TEAM OPENINGS AND MISSION OPPORTUNITIES
TEAM OPENINGS & MISSION OPPORTUNITIES
Below is the most up-to-date information our office has regarding current team openings and various mission opportunities, however we cannot guarantee that all opportunities are still available. Please contact the team leader for the latest information.
These opportunities are listed in alphabetical order by country.
To list your own team for a mission opportunity, send an email with details to gray_miller@umvim.org.
Be sure to visit Discover…Mission to learn more about mission journeys for young adults!
arizona
Late June 2026
Join the Highland Support Project (HSP) and embark on an unforgettable journey of transformation, connection, and care for creation as we explore the stunning landscapes and rich history of Arizona. This unique opportunity invites you to serve, learn, and grow in fellowship with others while engaging in meaningful work with First Nation communities.
This engagement is part of an Earth Keeper grant, designed to foster shalom and reconciliation. Through our partnership with VCU Campus Ministry and the Pace Center, you'll join hands in projects that promote food and water sovereignty. Together, we’ll address some of the most pressing environmental challenges while learning about the profound history of boarding schools and their impact on First Nation communities.
Amidst this deeper purpose, you'll also encounter Arizona’s incredible natural beauty. Crossing through breathtaking deserts, volcanic formations, highland forests, and wildlife-rich landscapes. These iconic settings will provide moments of spiritual awakening and connection with creation unlike any other.
Beyond the scenery, you’ll meet and work alongside inspiring people who are leading the way in ecological and socially sustainable solutions. These collaborations will foster meaningful relationships, a shared sense of purpose, and new perspectives that will stay with you for life.
This experience isn’t just about service—in equal measure, it’s about fellowship, learning, and spiritual growth. We’ll listen, learn, and build relationships while enjoying the richness of the culture and the land. Together, we create hope-filled and empowered communities for a brighter future.
All meals, on-ground transportation, and accommodations are included.
Cost: $1500 + flight
Leader: Brian Ramirez
Contact: hello@highlandpartners.org
Be part of this incredible opportunity to make a positive impact while connecting deeply with both people and the earth. Sign up today and join us in Arizona!
democratic republic of the congo, NOrth Katanga
Are you a medical professional with a heart to serve? The West Ohio Conference is assembling a medical mission team to bring hope and healing to the North Katanga District of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
We’re looking for passionate and skilled individuals to join us — including a General Surgeon, Anesthesiologist, Pharmacist, Optometrist, Nurses, OBGYN, and Cardiologist.
Our team will work alongside Dr. Patrick, the lead physician at the United Methodist clinic in Kamina, providing essential care, sharing expertise, and strengthening the clinic’s capacity to serve its community.
This is more than a mission—it’s a chance to make a tangible impact, build lasting relationships, and be part of God’s healing work in the world.
To learn more, contact Rev. Karen Cook, Ex Director of Connectional Ministries for the West Ohio Conference.
Together, we can make a world of difference!
guatemala
July 11-18, 2026
Join a meaningful journey of faith, fellowship, and hands-on service. The Old Bridge UMC family, in collaboration with the Highland Support Project (HSP), invites participants to join this upcoming mission trip to Guatemala.
Led by Jim Relyea, this team celebrates over a decade-long partnership dedicated to listening to and learning from rural communities. Participants will work alongside local families to build clean-air stoves, a collaborative effort that empowers residents and improves daily health. Keeping God at the center of the work, the team will engage deeply with the community. Volunteers will also share joyful moments at a local school, leading interactive activities for the children.
The trip begins with an enriching visit to the La Voz Coffee Coop and concludes with beautiful explorations of the historic Iximche ruins and the vibrant city of Antigua. Step forward to serve with love and build lasting relationships. Reach out today to join this transformative week!
Dates: July 11 to July 18, 2026
Cost: $1400 + flight (includes all meals, transportation and accommodations)
Leader: Jim Relyea
Contact: jimrelyea@aol.com
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June 10 - June 17, 2026, Highland Support Project
Join the Highland Support Project (HSP) for a transformative Creation Care experience, designed to foster collaboration between youth across borders and develop Creation Care ministries with Guatemalan youth. This initiative is realized in partnership with the Guatemalan National Primitive Methodist Church and guided by Ben Blevins, a United Methodist Earth Keeper, and Guadalupe Ramirez, Women and Youth Program Coordinator with the Guatemalan National Primitive Methodist Church.
This unique experience is offered in conjunction with Christ the Servant Evangelical Lutheran Church from Colorado, promoting interdenominational and interfaith collaboration to foster human and ecological flourishing and restore Shalom in our relationships with creation.
Over the course of this week-long journey in Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, participants will engage in hands-on projects such as reforestation, community gardening, and environmental education workshops, working alongside local families and Guatemalan youth. Together, you’ll explore how to build sustainable practices and ministries that honor God’s creation.
Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Guatemala through interactive presentations, cultural exchanges, and activities that celebrate the beauty of creation. Highlights include visits to a thriving coffee cooperative, a serene lagoon atop an inactive volcano, and the historic streets of a colonial city. This is a powerful blend of collaboration, cultural exploration, and spiritual growth. All meals, on-ground transportation, and accommodations are included.
Cost: $1400 + flight (approx. $750)
Contact: hello@highlandpartners.org
Leaders: Ben Blevins & Guadalupe Ramirez
This is an opportunity to connect, learn, and make a lasting impact on Creation Care while building relationships across borders and faith traditions. Don’t miss it!
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October 10-17, 2026
Jennifer Parker from the South Carolina Conference is leading a team to Guatemala. Please see below for those interested.
Team Leader: Jennifer Parker
Phone number 770 301 6376
emai: jpclemsongirl@gmail.com
Cost: $2200.00
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July 4-11, 2026, Highland Support Project, Earthkeepers, Environmental Education
Click here for more info on the HSP website.
Highland Support Project invites you to join us for a transformative week in Guatemala, where we will move beyond traditional service to embody Kincentric Grace. This journey is an invitation to recognize that we are part of a sacred web of relationships—between humans, animals, plants, and the earth itself.
As Earthkeepers, we believe our ministry is not about imposing solutions from the outside. Instead, it is about listening, learning, and walking alongside our neighbors. This trip is designed to be a practical expression of that belief. We will partner with Indigenous communities to address the world’s challenges—climate change, social inequality, and cultural disconnection—through collaboration, humility, and a shared commitment to the flourishing of all life
Over eight days, we will engage in "practical, life-giving responses" to local needs, focusing on restoring ecosystems, supporting health, and advocating for the vulnerable.
This trip is an opportunity to live out the call to love God, love our neighbors, and care for creation. It is a chance to embody the Gospel in ways that bring healing and peace—not just to the communities we visit, but to our own hearts as well.
We invite you to walk with us. Together, let us foster a spirit of mutual respect and shared purpose, nurturing the sacred interconnectedness of all life.
Date: July 4 – July 11
Cost: $1400 + flight
Leader: Ben Blevins
Contact:hello@highlandpartners.org
Mexico
Early February 2027
Join the journey to Mexico!Wesley UMC is creating a team to build houses in Rio Bravo, Mexico. Together, we will help God’s people attain basic housing, learn about the southern border, and worship with the people of Mexico. We will be guided by the staff of Manos Juntas, an organization already connected to the United Methodist Church because of its tireless work to meet the basic needs of struggling families and its strong commitment to safety. An information meeting will be held at Wesley UMC in Bloomington, Illinois on April 26th at 1:00 p.m. to learn more about the journey. Zoom will be available. Contact Keith Smith at (309) 242-4318 or keithsmith19671@gmail.comto RSVP. We can’t wait to journey with you!
Cost: approx. $1,500
Leader: Bethany Barnett & Keith Smith
Contact:keithsmith19671@gmail.com; (309) 242-4318
nicaragua
Trip Dates: June 19-26, 2026
Project: El Ayudante, Nicaragua
Rev. Jathaniel Cavitt from Covenant UMC in Cordova, TN is leading a team from our church to El Ayudante in Nicaragua once again this summer. Team has room for another 2-3 people, and those interested can contact Rev. Cavitt at jcavitt@covenantumc.org
Peru
July 23-August 2, 2026
A medical team is heading to Maray, Peru! The team with work with members of the community as part of a general medical clinic and share children's crafts and Bible time. Medical and non-medical volunteers are welcome.Lodging is at the Methodist Church. Although it is a more primitive location, we will have electricity, Wi-Fi, and cell service.
Cost: $1000 plus airfare we will be staying with the Methodist Church.
Team Leader: Bev Dinnel
March 3-10, 2027
The team will serve in Lima, Peru doing light construction and education. Watch for more details or contact the team leader now for more information!
Team Leader: Jody Pratt
Senegal
January 16 - 23, 2027
Overview: In January, 2027 members of FUMC Chicago and friends will return to Dakar, Senegal to work with the local church. You will interact with the people who live in Senegal and learn to see their country from their eyes. Your service will make a meaningful contribution to their lives.
What type of work is planned in this mission journey? VBS Mission with schoolchildren, working with female non-violent prisoners on release planning, training healthcare workers and business training for women.
What are the plans for overnight accommodations and meals? Single occupancy ensuite hotel room for six nights, with additional nights available for $100 per night at the same hotel. All meals from Saturday dinner on January 16th through Friday dinner on January 22 are included.
Who is handling travel arrangements? You will book your own flight and the local church will handle hotel reservations and meals.
Who is the local host organization? We will be guests of the United Methodist Church in Senegal (L'Église Méthodiste Unie au Sénégal or EMUS). This is a well established program started in the late 1990s by Dr. Carol Meynen from Wilmette UMC.
What size of group you are planning or hoping for? We can accommodate around ten people, past groups ranged from six to twelve people.
What other United Methodist Churches from the U.S. are participating? None, but we are open to travel with anyone called to go to mission to make disciples and transform lives in Senegal.
Are team members bringing their own tools and supplies? We will have an Amazon wish list for medical supplies like blood pressure cuffs and encourage team members to send it to their friends and family for donations. Items on the wish list range from $3 to $50 so are appropriate for all budgets.
Are there specific skills that are requested? Anyone with healthcare or CPR training experience, if you're CPR certified, a CNA, nurse or doctor – please join us!
What else should we know about? We are hosting live Zoom information sessions in April and May to help you learn more about the project. In the fall, people committed to going will attend monthly calls with the team and people from the church in Dakar for detailed planning.
Cost: $1,800 plus airfare covering 90% all inclusive (accommodations, ground transportation, translators, one day at Goree Island (including lunch and tour)). Pre-trip costs (vaccines, travel insurance, incidentals, snacks etc.) are in addition to the trip cost.
Deadline: Please join one of our information sessions to learn more in April or May, the deadline for committing to the project is September 1, 2026 and a $500 deposit is due on that date. The remaining $1,300 is due on or by November 1, 2026. We regret refunds are not available after October 1st if your plans change.
Contact: Deborah Hill
WISCONSIN
July 13-18, 2026
This year’s Ohio Episcopal Area Climate Justice Mission Journey will travel to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area to assist in clean-up and rebuilding of homes that were flooded last summer. Housing is provided by a local church.
Cost: $200 (estimate).
Please indicate your interest in the mission journey by filling out the Interest Form. You will be contacted with the formal application process at a later date.
For more information: contact Mariellyn Grace