logo-VM-H-color-2x
Donate

Saint John Society

Volunteer Missionary
Program

Deeper in Christ. Deeper in Mission.
Transforming lives.

Become a missionary
1st year
2nd year
Textura papel roto - arriba

“Go and make disciples of all nations”
Matthew 28:19

This program is for young adults who freely commit a year of their lives
to serve the Lord go out to meet people where they are.

Don't miss this opportunity to serve the Lord and transform lives:

apply to the program
Textura papel roto - abajo
The most urgent need - título móvil

We look at the present time with hope.

The Lord has a vision for humanity and we want to be a part of it. The difficulties that we observe in our world today which lead us to feel like strangers in our own culture cannot be simply reduced to policy changes, moral disagreements, or different approaches. We are experiencing as Christians a clash of worldviews. The disconnect is essential and foundational. The most urgent need is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ anew to our neighbors.

Those around us deserve the chance to come to know Christ by the power
of the Holy Spirit.

Our Popes have stressed this urgency

Pope John Paul II

Vatican City, 20 October 1984.

Pope Benedict XVI

Vatican City, November 13, 2006.

Pope Francis

18 July 2013, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Pope Leo XIV

Vatican City, Pentecost 2025.

Pope John Paul II

Vatican City, 20 October 1984.

Pope Benedict XVI

Vatican City, November 13, 2006.

Pope Francis

18 July 2013, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Pope Leo XIV

Vatican City, Pentecost 2025.

To respond to this urgent need, we invite you to be a part of this great mission as a SJS Volunteer Missionary.

Become a missionary
Heart of the vision - título móvil

Following the spirituality of Luke 10, we believe in the mission of the seventy-two.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s missionary, on coming among us chose some men and women to collaborate with Him and His 12 apostles in the great mission of evangelization of the whole world.

Our mission includes high schoolers, college students, young adults, and also those who are the most vulnerable in our cities.

Know more about us
Can I Pray for You - Mission of SJS
Easter High - Come and See - The Ark

These volunteer missionaries are sent in obedience to the Lord’s commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19).

Where can I volunteer - título

The missionary year is currently available in:

Corvallis

Oregon

Portland

Oregon

Washington

DC

Stirling

Scotland

apply now

The Saint John Society Volunteer Missionary Program is first and foremost a program of missionary formation, and secondly a missionary program.

Formation is provided so that disciples would become disciple makers.

4 pillars of Volunteer Missionary formation

Spiritual

Prayer is the soul of the apostolate. We honor every person by helping them to fulfill their call to holiness. Our first commitment is to teach these apostles how to develop an interior life, and a progressive relationship with Jesus as Master, Friend, and Lord. The spiritual training and workshops on prayer help to develop a consistent prayer life. This is accompanied by weekly and monthly personal retreats and the guidance of a spiritual director. Consequently, the SJS VMs are able to irradiate Christ when they speak, when they are silent, when they explicitly share the Gospel, or in their leisure moments. VMs begin to say with St. Paul: “yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20)

Intellectual

Today more than ever, we need to engage in an “intelligent evangelization”. The SJS Volunteer Missionaries receive intellectual formation in the areas that pertain particularly to their apostolate – the mission entrusted to them. Our missionaries get a Certificate in New Evangelization by the St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry. The certificate includes courses on fundamental theology, history of the Church, Christology, and Sacred Scriptures. Through participation in these courses, SJS VMs can articulate their faith in a clearer and more dynamic way.

Human

As Jesus called a community of disciples and invested in them, this program also strives to form men and women in human virtue so that they may be able to develop their full potential in Christ. Training in virtue is offered throughout the year. Intentional community life and strategic leadership formation are some of the other ways in which the Great Master continues to shape hearts of service.

Apostolic

Jesus invited His disciples at first to come alongside Him and watch. It is at the feet of the Master that we learn how to continue His mission of evangelization. At the beginning of the year, all the necessary materials and training are provided. However, we believe that the most important training happens on site, and by reflecting on our work afterwards. The Holy Spirit wants to guide those who respond to the apostolic zeal in their hearts, and desire to follow His guidance. We embrace the vision of each center of evangelization as a team in its planning, execution, and evaluation. In this way we complement each other with the different talents and charisms the Lord has given to the team.

45

We envision a selfless group of missionaries to whom the Lord can speak His blessing anew:

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and
kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear,
but did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23-24)

FAQ

How long do you serve?

SJS Volunteer Missionaries commit to 10 months of service throughout the academic year. We also provide 3 weeks of robust training over the summer in all dimensions of the missionary lifestyle: spiritual, intellectual, human, and apostolic.

What is fundraising like?

Each Volunteer Missionary is responsible for fundraising all of their expenses for the year. However, you are not on your own. After you are accepted into the program, you receive training on how to fundraise and are guided through the process by a fundraising coach.
The baseline fundraising total for each missionary is $10,000. We help you determine if you personally need to raise more for other expenses such as travel, monthly payments (i.e. student loans).

Where do you live?

Men and women live in separate homes and form intentional Christian communities. These communities are a major part of the SJS VM year and the formation of human virtue. With the support of a House Mom or Dad, the missionaries grow in friendship and teamwork through group prayer, managing a household and budget, and intentional community events.

What do you do?

The first priority of a SJS VM is to their own holiness, secondly to the evangelization of peoples. These evangelizing efforts take many different forms according to each mission field:

  • SSJ VM PDX, Oregon – Primary Track: Homeless Ministry / SecondaryTrack: PSU College Campus Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, and High School ministry through the Cenaculo Program
  • SSJ VM CORVALLIS, Oregon - Primary Track: OSU College Campus Ministry / Secondary Track: High School ministry through the Cenaculo Program
  • SSJ VM WASHINGTON, DC - Primary Track: AU College Campus Ministry / Secondary Track: High School ministry through the Cenaculo Program
  • SSJ VM STIRLING, Scotland - College Campus Ministry at University of Stirling
Textura papel roto azul - arriba