Latest News
July/Aug. response: Responsively Yours
Ensure a Bright Future
by Sally Vonner
Happy Summer! What a wonderful time to pause, refresh, and reflect. We are six months into 2024. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a pause, vacation, and time to celebrate all that has been accomplished and adapt as needed to ensure there is more to celebrate at the end of the year.
General Secretary and CEO
United Women in Faith
We can celebrate that the Southeastern, Northeastern, Western, and North Central Jurisdictions have completed their quadrennial meetings and elected their board of director representatives and alternates. The South Central Jurisdiction meets in June.
Several of my staff colleagues and I have attended each meeting and experienced dynamic worship, preaching, fellowship, workshops, exhibits, and more.
United Women in Faith can also celebrate our strong presence as leaders and presenters at General Conference. The next response issue will share more about the General Conference.
More importantly, we celebrate all the ways you uplifted the mission of United Women in Faith through your spiritual growth and/or Soul Care retreats, Day of Giving celebrations, book reviews, volunteering, supporting National Mission Institutions, participating in webinars and podcasts, and preparing to host Mission u events. Thank you for putting your love into action.
You have heard me say for months that United Women in Faith has a bright future. It is true. Do you know why? Because we are doing it together. We are continuing to vision and plan for growth. In January, the national office hosted an officer’s briefing for conference leaders. I asked the conference and district officers attending to try one new thing to increase their United Women in Faith membership and mission giving. At the program advisory group meeting in March and the board of directors meeting in April, I asked each of them to follow up with their conference leadership team to encourage, inspire, and influence them to fulfill this request.
As you read this article, I am asking you, as a local unit member/leader, virtual unit member, national online member, friend, or supporter, to do likewise. We must all be attentive to increasing our membership, our revenue, and fulfilling our $60 million Legacy Endowment Fund goal. By working together, we can achieve our vision and assure our bright future.
Need ideas to get started?
For increased membership: Consult with your district or conference coordinator for membership, nurture, and outreach and/or encourage interested women to click Join on our website at uwfaith.org.
For increased revenue: Host a Move 4 Mission fundraiser (see uwfaith.org/move4mission/) or any fundraiser of your choice before the end of this year. Ask family/friends to make an online donation in your honor instead of Christmas gifts. For 2025, increase your pledge or at least keep it the same as for 2024.
For The Legacy Endowment Fund goal: Become a Legacy Builder (donating $18.69 or more/month), become a Friend of Legacy (making or pledging $5,000 or more), or become an 1869 Society member (making a planned gift to United Women in Faith), or do all three.
Let us grow stronger together, for the next six months, ending 2024 with much more to celebrate. May it be so!
SALLY VONNER
General Secretary and CEO
United Women in Faith
