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.
February Meeting
Tuesday, February 3 | 10 AM | Wesley Hall
Our 2026 kickoff Program Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 3 will once again feature Dr. Elizabeth McInvale who will expand on her impressive presentation from our September meeting. Dr. McIngvale is the director of the OCD Institute of Texas, co-founder of MHNTI and adjunct faculty at Baylor College of Medicine.
Helpful links
United Women in Faith Grants
Our grant application is now open! Please contact uwfgrantsmdumc@gmail.com with any questions.
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 who meet the third Tuesday of the month, with the exception of July, August, and October. Visitors and new members of UWF 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.
In addition, three times a year, members bring books to share among the group and those not shared are sold to raise money to help support Hearts and Hands, specifically two book totes with Blue Willow gift cards, and desserts for the Vendor Dinner.
The book for February is The Isle of Sea Women by Lisa See. It is the story of two young women from the island of Jeju in Korea who begin working in the sea with their village's all-female diving collective. From the 1930's to the era of cell phones and wet suits for women divers, the two girls develop the closest of bonds. But after hundreds of dives and years of friendship, forces outside their control will push their relationship to the breaking point. The book is described as a compelling and heartstrings- tugging story of friendship spanning generations, with a plot twist that unfolds at the end of the book.
Contact Peggy Stilwell or Cindy Hand 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.