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.
October 1 - Special Mission Recognition and Hearts & Hands Holiday Market preparation
November 5 - Tips from the Better Business Bureau on how to avoid holiday scams
December 3 - Christmas Celebration and Installation of New Officers
Helpful links
Hearts & hands Holiday Market 2024
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.
Hearts & Hands grant information
2024 Grant applications are now closed. 2025 Grant Applications will be available January 1 – March 15, 2025.
2024 Grant Recipients
In 2023 we raised enough money at Hearts & Hands to give $60,000 in grants to organizations around Houston! These are the organizations that received the grants:
Bayou City Blessings in a Backpack
East Spring Branch Food Pantry
FamilyPoint Resources
Nabor House
Neighbors in Action
Responsive Education Solutions
Wesley Community Center
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.
Recent Donations
The Common Thread group is also making 50 stuffed non-descript dolls for Memorial Hermann to use with pediatric patients. Pillows and lap blankets were given to Parkway Place, and hand-made critters were given for the memory unit at Sugar Land Hospital. We continue to learn of other groups in which to donate items.
Methodist West Hospital has given an additional certificate of appreciation from the Methodist Houston hospitals in recognition of Common Thread.
We invite you to join our group in stuffing, sewing, knitting, or crocheting! Contact Joan Garofalo for more information.
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.
The next meeting will be September 17 and the book will be The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. Donated books from members have been set aside for the two Silent Auction Baskets which the group will donate to our annual Hearts and Hands Holiday Market (October 7-9, 2024), money collected from the sale of books to Half Price Books for the two gift cards from Blue Willow Book Store to go in the two baskets. Additionally, there will be another book exchange and resale in September. Contact Sherry Johnson with any questions.
November 19 The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley
December 17 The Four Winds by Kristen Hannah by Kristen Hannah
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) | 9:30 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.
November 12 – Lynell Kennedy will be there to talk about feeding the unhoused with 7th and 8th graders
December 1- Christmas celebration and luncheon