By Brett Hetherington*

The Urban Mission in Steubenville recently hosted Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, the East Ohio Conference Cabinet, and laity leaders for two days of service projects and team building. The team spent hours moving boxes of food, painting walls inside the men’s shelter, weeding outside the women’s shelter, and sorting and folding clothes at the thrift store to care for the facilities and staff the community depend upon for assistance.

“For me, as the superintendent of South Forest – a district that often feels geographically and relationally distant from the center of Conference life – this mission trip was a powerful reminder that we are not forgotten,” said Rev. Laura White. “I saw firsthand how God’s abundance flows not from proximity, but from presence. This experience renewed my hope that even in places that feel disconnected, the Spirit is weaving us together in ways that matter deeply. It has strengthened my resolve to lead with compassion, to amplify the voices of our churches, and to keep building bridges across the Ohio Episcopal Area.”

Rev. Ed Peterson, executive assistant to the bishop, shared that the trip was especially beneficial for the Cabinet at a relational level.

“Working in mission together at the Urban Mission strengthened the relationships among Cabinet members. As Cabinet members return to doing their regular work, they will return with a renewed sense of trust, collegiality, and collaboration,” he said.

The team’s work assisted the hard-working staff and volunteers of Urban Mission, but White says the Cabinet and laity leaders were perhaps the ones most impacted by the trip.

“Our time serving together at Urban Mission was more than a mission trip – it was a sacred reminder of who we are as the Body of Christ. In the faces of neighbors, volunteers, and staff, we encountered God’s abundance as grace overflowing. This experience renewed our connection to one another and to the communities we serve, reminding us that hope is not just a message we preach – it’s a movement we need to embody. It deepened our hope for what’s possible when we lead from a place of humility, collaboration, and trust in God’s renewing Spirit,” White shared.

The Conference Communications team would like to share other stories that highlight ways that each of us is answering the call to reach out to our communities in creative ways. Please e-mail your ministry story to EOC Executive Director of Communications Rick Wolcott at wolcott@eocumc.com.

*Brett Hetherington is Communications specialist for the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.