More Volunteers Step into God’s Mission
Resonate Global Mission is celebrating an encouraging increase in the number of volunteers serving in various mission fields.
In addition to supporting long-term
missionaries, the CRCNA’s mission agency also sends individuals and groups on short-term trips ranging
from one week to one year. Leaders from Resonate’s Volunteer Ministries team shared that they saw an expected post-pandemic resurgence in volunteer placements in Fiscal Year 2023-24 (beginning July 1). They expected volunteer numbers to level off since that time—but they haven’t. Interest in volunteering with Resonate seems to keep growing.
Volunteer placements increased from 256 during FY 2023-24 to 299 throughout FY 2024-25. And in 2025-26, the team wrapped up the year working with 325 placements around the world.
Reasons for the increase, say team members, are that many people are looking for meaningful ways to serve, build relationships across cultures, and participate in God's work around the world—all of which are important for the denomination’s global-mission ministry.
“God gives gifts to his people for his church,” said Gillian Bruce, program manager for Resonate’s Volunteer Ministries. “We see that in a local church. We see that in a denomination, like when churches work together in classes. Volunteers are participating in that on a global scale—meeting and serving with Christians in different cultural contexts. That’s part of sharing our gifts—not just North Americans sharing their gifts, but also people in Nicaragua, for example, sharing their gifts with people who visit them from North America.”
Witness Trips in particular have been growing in popularity over the past couple of years. Rather than focusing solely on service projects, these trips provide opportunities for churches and ministries to send groups of volunteers for the purpose of learning from local believers while participating in and experiencing ministries and cultures in other contexts.
Additionally, Resonate’s Cohort ministry has been drawing in a steady stream of young adults. The year-long service opportunity is exclusively for young adults to live in community, engage in deep spiritual formation, and gain hands-on mission experience in a grassroots ministry.
Several other opportunities have also been popular, including that of serving alongside Resonate missionary Hannah van der Kamp at a refugee camp in Greece.
The Volunteer Ministries team notes that short-term mission trips provide excellent opportunities for believers to use their gifts, skills, and experience in the world. These trips also provide opportunities for individuals to gain new skills, grow in their relationship with God, learn more about mission, and explore a possible long-term call to mission. Many Resonate missionaries first gained experience through a short-term mission placement.
“Volunteers are eager to learn, eager to explore something new, and eager to have God speak to them in new and exciting ways, so they are very open to what God has in store for them. That just makes them really fun to work with, and it’s exciting to see how God works in them through the start of their experience to the end and beyond,” said Bruce.
Resonate offers a variety of short-term mission opportunities around the world for believers who want to step into God's bigger story of redemption and renewal. Bruce said the Volunteer Ministries team also works personally with individuals and groups to find the right opportunity for them—even if it isn't listed on the website. “We work with people all the time to find the right fit,” she said. “If you’re wondering how you can use your gifts, please contact us! We’re happy to have that conversation.”
Interested in going on a mission trip? Contact the Resonate Volunteer Ministries team at [email protected] to explore opportunities that match your gifts and interests.
