On July 18–19, United Women in Faith sponsored Mission u, a time for women and men to embrace the work of mission and grow deeper together. Some came to partake once again in a rhythm that had guided their summers for decades; others attended for the first time, looking to grow spiritually and witness the work of United Women in Faith beyond their local church setting. They came to do mission, celebrate mission work, and grow in their faith as women.

“This event is about bringing women together for a common purpose,” shared Rhonda Rea, President of United Women in Faith.

The weekend opened with a celebration of a longstanding mission project and opening worship, which featured a virtual sermon on hope from Bishop Moore-Koikoi. It was shared not only with participants physically present on-site but also with those attending virtually, including the online Mission u group led by Deaconess Darlene DiDomineck.

Celebrating a Longstanding Legacy of Mission Work

One of the highlights of the weekend was the celebration of the Congo Partnership—a collaborative mission project between the Eastern PA, Peninsula Delaware, and Western North Carolina conferences, which began under the leadership of Bishop Weaver.

Barbara Drake, Deaconess and Dean of Mission u, shared:

“For me, the best part of the program was the Congo Partnership. It was practically the beginning—at 1 p.m. Susie Keefer and Doris Obenshain came and shared the story of the Congo Partnership.

Susie Keefer has been to the Congo fifteen times in the last fifteen years. She started a nutrition program named after her daughter, Miriam, a Congolese child whom Susie adopted when she was 2. Miriam’s Table feeds 350 children five days a week.”

She hoped that as more people learned about the program, they would be inspired to support this amazing ministry.

In addition to celebrating a global mission partnership, participants also contributed to a local mission project designed to uplift women closer to home. Each person brought sanitary products to support those who struggle to afford them.

As they extended themselves in compassion to others, they also learned about deaconesses—servant leaders who are laywomen called by God to a vocation of love, justice, and service. The deaconesses’ presentations made a deep impression. Charlene Smith of Mother African Zoar UMC shared,

“I had no idea the extent of what deaconesses do. They really are angels on this earth.”

Cultivating Hope as a Daily Practice

It wasn’t just mission that brought the group together; participants were also drawn by the opportunity to learn and grow deeper as they explored ways to practice hope together.

Deaconess Allison Francesco, from the Susquehanna Conference, and Rev. Janice Puliti, pastor of Pocono Lake UMC, each led a small group throughout the weekend. Participants examined what hope meant to them, reconnected with stories of hope in the post-resurrection accounts of Jesus, and engaged in rituals designed to reconnect them with their bodies and the present moment.

In Deaconess Francesco’s group, they considered how to practice hope by identifying and nurturing places of refugia—sanctuaries in their communities and social spaces. Each person wrote their response on a Post-it note and added it to a poster board. The prompt and responses were displayed throughout the weekend, encouraging shared meaning-making.

On Saturday afternoon, women took a virtual nature walk, invited to ground themselves in the present moment through the sounds and sights on screen. Together, they reflected on what they heard during this practice of deep listening.

Deaconess Francesco encouraged the women to make deep listening a regular habit.

“Deep listening also allows us to hear again the things Empire has socialized us to ignore. It forces us to slow down and pay attention to what nature and our surroundings are telling us,” she reflected.

Rev. Puliti’s group focused on building community. They held small-group discussions at their tables and later shared highlights with the larger group.

One moment that stood out for Deaconess Barbara Drake was when each participant was asked to identify a personal passion and what they hoped to accomplish.

“For me, it’s families with children who are homeless,” Deaconess Drake shared. “The program I’ve been involved with was forced to close because we were evicted from the building we’d used as a shelter for many years. My hope is to see if we can begin to host families at local churches, like we did before COVID shut everything down.”

Transformed to Transform

Through table conversations, meaningful discussions, and mission projects, participants were refreshed and renewed—transformed to breathe transformational life into the spaces God would send them.

For Linda Youngstrom, that’s the best thing about Mission u.

“Today it occurred to me that being here and hearing the different speakers diving into the study book, I get to think outside the box.”

Mission u doesn’t just expand her thinking—it inspires her to act. “Mission u has this wonderful way of drilling a hole into the box and making the information more available.”

At Mission u 2025, some came for the fellowship, some to share in mission, others to root themselves deeper in United Women in Faith—but all left edified. With souls renewed and new tools to help them put hope into action, all returned ready to serve joyfully in the work God has laid on their hearts.

If you’re feeling a stirring in your heart to connect more deeply with United Women in Faith, visit their webpage or make a plan to attend the United Women in Faith Annual Celebration on October 18, at First UMC, Palmyra, PA.

Betty Henderson of Mother African Zoar UMC will make sure to save you a seat: “Come and see the extension of the United Women in Faith. You won’t really see it at the local level. You need to branch out.”

Mark your calendar and plan to take root and branch out at the fall gathering on October 18, 2025.