Motivations of Volunteers Undertaking Work at Mission Stations
Abstrakt
Objective of the study: The article aimed to conduct a qualitative analysis of motivation and show its structure among women who participated in foreign missionary volunteering. Method: Qualitative research was conducted among women who are believers and practice their faith. Ten women, aged 23 to 37, participated in the study. All were born and live in Poland. All participated in missionary volunteering abroad. The research tool was a narrative interview script based on McAdams’s approach. This method focuses on personal narratives, i.e., how people tell their life stories, make sense of their experiences, and interpret them. Results: Qualitative analysis of narrative interviews revealed that the motivations of women volunteering for missionary work were complex, multidimensional, and dynamically structured within their life stories. No single dominant motive was identified. The most central dimension was spiritual and religious motivation, expressed in a sense of calling and response to God’s presence. Participants described their decision as the result of a long-term process of spiritual discernment, rooted in personal faith, prayer, and religious formation. A second key dimension was altruistic motivation, specifically the desire to help others, share, and build meaningful relationships. Developmental and travel-related motivations also emerged, although they played a complementary rather than primary role. These included the desire to gain new experiences, develop professional and interpersonal skills, learn languages, and experience different cultures. However, participants clearly distinguished their involvement from „volunteering,” emphasizing service over personal gain. The results also indicate that prior life experiences, such as involvement in religious communities and previous volunteering, significantly influenced their decision to engage in missionary work. Participating in missionary volunteering contributed to deeper personal growth, increased self-awareness, strengthened interpersonal skills, and deepened spirituality. Upon return, participants reported both positive transformations (greater appreciation of life, redefinition of values) and challenges (difficulty adapting, feeling misunderstood, and reverse culture shock). Conclusion: An analysis of the volunteering landscape indicates the need for a comprehensive approach to preparing missionary volunteers. Training should combine spiritual elements with psychoeducation and intercultural training. Equally important is post-return support, which includes mentoring, support groups, and supervision, as well as activities that help translate missionary experiences into daily life. Based on this analysis, we can propose an original concept for an integrated model of missionary motivation, in which the religious-spiritual, altruistic, developmental, and cognitive dimensions form a coherent whole.
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