My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

That biblical passage provides words for members of Bird-In-Hand United Methodist Church's United Women of Faith to live by. By applying actions to them, the small group of believers makes a big impact on the world around them, not the least of which are their faith-based missions.

"Even though we're a small church, we can do big things," said Jo Miller, who's been the church's mission coordinator for the last eight years. "It's not just to better people's lives; it's to give people hope. It's just making sure people know that other people care for them. That's what we're in this world for, to show the love of Jesus Christ."

The United Women of Faith's latest mission project doesn't really have an official or formal name, but it's centered around sewn fabric school bags, educational supplies and providing eager students the tools they need to learn.

"My favorite part is just getting other people involved and passing along the knowledge of how they can help other people," said Miller. "We are so blessed in this country. I want people to know how much good we can do with a simple bag of school supplies."

Miller and fellow United Women of Faith members Marge Denlinger and Audrey Miller have sewn more than 200 drawstring school bags. Each of those bags was filled with four spiral notebooks, eight unsharpened pencils, one metal pencil sharpener, a dozen colored pencils, a single pink eraser, four pens and one 12-inch ruler that also includes metric markings.

Once the cloth bags were packed with the items - all of which were donated by members of the church's congregation or purchased through fundraising efforts - they were delivered to Mennonite Central Committee in Akron, which distributes the supplies to needy children around the globe.

"Not too many of the bags stay in the United States," said Miller. "With the Mennonite Central Committee, we know the Gospel is being spread when the children are receiving these bags. One of these bags might be used by more than one child. To go to school, they need these basic supplies."

Over the last 10 years, the United Women of Faith have made and donated about 3,600 bags filled with school supplies. One year, the group made nearly 400 bags alone.

"I think you have to consider that some of these children are orphans and some of the families are making a couple of dollars a day," said Miller. "How are they going to afford to buy these supplies? We don't ever consider the lives that these people lead. It could come down to food or these school supplies."

In addition to the sewn fabric school bags mission project, the United Women of Faith are also altruistically linked to the East Clay Street Low Barrier Emergency Shelter in the city of Lancaster, Conestoga Valley Christian Community Services, Water Street Mission and the nonprofit Unto in Mount Joy.

"I'm a mission person," said Miller. "I love to do something to help someone else. It doesn't matter your age or what you can do, you can always show the love of Jesus Christ to others."

For additional information, search for "Bird-In-Hand United Methodist Church" on Facebook.