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The United Thank Offering is a ministry of the Episcopal Church that provides a way for men, women, and children to give thanks daily to God. For over 100 years, Episcopalians have been dropping coins in "blue boxes" in thanksgiving for the blessings in their lives. These coins are gathered on special ingathering Sundays, and every cent received is given away in grants. These grants have built churches, made needed renovations, fed the hungry, clothed the poor, provided shelter for the homeless and provided care and support for those with physical, mental and emotional problems. In 2005, $2,710,247.22 was contributed through parish and diocesan ingatherings across the Episcopal Church. Of that amount, 53.8 percent went to U.S. dioceses, and 46.2 percent went to overseas dioceses, provinces and regional grants. UTO was established in 1889 as the United Offering by the Women's Auxiliary to the Board of Missions and was used primarily to support the work of women missionaries and expansion of the church. That emphasis has broadened to include all areas of the church's work. The mission of UTO is to expand the circle of thankful people. If you do not have UTO ingatherings in your parish, it is easy to get a program started. Here are some guidelines for a parish UTO coordinator:
For more information about the United Thank Offering at the national level, click here. |
