Missionary Training

At United World Mission we believe a successful volunteer is informed by many experiences, formal, non-formal and experiential. We also believe that education takes place over a lifetime. At one university the dean challenged the parents of incoming freshmen university students regarding their views of higher education. He said, “today’s young people will have five careers during their lifetime. . . out of these five three have not been invented yet. So don’t get frustrated if your student doesn’t know what they want to do right away. They will go back to school many times in their lifetime. Education must become a value we embrace over a lifetime.” At UWM we agree with this philosophy of vocation and education. It is a continuing effort.

At UWM missionary training occurs in many ways and stages: before you go to the field, initially when you land on the field and through continued professional and personal development as you serve. Training isn’t a ‘check the block’ activity. It is an investment in people, God’s people, doing His work.

Pre-field training takes place at the Center for Intercultural Training, a training center that UWM started to ensure missionaries are prepared for the rigors of cross cultural work in the late 1980s. Soon other groups learned of it and sent their people too. Today it is one of the top cross-cultural training schools in the country. All UWM missionaries attend pre-field training at CIT.

After you begin your cross-cultural work you will participate in a monthly web based training program designed to help you adapt to your new surroundings. This is where the rubber meets the road. Your coach will walk with you through these discoveries and adjustments.

The last component of training is informal and occurs throughout a missionaries career. Teams work together, meeting regularly, sharpening one another and holding each other accountable both personally and professionally. You will even have the opportunity to interact with UWM missionaries across continents (at our regional conferences) cross-pollinating ideas, experiences, resources and lessons learned.

We are committed to investing in the lives of those who choose to serve with us. This commitment will help you be more prepared, and effective for the long haul. Training will give you a common experience with your teammates and other UWM workers around the world. This is why we love what we do, because we do it together!