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“We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us -- and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.  How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?  Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” (1 John 3:16-18)

United Methodist Volunteers in Mission is a grassroots movement of United Methodists who seek to put their “Christian Love in Action.”  Since the 1970s, UMVIM has offered a framework through which disciples can engage in short-term mission locally, nationally, and globally.  Our volunteers are lay and clergy, young and old, with differing abilities and vocations, from all walks of life. Tens of thousands of United Methodists engage in short-term mission each year in ministries as varied as disaster response, community development, pastor training, microenterprise, agriculture, Vacation Bible School, building repair and construction, and medical/dental services.  There is a place for everyone to serve.

We emphasize matching persons with opportunities because we believe that God calls all Christians “to bring good news to the oppressed [and] to bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1) and to love their neighbors as themselves.  We believe that the neighbors we are called to love exist both next door and halfway around the world. No matter who you are, God is calling you to step into the journey of mission. But be forewarned, once you take the first step, there is no telling where the Spirit may take you!

  • Leading Practices of UMVIM Teams

  1. Pay Attention to Spiritual Formation At Every Stage of the Journey

  2. Commitment to Intercultural Competency

  3. Have a Trained Team Leader

  4. Serve with an UMVIM Project

  5. Comply with Safe Sanctuaries

  6. Insurance Coverage

  7. Register Your Team


  • Core Values

  1. It’s God’s Mission, Not Ours

  2. Radical Discipleship

  3. Partnership

  4. People Over Projects

  5. Growing in Intercultural Competence

  6. Self-Awareness

  7. Do No Harm.  Do Good. Stay in Love With God.

For those who need a more comprehensive view of the United Methodist Church in the USA, click here for a graphic produced by UMC Resources.