Yes! By virtue of Baptism, we have a call to be priest, prophet, and king. Jesus calls us in our daily lives to be missionary disciples – to share His love and the good news with our family, friends, and others we encounter. But, in reading this, you probably want to know about being a missionary with Catholic Mission Trips, Inc.

I get this question a lot from people discerning a summer with us: What are you looking for in a mission leader? I can give you a list of attributes of the ideal candidate, and even if you don’t have all the attributes, read on.

  • mission trip experience
  • youth ministry experience
  • great public speaker
  • strengths in relationship building
  • deep love of our Lord
  • daily Mass goer
  • frequently receives the Sacrament of Reconciliation
  • has a spiritual director
  • willing to give directions and take direction from others

If you check all of these boxes, apply today!!

Let’s say that you do not have all of these qualities. Does that mean that you shouldn’t apply or wouldn’t make a fantastic mission leader? No. God equips those who He calls to do His work.

Mission leaders should be striving to live authentic Catholic lives. That doesn’t mean perfection. We all sin. We all have struggles. Living an authentic Catholic life means mission leaders should have a great love for our Lord and desire to love Him and share His love with others. It means seeking forgiveness – receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly. God is able to use our struggles and where we have been to lead others closer to Him and to bring healing to their lives. With Jesus, the cross is not a symbol of death and defeat, but of victory over the grave!

What if I don’t fit most of these qualities? Can I still be a Mission Leader?

That’s something to take to prayer. As a mission leader, you are responsible for leading mission trips with groups of at least 10 participants each week. Just by being in the position of “Mission Leader”, you are looked up to as a religious figure. “Wow! He’s a Missionary!” Automatically, people are going to think of you as being holier than you probably are. If you do not already have a rich prayer life and solid relationship with Christ or if you have doubts about the faith or are going through a serious struggle, serving as a mission leader could be challenging for you on a spiritual level.

Mission Leaders

  • pray the Liturgy of the Hours as a team – morning, evening, and night prayer
  • go to daily Mass with the group
  • have at least 30 minutes of daily personal prayer
  • witness their faith by example during the day
  • give spiritual reflections in the evenings
  • facilitate small group discussions
  • equip others to be missionary disciples

If this sounds life-giving to you, talk to God about it and apply.