The Need

In the United States, there are over 19 million college students. Every college student is seeking something: happiness, money, fame, a degree, a boyfriend or girlfriend, direction… the list goes on. What most college students don’t know is that someone is seeking them.

Jesus is actively pursuing every single student on your campus. And he is inviting you into his mission field: to be his hands and feet in the world.

He is calling those who have been transformed by the love of God and are willing to share that life-changing, transformative love with others. He is calling you.

Who We Need

Leaders that can mobilize student missionaries, build evangelistic environments, and reach college students with life giving relationships
Disciples of Jesus Christ, who know the Gospel, present it, and call others to respond
Mentors that can form ambassadors for Christ, and create transformative communities
Visionaries that will send college graduates into a life of Christian community, discipleship, and mission

What We Offer

The opportunity to serve the Lord, and advance the Good New of Jesus Christ
The chance to be part of a collaborative, objective-oriented team that plans and executes multi-scale events
Training in communicating vision, as well as large and small public speaking opportunities
Growth in creative thinking and improvisation; and plenty of chances for trial and growth

Application Process

Let us know you’re interested by completing our “Initial Questionnaire.” January 1 is the deadline to register your interest for the coming school year.
UCO Missions will contact your local mission director (if applicable) to confirm your interest. We’ll then send you an application, due back to us no later than January 15.
We will review your completed application, and set up an interview.
By February 15, we will inform you about our decision to accept you as a UCO Missionary.
If we extend an offer, you will have until March 1 to formally accept or reject this offer. Accepting means you understand you will need to do Mission Partner Development (MPD) and that you are willing to serve in the chapter UCO Missions places you.
Location placements will be finalized and announced to all new and returning staff on April 15.

Apply Now

Have concerns about becoming a UCO Missionary?

+ I don't think I can fundraise my salary

When I first felt called to become a UCO Missionary, fundraising was one of the things that was most scary to me. The idea of reaching out to people, especially people I hadn’t spoken to in 5 to 10 years, caused a little bit of anxiety.

I definitely saw Mission Partner Development as a necessary monster I needed to face in order to answer the Lord’s invitation to mission work. But now, I actually think of MPD as being part of that call, and a beautiful part of it.

Also, calling people out of the blue is less weird than it seems; most of the people I contacted were really excited to hear what I was up to and to hear what the Lord was doing in my life and through UCO. In fact, I was blessed with a rekindling of a couple of different friendships from High School and from College as a result of doing MPD!

-Sandy

+ Being a UCO Missionary is going to hurt my career

Deciding to work for UCO was one of the toughest decisions of my life. A big question mark at the time was how this was going to impact my career. I was working at Chrysler, and many of my coworkers asked me, “hey, why are you leaving?” “You are going to something that is uncertain, where you will be getting paid a lot less - what are you thinking?”

They had some good concerns, but as I look back now, I have no regrets on making that decision. In some ways, my time with UCO were some of the best years of my life.

Actually, I am back at Chrysler right now - with much higher pay, and with a much better position. I do not think this is a coincidence. I think it was a blessing From God for responding to his call, but also it had something to do with the skills I learned with UCO. Things like communicating vision, facilitating decision making, engaging with failure, and leading other people - especially people that are not motivated by money. I use these skills in my role today, and these are skills I do not know if I would have gained otherwise.

I am grateful to the Lord for calling me to it and for giving me an opportunity to be a part of UCO!

-Greg

+ I’m just not the UCO staff “type”

When I first considered becoming a UCO Missionary, I really wondered if I was “the staff type”. In college, I studied accounting - mostly for the sake of avoiding talking to people. And here I was considering one of the most people oriented jobs that there is. But what I have found is that our mission requires a whole set of gifts and abilities.

My contribution looks a bit different from other missionaries. I spend a lot of time writing up reports and looking at spreadsheets, but I love that the work I do enables other missionaries to go out all over our campuses and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I believe that the Lord calls the whole person and that he calls us as we are. And if we are asking you to become a UCO Missionary, it's because we are interested in you, as you are!

-Clara