Blog
New Year’s Day 2026
Out of Our Comfort Zone, Into God’s Kin-dom
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Matthew 25:31-46
by Jana Jones
“Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’”
—Matthew 25:34-36 (NSRVUE)
In the summer of 2010, my daughter Kate and I joined a UMC Volunteers in Mission team called Operation Classroom to work in Kabala, Sierra Leone, West Africa. This was definitely out of my comfort zone, traveling to work in a country that was one of the poorest in the world. Part of the trip was meant to help prepare and celebrate the opening of a new health clinic, NarSarah, which was the result of many years of prayers and work of The United Methodist Church and community partners. Following the opening ceremonies, the women of the village prepared a great feast for the guests. My daughter and I picked up our food and went to find a shady spot to sit and eat. As we did so, we realized we had an audience of children quietly watching us eat. My daughter, after taking only a few bites, then gave her plate to the children, and I shortly followed suit. As we watched them enjoy what appeared to be a much-needed meal, I recalled today’s Scripture, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.” I can only think, remembering those beautiful young faces, that Christ was in that group of children. Emmanuel: God with us.
While this is just a glimpse of my individual experience, it is part of a much larger and robust story—a story of partners working together to make this clinic a reality. We see this story play out when, through our Mission Giving, local and global partners work to empower and to serve their communities.
As we prepare for the year ahead, I think of the work of the mission partners that United Women in Faith supports, both in the United States and around the world. Our Mission Giving supports the work of God’s kin-dom. United Women in Faith Regional Missionaries work with women around the world to help them gain economic stability. Our National Mission Institutions and partners help feed the hungry, welcome the stranger and the outcast, and provide clothes, resources, and love to those who are struggling to make it. I ponder the sad truth that we are currently in a political climate that has cut funds to those programs it feels are unworthy or unnecessary, and how our support for our mission partners is critical now more than ever.
We support these institutions with our Mission Giving, not because we expect to be repaid, or even thanked by the recipients, but because this is what it means to follow Christ. We may never see their faces or the outcome of our efforts. But I know that Emmanuel is among those we have helped, the least of these.
Prayer
God of hope, may we go forth into the new year, confident in the faith that You love all the world, that none are unworthy, and that you are among us. Grant us hope, peace, joy, and love. Fill our hearts with the knowledge that our efforts, even when they seem minor in our eyes, make a difference to others when love is at the foundation of our actions. Be with us, guiding our steps, that your will be done. Amen
Jana Jones currently serves as the National President of United Women in Faith.
