From webinar screens to local food pantries, Disciples across the United States spent September 8–13, 2026, living out a single call: to be the Church in mission together. The first-ever Disciples Mission Week, hosted by Disciples Home Missions (DHM) through the Disciples Mission HUB, brought congregations, regions, and ministry partners into one shared week of learning, serving, and worship.
The week was shaped by the theme “Disciples in Mission: Everyone. Everywhere. Every Need.” and was grounded in Isaiah 58:6–10. In that passage, the prophet describes the kind of faithfulness God desires: loosing the bonds of injustice, sharing bread with the hungry, and welcoming those without shelter. The promise is that “your light shall rise in the darkness” became a refrain for the week.
Learning Together: Education and Awareness Webinars
The week opened with a compelling series of education and awareness webinars, and the response was strong: 187 Disciples registered from 24 regions across the life of the Church. We are grateful to each panelist who provided insight and challenged us to moving forward in this work together. Thank you to the congregations who hosted webinars and for each person who attended.
Each evening focused on a different topic where Disciples congregations are engaged:
- Food Insecurity: Andrea Abel, Executive Director, Farmshare; Rev. Dr. Heber Brown, Executive Director, Black Church Food Security Network; and Edwin Marty, Food Policy Manager, City of Austin Office of Climate Action and Resilience. University Christian Church in Austin, Texas both hosted and sponsored this webinar.
- Healthcare Equity: Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President and CEO, Children’s Defense Fund.
- Housing Insecurity: Rev. Cody Robertson, Senior Minister, with lay leaders Sue Anderson and Michael Whitley, from Heart of the Rockies Christian Church, Fort Collins, Colorado, who also hosted the webinar.
- Disability Equity: Rev. Dr. Topher Endress, Executive Director, Disciples Access; Rev. Dr. Milton Keys, Founder and Executive Director, Advocates Embassy; and Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund, Senior Pastor, First Congregational UCC of Indianapolis. Allisonville Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana hosted the webinar.
Recordings for each topic are available on the Disciples Mission Week Education and Awareness Page.
The webinars set the tone for what followed: mission begins with listening and learning, and it moves us into action!
One Day, One Church: Saturday’s Day of Volunteering and Service
On Saturday, September 12, the week moved from the screen to the community. Congregations across the life of the Church gathered to serve their communities, all on the same day.
The ways they served were as varied as the communities themselves. Churches shared food with their neighbors and built wheelchair ramps. They assembled pet care kits and packed blessing bags for unhoused neighbors. Some adopted a stretch of highway, others cleaned and refreshed their own church grounds, and many found still more ways to meet the needs around them.
DHM partners across the U.S. opened their doors to volunteers as well, including All Peoples Community Center, Christmount, Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries, Society of St. Andrew, Week of Compassion, and the Retreat at Silver Springs.
For many participants, the most meaningful part of the day was knowing they were not serving alone. Disciples across the Church shared how much it meant to be part of something larger, with congregations in every corner of the country sharing God’s love at the same time. As one common sentiment put it: “It felt like we were one!”
Giving Thanks: A Sunday of Worship and Celebration
The week closed on Sunday, September 13, with a day of worship and celebration. Faith leaders from across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada created a free Disciples Mission Week 2026 Worship Guide so congregations of every size could lift up the theme in their own services.
The guide’s cover features Break Forth, a stitched fabric artwork by Rev. Mollie Donihe Wilkerson, reflecting the Isaiah passage. Inside, congregations found a call to worship, a Children Worship Wonder & Welcome story, and a communion meditation inviting worshipers to bring forward something they are ready to offer in service. The guide also included sermon starters, a pre-recorded sermon by DHM President and CEO, Rev. Chris Dorsey, a litany of response, music suggestions, and a benediction.
It encouraged each congregation to create its own “Moment of Celebration,” from sharing a meal with neighbors to hosting a mission fair or building a “wall of hope.” It remains available on the Disciples Mission Week Worship and Celebration Page.
The Mission Continues: Join Disciples Mission HUB
Disciples Mission Week 2026 may be over, but the mission continues – every day! The first-ever week showed what is possible when Disciples learn, serve, and worship together.
The Disciples Mission HUB is where that work continues year-round. Whether your congregation is just beginning to explore mission or is ready to deepen its community partnerships, the HUB offers resources, learning opportunities, and connections to help you serve.
Here is how you can get involved:
- Visit the HUB: disciplesmissionhub.org.
- Connect with a DHM partner or volunteer opportunity. Find volunteer opportunities with ministries serving communities across the U.S. and Canada. You can also post a volunteer opportunity in your congregation or community!
- Share your story and resources. Tell us how your congregation is engaged in your community and share your ministry resources with the life of the Church.
- Start planning for next year. Mark your calendar and invite your congregation to join the next Disciples Mission Week (more information coming soon)!
As Isaiah reminds us, when we pour ourselves out for the hungry and meet the needs of the afflicted, our light rises in the darkness. Let’s keep shining it together!
