. Functional Spanish is helpful.
Position: Assistant English Teacher
Country: Uruguay
Location: Crandon Salto Primary and Secondary School, Salto
Duration: 3 to 6 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$1,000, including housing, meals and ground transportation.
Work Description:
Assist the English teachers with the coordinating language instruction and practice; lead informal conversation classes for K-12 students; collaborate with teachers of other content areas and school administrators for activities requiring English; and participate in extracurricular activities as needed. Some Spanish is helpful.
Position
Country
Location
Duration
1 2
Position: Assistant Hostel Manager
Country: Alaska
Location: Ketchikan Hostel
Duration: Mid-May through Mid-September
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$250, including lodging and meals.
Work Description:
The assistant hostel manager is the face of The United Methodist Church to travelers who need lodging. The Mission Volunteer will welcome and orient guests; answer the telephone and respond to emails; receive payments from hostelers and maintain a receipt ledger; make deposits for refunds; ensure the cleanliness of the dormitories and public spaces; and maintain the linens.
Position: Assistant Camp Host
Country: Alaska
Location: Birchwood Camp, Chugiak
Duration: March through June or July through October
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$250, including housing and meals
Work Description:
The assistant camp host will offer excellent hospitality to ensure guests and campers feel welcomed and comfortable, assist in overall camp operation and help with office work. Qualified candidates would have excellent hospitality skills.
Position: Work Camp Project Assistant
Country: Kentucky
Location: Henderson Settlement, Frakes
Duration: 2 to 12 months (year-round)
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$150-300, depending on season, including meals, housing and transportation.
Work Description:
Established in 1925, Henderson Settlement is located in rural Appalachia. The Mission Volunteer will help the project coordinator operate a tool shop and assist volunteer teams to get their tools each workday; deliver and retrieve tools and materials to/from work sites; and interact with community and other work campers. Needs a basic knowledge of tools and building materials.
Position: Dining Hall Cook Assistant
Country: Kentucky
Location: Henderson Settlement, Frakes
Duration: (Spring-Summer-Autumn only)
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$150-300, depending on season, including meals, housing and transportation.
Work Description:
Established in 1925, Henderson Settlement is located in rural Appalachia. The Mission Volunteer will help prepare and serve two meals per day; wash dishes; clean dining hall and do other duties as needed; and interact with the community and staff. This is for Spring-Summer-Autumn only.
Position: Outreach Ministries Assistant
Country: Kentucky
Location: Henderson Settlement, Frakes
Duration: 2 to 12 months (year-round)
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$150-300, depending on season, including meals, housing and transportation.
Work Description:
Established in 1925, Henderson Settlement is located in rural Appalachia. The Mission Volunteer will help with daily community services and programming, including ministries such as youth, older adult care, women’s group or food pantry.
Position: Mission Awareness and Communications Assistant
Country: Kentucky
Location: Henderson Settlement, Frakes
Duration: 2 to 12 months (year-round)
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$150-300, depending on season, including meals, housing and transportation.
Work Description:
Extend mission awareness with an audience of shared partners in ministry; maintain web pages, Facebook, phone and printed materials; assist with donor management and fundraising using the software eTapestry; assist with the creation of videos and presentations on multiple software platforms; and help with general office duties as needed.
Position: Depot Assistance
Country: Louisiana
Location: Sager Brown – UMCOR Depot, Baldwin
Duration: Flexible weeks
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$250, including housing most meals and transportation.
Work Description:
Position requires to be on your feet and able to lift 20-30 lbs. Have excellent interpersonal skills and engaged with short-term volunteers and staff. Familiar with UMCOR kits and specifications and able to manage the stock and willing to assist with other tasks.
Position: Host and Hostess
Country: Louisiana
Location: Sager Brown – UMCOR Depot, Baldwin
Duration: 3 to 4 weeks and longer
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$250, including housing most meals and transportation.
Work Description:
Position requires people and computer skills.Responsible for welcoming, orientation and campus tours for short-term teams and other guests. Support other tasks, gift shop, medical emergencies, and local activities.
Position: Outreach Office Assistant
Country: Louisiana
Location: Sager Brown – UMCOR Depot, Baldwin
Duration: Flexible – 2months or longer
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$250, including housing most meals and transportation.
Work Description:
Position requires interpersonal skills to interact with everyone on campus. General Microsoft Office skills and assist the Associate Director. Assist with food distribution and housing repairs
Position: Assistant Construction and Project Manager
Country: Louisiana
Location: Sager Brown – UMCOR Depot, Baldwin
Duration: Flexible – 2 months or longer
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$250, including housing most meals and transportation.
Work Description:
Position requires interpersonal skills to interact with everyone on campus. Assist with volunteer orientation, match volunteer skills with tasks, and assessment work assignments and recommend next steps. Assist with ordering materials.
Position: Assistant Volunteer Coordinator and Client Relationships
Country: Louisiana
Location: Calcasieu Mission of Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders, Sulphur
Duration: 3 to 12 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$350, including housing, meals and transportation.
Work Description:
The Mission Volunteer will help the area recover after Hurricanes Laura and Delta by working with homeowner clients during the entire rebuilding process; assisting volunteers on the job sites; and ensuring the volunteers have a mutually positive experience while serving.
Position: Assistant to the Facilities Director
Country: Michigan
Location: Cass Community Social Services, Detroit
Duration: 3 to 12 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$100, including housing, meals and transportation.
Work Description:
Cass Community Social Services is a social service agency with 13 buildings, 25 tiny homes, two four-unit apartment buildings, and a free health clinic. CCSS provides temporary residency to people without homes. The Mission Volunteer will work closely with the facilities director, help maintain the facilities, and work alongside volunteers and mission teams. Qualified candidates should have a basic knowledge of building maintenance, be able to work alongside others who are less skilled and have a safe driving record.
Position: General Shelter/Resettlement Assistant
Country: New Mexico
Location: El Calvario Immigrant Advocacy Center, Las Cruces
Duration: 2 to 6 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$250, including housing, meals and transportation.
Work Description:
El Calvario is an immigrant advocacy center located in a United Methodist church. The agency provides temporary shelter to those in need in various locations around the New Mexico and Texas southern border. The Mission Volunteer will assist with welcoming and hospitality ministries for immigrant resettlement; furnish transportation (church provided) to appointments or shopping; help determine the needs of newcomers; assist the case managers; set up homes; provide general assistance for the El Calvario staff in providing outreach services to various migrant populations in Las Cruces/El Paso; and help newcomers become familiar with U.S. culture.
Position: Assistant Retreat Center Host
Country: New Mexico
Location: McCurdy Ministries Community Center, Espanola
Duration: 2 to 6 months, Spring through Autumn
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$300, including housing and meals
Work Description:
A 100-year-old United Methodist National Mission Institution formerly known as McCurdy Schools of Northern New Mexico, MMCC provides after-school, preschool, mental health counseling, summer camp and youth programs. As the assistant retreat center host, the Mission Volunteer will welcome volunteers on campus and assist throughout their stay, as well as manage the MMCC gift shop when volunteer groups are visiting.
Position: Assistant VIM Work Coordinator
Country: New Mexico
Location: McCurdy Ministries Community Center, Espanola
Duration: 2 to 6 months, Spring through Autumn
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$300, including housing and meals
Work Description:
A 100-year-old United Methodist National Mission Institution formerly known as McCurdy Schools of Northern New Mexico, MMCC provides after-school, preschool, mental health counseling, summer camp and youth programs. The Mission Volunteer will work with a team to plan and coordinate VIM teams and individuals; ensure all necessary equipment and materials are ready for volunteers; and work alongside the volunteers on projects.
Position: Sanctuary Garden Assistant
Country: North Carolina
Location: Hinton Rural Life Center, Hayesville
Duration: 2 to 9 months, August-May
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$275, including housing and meals
Work Description:
Hinton Rural Life Center is a lakeside retreat and conference facility in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. Working with a team of local volunteers, the Mission Volunteer will help implement a new initiative – Sanctuary Trails and Gardens – by enhancing existing trails and gardens into spaces for reflection and renewal; work on trail improvements and new plantings; install new garden fixtures; and help create resources such as prayer and meditation guides.
Position: Safe and Healthy Homes Assistant Coordinator
Country: North Carolina
Location: Hinton Rural Life Center, Hayesville
Duration: 2 to 9 months, August-May
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$275, including housing and meals
Work Description:
Hinton Rural Life Center is a lakeside retreat and conference facility in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. The Mission Volunteer will help conduct safety checks of local homes for hazardous or unsafe conditions; make minor home improvements such as smoke-detector installations; perform educational outreach and follow-up with homeowners so that their health and safety improve. Provide access to site amenities during off hours.
Position: Community Resident and Respite Companion
Country: North Carolina
Location: Haywood Street Congregation, Asheville
Duration: 3 to 12 months
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$175, including housing and meals
Work Description:
HSC is a mission church with a particular focus on welcoming those most excluded by the world, especially those living with mental illness, the formerly incarcerated, the jobless, the houseless, or those in active addiction. The Mission Volunteer will support the Downtown Welcome Table, where lunch is served family style twice a week by managing orders from suppliers, training volunteers, and providing hospitality and presence to all on campus. The Mission Volunteer will also help with the hospital respite program.
Position: Assistant to Director
Country: West Virginia
Location: Clarksburg Mission
Duration: 2 months or longer
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$250
Work Description:
In 2021, the Clarksburg Mission (the area’s homeless shelter and day center) refocused its ministry to become a recovery center. This position supports the director in training staff and volunteers, and also maintains scheduling, monitors supplies and supports a safe/secure shelter environment. Helpful: flexibility to do other tasks.
Position: Assistant to Kitchen Director
Country: West Virginia
Location: Clarksburg Mission
Duration: 2 months or longer
Estimated Monthly Living Expenses:
$250
Work Description:
Assist with scheduling, arranging deliveries and preparing food. Support and serve the daily breakfast and/or evening meals. Assist with special dietary needs of guests.

Discover Mission Volunteer Resources

Learn more about volunteer mission work and how to engage meaningfully in God’s mission.

  • Video

Mission Volunteers Application Process Video Series

10-part video series on the Mission Volunteers application process, training, support and more. (This will be a video carousel)
  • Mission Volunteer
  • Book

A Mission Journey (Participant’s Guide)

This handbook encourages short-term mission volunteers to reflect on the reasons why they engage in mission. It helps volunteers shape the stories of their mission experiences in a way that enhances their personal and spiritual journeys.
  • Guide, Missionary
  • Book

God’s Mission, Our Journey (Leader’s Guide)

This course provides a better understanding of a holistic approach to participation in God's mission and equips lay servants for more effective missional engagement in their own communities and beyond.
  • Guide, Missionary
View More

Read Stories
of Impact

)> View All Mission Volunteer Stories

Back in Ecuador with El Sembrador

Mission Volunteers David and Shari Nelson return to Ecuador for a second year to serve with staff and students of a Methodist school in Pastocalle, Cotopaxi.
Read Story

Back in Ecuador with El Sembrador

Mission Volunteers David and Shari Nelson return to Ecuador for a second year to serve with staff and students of a Methodist school in Pastocalle, Cotopaxi.
Read Story

Lifetime of experience offered by Mission Volunteers

Jerry Feese and Robilea Swindell, a couple from the Great Plains Conference, have made volunteering a cornerstone in their lives. As Global Ministries Mission Volunteers, they have broadened their opportunities to serve in different places and capacities.
Read Story

Lifetime of experience offered by Mission Volunteers

Jerry Feese and Robilea Swindell, a couple from the Great Plains Conference, have made volunteering a cornerstone in their lives. As Global Ministries Mission Volunteers, they have broadened their opportunities to serve in different places and capacities.
Read Story

Yes, volunteering can change your life

In 1960, Ruth Johnson Colvin decided to volunteer her time to do something about the high rate of functional illiteracy in Syracuse, where she lived. Sixty-two years later, the nonprofit she founded and the methods she designed to teach literacy have spread across the United States and into 26 developing countries around the world.
Read Story

Yes, volunteering can change your life

In 1960, Ruth Johnson Colvin decided to volunteer her time to do something about the high rate of functional illiteracy in Syracuse, where she lived. Sixty-two years later, the nonprofit she founded and the methods she designed to teach literacy have spread across the United States and into 26 developing countries around the world.
Read Story
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More Ways We Serve

Learn about additional forms of missionary service.

Global Missionaries

Long-term missionaries serving in cross-cultural contexts. Sharing God’s love with communities around the world.

U.S. Missionaries

Long-term missionaries serving at risk communities in the United States. Includes Church and Community Workers (CCWs) and Racial Ethnic Plan (REP) missionaries.

Global Mission Fellows

Two-year program for young adult missionaries serving in cross-cultural contexts in the U.S. and around the world. Focused on social justice ministries.
UMCOR Campaigns

Six Years, No Solution: A 500-Gallon Tank Carries Hope to West Virginia’s Forgotten

McDowell County is one of the poorest in the U.S., and the communities of Anawalt, Leckie and Gary are some of the hardest hit by the current six-year water crisis. All have Methodist churches that are part of the Welch Charge.

To ease the burden of residents who have to purchase many gallons of drinking water weekly, the Welch Charge contacted the West Virginia Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, Jim McCune, for help. McCune’s United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) connection put him in touch with Global Ministries’ Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program. 

A WASH grant allowed them to obtain a 500-gallon “water buffalo.” The conference disaster response team arranged to fill the portable water buffalo from the Welch water system, the county seat of McDowell, and transport it to Gary, where residents have been supplied with refillable containers. Residents of all three towns can come to get water, and volunteers will also continue deliveries for those who need it. Meanwhile, residents, including church members, continue to advocate state and local officials for a permanent solution to their aging, compromised water infrastructure. Full Story 

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