United Thanks Offering

What is the United Thanks Offering (UTO)?

The United Thanks Offering is a Ministry of the Episcopal Church.

Through the United Thanks Offering, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in the United Thanks Offering have discovered that thanksfulness leads to generosity.

A short prayer of thanksgiving leads to an offering in the United Thanks Offering box. All offerings are used to support grants for ministries at home and overseas as an outreach of the Episcopal Church. Prayers and offerings make it possible for the UTO mission to stretch in unexpected ways.

How do I become a part of the United Thanks Offering?

• Offer thanks and prayers as a part of your life in Christ.
• Take the opportunity to put an offering into your United thanks Offering box.
• Bring your offering box, envelope, or check to your local Episcopal Church on Ingathering Day.
• Join your offering with others to support mission projects at home and around the world.

How is the United Thanks Offering received?

From its inception as the United Offering in 1889 until the 1920's, the thank offering was gathered at the GenerAL Convention of the Episcopal Church every three years.

During the 1920's, The United Offering became the United Thanks Offering and the first offering boxes were designed.

Today congregations are encouraged to hold an ingathering twice a year during the spring and fall when people can bring their thank offerings, boxes, envelopes, or checks

How is my offering joined With others?

Your parish forwards the local ingathering offering to its respective Diocesan Coordinator. The Diocean Coordinator records your loca offering and forwards it to the national UTO office in New York.

In New York, the monies are immediately put to work earning interest. They are kept in an interest-bearing account until granted. The interest from the account also is granted.

By combining the offerings, it is possible to fund significant projects that make a real difference in the work of the Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion and a real difference in people's lives.

How does my offering become a part of the mission outreach of the Episcopal Church?

• The UTO Committee makes grant awards in the Spring of each year.
• Applications that address compelling human need and/or expansion of mission and ministry are welcomed.
• Each diocese of the Episcopal Church USA may submit two requests each year. In addition, applications are invited from some of the other Anglican Dioceses and Provinces around the wiorld.
• UTO Committee members research each gtrant in their respective Provinces; They present the grant proposals to the committee as a whole.
• Grants that meet criteria are funded in whole or in part as far as the monies will stretch. Not all grants can be funded, as requests often exceed the money available.

How much of my offering will Go To meeting human needs and expanding mission and ministry?

Each year 100% of the collected offerings is grasnted

UTO Committee expenses are supported entirely through earned income from dedicated trust funds. The National Church supports a staff of two people in the UTO office located in the Episcopal Church Center in New York City.

What kind of things does UTO fund?

• Kitchen equipment for a homeless shelter.
• Playground for child-care center.
• Handicap access in church and service buildings.
• A school in the Dominican Republic.
• Family counseling.
• A dental clinic for the poor.
• Half-way houses.
• After school programs.
• Vans and other vehicles.
• A library for a seminary in Africa.
• A Bishop's house in a new overseas diocese.

How did UTO get started?

1871 -

The Women's Auxilliary to the board of Mission was authorized by the General Convention

1886 -

Julia Emery, secretary to the Women's Auxilliary and Ida Soule, who controlled the missionary offering, inspired women to pray and give coins with the idea of building a new church in Anvik, Alask, as well as supporting Miss Lisa Lowell as a missionary to Japan. The offering reached $2,188.64.

1889 -

The first Missionary offering was collected.

1967 -

The Triennial voted to grant the offering annually rather than every three years.

1970 -

The United Thanks Offering Committee was formed

1982 -

Memorial anfd Gift Trust Fund established.

1989 -

UTO celebrated the Centinial Anniversary and funds available for granting topped three million for thre first time.

2001 -

UTO began the new millenium by granting over $3 million and by offering face-to-face training to diocesaan coordinators.

The mission of the United Thanks Offering is to expand the circle of thanksful people. To achieve this mission we encourage daily prayers, offerings, and awareness of abundance of God's Blessings.

UTO Prayer

Gracious God, source of all creation,
all love, all true joy; accept, we pray,
these outwards signs of the profound and continuing
thankfulness for all of life.
Bless those who will benefit from these
gifts through the outreach of the
United Thanks Offering;
and keep each of us ever thankful for all the
blessings of joy and challenge that come our way;
through Him who is the
greatest gift and blessing of all,
Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Amen

To order UTO materials, please call
1-800-903-5544 or visit us online at
www.episcopalparishservices.org