United Women in Faith
United Women in Faith is part of the Women’s Ministry of MDUMC. UWF is a supportive fellowship of women working and serving to create a world in which all women and children will thrive. Our mission is to empower women, care for children and the neglected, educate and equip youth, advocate for social justice issues, create economic opportunities and strengthen our neighborhoods. We raise money to support women’s and children’s ministries.
MDUWF has four small groups that meet weekly or monthly. They are Common Thread, Mission Stitchers, our new UWF Community Group, and The Betty Landrum Reading Group. All the groups meet together once a month for the UWF Program Meetings. Our Program Meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month. We start at 10 AM with a brunch.
UWF General meetings
Our meetings are the first Tuesday of the month in Wesley Hall and all are welcome to join! Join us at 10 AM for coffee and the meetings start at 10:30.
September Meeting
Tuesday, September 2 | 10 AM | Wesley Hall
Our guest speaker will be Dr. Elizabeth McIngvale. Dr. McIngvale is the director of the OCD Institute of Texas and adjunct faculty at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. McIngvale will be sharing her work, research and advocacy with the goal of improving access to care and treatment for those living with OCD.
Helpful links
Hearts & hands Holiday Market 2025
SAVE THE DATE!
Monday, October 20-Wednesday, October 22
Hearts & Hands is our annual market that raises money to provide grants for organizations that benefit women, children, and youth. For more information, visit our Hearts & Hands page.
United Women in Faith Grants
2026 Grant Applications will be available January 1 – February 27, 2025.
2025 Grant Recipients at our May meeting where we presented the grants.
2025 Grant Recipients
In 2024 we raised enough money at Hearts & Hands to give $75,000 in grants to organizations around Houston! These are the organizations that received the grants and what they will use the money to do:
Angela House
Funding for health exams, mental health support, dental care and health and wellness classes for women, particularly those transitioning from incarceration.
The Children's Assessment Center Foundation
To purchase self-care packages for abused children including toys, journals, markers and other items to help with coping skills.
East Spring Branch Food Pantry
To procure fresh produce and meat for pantry clients.
FAM Houston
To purchase 40 Chromebooks for a STEM program for students in sixth to twelfth grades.
House of Amos
Funding for clients to obtain food and financial assistance with rent and utilities.
The Lellow Foundation
Funding for a "Schools Program" that supports economically disadvantaged children with special needs.
Neighbors in Action
To fund key expenses for its Children's After School programs, which support families in Port Houston and surrounding communities.
RaiseUp Families
To fund transitional transportation and summer youth programs, and purchase furniture for families.
Wesley Community Center
To help fund an After School and Summer Youth Program.
The Women's Home
To purchase two refrigerator/freezer combinations for their WholeLife Food Assistance Program.
UWF Groups
Common Thread
Mondays | 2-4 PM | Adult Ministry Center (West Campus)
The Common Thread is a group of women who come together for creative fellowship and share the common goal of mission work through sewing and knitting items that provide comfort to individuals in our local and global community.
Members meet weekly and create items which are distributed to hospitals and charity organizations across the city of Houston. In 2023 they created and gave over 5,200 hand-made items ranging from ranging from stuffed heart pillows to animal characters.
Recently Joan Garofalo introduced a project which is a large red Christmas stocking that Common Thread will be sewing for Memorial Hermann Hospital in Katy. These are for the December babies who are born there. Last year there were 180 babies born in December at the hospital, so Common Thread will be working furiously to complete these stockings.
We invite you to join our group in stuffing, sewing, knitting, or crocheting! Contact Joan Garofalo for more information.
Common Thread Donations in 2024!
2024 was a very productive year for Common Thread. 5724 handmade, comfort items were given to hospitals and nonprofits in the Houston area. Click the link below to see a detailed list of all that was distributed.
Betty Landrum Reading Group
Third Tuesday (September-May) | 10 AM | Adult Ministries Center (West Campus)
The Betty Landrum Reading Group is a large group of readers that meets on the third Tuesday of each month with the exception of June through August. Visitors and new members are always welcome to enjoy book reviews, lively discussion, fellowship and light refreshments. (Having read the book is not a requirement!). Books for the year are selected by member votes on a broad range including historical fiction to compelling non-fiction.
Our book for May is A Right Worthy Woman by Ruth P. Watson. This book was reviewed as a “remarkable and stirring novel” in the vein of The Personal Librarian and The House of Eve, (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author). It is based on the inspiring true story of Virginia’s Black Wall Street and the indomitable Maggie Lena Walker, the daughter of a formerly enslaved woman who became the first Black woman to establish and preside over a bank in the United States.
Contact Sherry Johnson with any questions.
Mission Stitchers
Thursdays | 10 AM-2 PM | Adult Ministries Center (West Campus)
Our group of ladies work on creative projects which are sold at the annual Hearts and Hands Holiday Market. All money raised goes directly to missions supporting women, children and youth. Projects include cross stitch, needle point, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sewing and quilting and various non-sewing projects. All are welcome for fellowship.
To the left is one of the new items that Mission Stitchers is making -- sashes for your door wreaths will be made with various designs. Come by and order your personal design on Thursdays! Contact Christine Jenkins with any questions.
Friends in Faith Community Group
Second Tuesdays (September-May) | 10 AM | Room D202
This community of women represents a wide range of contemporary and diverse interests with an underlying commitment to faith and missions for women and children. Our programs will vary ranging from current events, light-hearted topical programs, health and wellness, local community concerns, music interests and fine arts. Please contact Lynn Wooley with any questions.