All missionaries share one thing in common — a love of God. Beyond that, they come from all kinds of backgrounds and serve in many different ways. Some missionaries commit a lifetime to a particular cause, while others dedicate days, weeks, months or years to service. Any missionary can make a difference by bringing people closer to God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In this chapter, we’ll take a closer look at the various types of work missionaries do. If you’d like to learn more about the missionary work we do at Catholic World Mission, please visit our about page or contact us for more information. We’d be happy to share details about our ongoing projects and how you can help support them.

The Different Types of Missionaries

Missionaries assist with many different types of work and projects in communities around the world. All missionaries can fit into one of two basic categories:

1. Short-term missionaries work on a single project and leave after they’ve completed their term.
2. Long-term missionaries remain in the community they serve for years.

Another way to categorize missionaries is where they serve — some serve domestically while others go on global missions.

Anyone who is a missionary, including those who serve short-term, makes a difference to the people they serve. In addition, both domestic and global missionaries uplift communities while spreading the Gospel. All types of missionaries are important.

Characteristics of a Missionary

It takes a special type of person to commit time and energy to missionary work. Missionary work is often challenging and taxing — it requires a particular will and temperament to handle this type of work, whether a missionary serves for one week or several years. The following characteristics make someone an excellent candidate for missionary work:

• Adaptable: Missionaries must adapt to the living conditions and cultural expectations of the communities they serve. They often must learn to communicate with those who have languages and customs completely different from their own. For that reason, adaptability is vital.
• Flexible: In the same vein, missionaries must be flexible, willing to take on tasks as needed and adjust to circumstances while maintaining a positive attitude.
• Faithful: A missionary must have unwavering faith in the Lord and Jesus to achieve their objectives. Their faith should flood through them and impact those they serve.
• Courageous: Courage is also essential for a missionary, who may have to confront unfamiliar and even dangerous situations, often far from their own communities of support. They must trust in the Lord and allow Him to give them courage.
• Humble: A missionary must also maintain an attitude of humility, realizing their successes are not their own but God’s.
• Resilient: Resiliency is also crucial. Missionaries often face trials and obstacles, but they have to be willing and able to push on, regardless.
• Emotionally stable: It takes great emotional strength to serve as a missionary. Those who do so have to be able to handle separation from loved ones, among other hardships.
• Zealous: A zealous person shows a strong, energetic desire to accomplish something — missionaries must contain the Christian zeal for conversion and spreading God’s love.
• Compassionate: Missionaries are also compassionate, displaying a genuine concern for the sufferings of others. They often serve people who are underprivileged and impoverished, so compassion is a driving force for their work.
• Empathetic: Missionaries should be able to imagine themselves in the position of the people they serve. Empathy requires humility, and it helps missionaries see from others’ perspectives.
• Mature: Working as a missionary requires maturity. Missionaries should have a keen awareness of their environment and understand when and how to act or speak.
• Steadfast: A missionary must be steadfast in their faith, honoring and unwavering commitment to Jesus.
• Devoted: Last but not least, a missionary should be devoted to the Great Commission, showing their love for and loyalty to God.

Types of Religious Missions

Various types of missionaries take on different kinds of projects depending on their experiences and abilities. Some common types of missionary work include:

• Education: Many missionaries provide a Catholic-based education to those they serve. Along with teaching people about the word of God, they might also teach literacy, mathematics and other academic subjects.
• Social justice: Some missionaries work to promote social justice, championing human rights for those they serve. Social justice encompasses issues of wealth distribution and access to opportunities and privileges.
• Evangelism: Of course, Catholic missionaries serve to spread the Gospel throughout the world. They often evangelize along with serving in other ways.
• Business: Missionaries may help promote business opportunities in economically disadvantaged communities, offering support to small businesses and helping them gain footing.
• Community development: Community development is about promoting sustainable growth, human rights, economic opportunities and social justice in new or struggling communities. Missionaries might work to empower individuals to create change within their communities.
• Health care: Some missionaries provide healthcare services or medical care to the communities they serve. Often, a missionary will provide aid by using their existing education and skills, such as medical training.
• Agriculture: Communities may need assistance establishing and operating agricultural processes. A missionary might work to develop or upkeep sustainable agriculture.
• Construction: Many of the communities that missionaries serve lack adequate structures for housing, schools or hospitals. Some missionaries work to design and construct such buildings to make communities safer and more functional.
• Outreach: Missionaries may provide various services while spreading the Gospel. Outreach is all about meeting people in need wherever they are. It’s not stationary but mobile.
• Homelessness: Whether through construction projects or outreach initiatives, a missionary might help provide homes to those without. Homelessness is a worldwide concern and one of the most important to address.
• Food pantry work: Missionaries also work to fight hunger worldwide, engaging in food pantry work. If possible, please change the text in the image below to say His word (capitalized H)

Missionary Work Examples

Missionaries work wherever they can put their God-given talents to use. They take on various assignments based on their abilities and the most prominent needs of those they serve. Two missionaries serving at the same time are likely to have different experiences and make impacts in different ways. You’ll find a wide range of ongoing projects through the Catholic World Mission, each of which helps communities however they require. Examples of our missionary projects include:

• Helping an orphanage in Ghana produce sachet water.
• Providing basic necessities to those hit hard by the global health crisis.
• Partnering with a local church to feed low-income families in Mexico.

As you can see, missionaries do whatever must be done to elevate the standards of living in the communities they serve. They might help people gain reliable access to clean drinking water or fulfill basic human needs following a large-scale disaster. They might work to prevent hunger or homelessness. All missionaries work to make life better for those they serve while embodying God’s love and spreading his word.

What Is the Purpose of a Short-Term Mission Trip?

Some mission trips are short-term, lasting only a matter of weeks. A short-term mission trip still makes an impact on fulfilling the Great Commission. Often, missionaries who can only serve short-term will support ongoing projects, playing a vital role in their success.

In many cases, a Christian might take on a short-term trip to see if long-term service would be right for them. A single-project mission gives them a chance to see what service might be like and determine whether they could handle it. Not all missionaries have the means or temperament required to engage in long-term service projects. Still, a short-term missionary can accomplish a lot — they can bring others to faith and strengthen their personal relationship with the Lord.

How Long Is a Mission Trip?

The length of a mission trip depends on the organization and the objectives of the project. In general, a short-term mission lasts a few weeks or months. Long-term mission trips usually last more than a year. In some cases, a mission trip lasts a lifetime. Many missionaries in history and present-day have committed decades to missionary service.

What Are the Different Types of Ministries?

The term “ministry” can encompass a great deal. In essence, ministry is an outlet to serve your church and community. The different types of ministry include the following:

• Children ministry
• Adult ministry
• Bereavement ministry
• Counseling ministry
• Outreach ministry
• Hospital ministry
• Music ministry
• Campus ministry

What Does Campus Ministry Mean?

Ministry can take place on school campuses, as well. A campus ministry is a community of college students that focuses on service, worship, leadership development and building relationships. Campus ministries may connect students to missionary work opportunities. Participating in a campus ministry can help to strengthen an adult’s spiritual life and understanding of the Catholic faith.

Learn More About Different Types of Missionaries

There are many different types of missionaries. Some people complete short-term projects, while others engage in service for years at a time, even a lifetime. Along with their Evangelical work, missionaries might help communities using their God-given gifts and talents. For example, missionaries can teach, build structures, provide business support or offer medical care. One thing all missionaries have in common is a deep, devoted and zealous love for God.

If you’d like to learn more about the different types of missionaries and their wide variety of ongoing projects, reach out to Catholic World Mission. We’d be happy to discuss our past and present projects and provide ways you can make a difference.