United Thank Offering - UTO

The first United Thank Offering was in 1889. It began as part of Missionary efforts of the Women's Auxiliary to the Board of Mission, authorized by General Convention in 1871. Julia Emery, secretary to the Women's Auxiliary, and Ida Soule, who counted the missionary offering of the 1886 Triennial meeting of Women, inspired women to pray and give coins with the idea of building a new church in Anvik, Alaska as well as sending Miss Lisa Lowell as a missionary to Japan. In that year, the offering reached $2,188.64.

These women dreamed of supporting mission work. It is now our time to dream of how we can make a difference with the message of thanksgiving and self-giving, and always with grateful hearts.

What is the United Thank Offering?

The United Thank Offering is still a ministry of the Episcopal Church that provides a way for men, women and children to give daily thanks to God with a sense of gratitude. The discipline begins at home by placing coins in the "Blue Box." Every coin is used to support grants for mission and ministry.

Every year, the total offering is between two and a half and three million dollars all of which is used for projects at home and abroad. In 2001, UTO awarded close to $3.2 million in grants. The challenge is that grant requests total between five to seven million dollars! Many deserving and important ministries cannot be recognized. What Episcopalians are doing for others is exciting and must be encouraged to continue Pray daily for more "Thankful Coins" and "Thankful Hearts.

How many grants are given each year?

More than one hundred grants are awarded each year.   hope and pray that each year the UTO Committee will be able to respond more fully to grant requests.

Have grants been received within the Diocese of El Camino Real?

Yes.  Here are some grants from recent years:

1998 Salinas, CA:  La Iglesia de San Pablo:Salinas Valley Hispanic Ministry:  To buy a pickup truck so that a diocesan Spanish speaking vicar can evangelize the unchurched, take necessities to needy families, carry musical and camp equipment, and transport people: $25,000.

1996 San Jose & Santa Clara, CA:  Holy Child Church:Ethnic Kidstars Outreach:  To provide seed money for outreach to artistically-gifted children in disadvantaged ethnic families through contests, choir, dance troupes, mentors and community linkages: $12,000.

How is overhead and administration covered?

Every cent collected from the Blue Boxes & the envelopes is given away in grants.  The carefully controlled expenses of the elected and volunteer committee are supported by interest from designated trust funds.  The surplus has been used for grants also.  The general budget of the Episcopal Church USA supports the UTO office.

Who can become a part of UTO?

Everyone can become a part of UTO by offering thanks and prayers as part of your daily life with Christ while dropping coins in the Blue Box.   It is a good reminder to give thanks to God for the gifts that have been given to us...a child's smile...a beautiful day...for healing of hurts...for garden fruits...for rain...for our families...  How long is your list?

What is the UTO granting cycle?

Just as the Offering cycle starts locally by putting coins in the Blue Box, the granting cycle begins locally - with proposals from parishes and mission outreach programs.  Forms for grant requests are obtained from your diocesan office beginning in October.  In the United States the forms are completed and returned to the diocesan office by the requester and signed by the diocesan bishop.   Each diocese may submit two requests each year.  Al requests are researched by the UTO Committee, Awards are made in late summer.  Grant monies are available for use from September until the following September in the year of General Convention - from June until the following June in other years.

Who is our Diocesan UTO Coordinator?

Beverly Anderson
P.O. Box 1903
Monterey, CA 93942
831-394-4465, FAX 831-394-7133
http://www.ecr.anglican.org/

Who makes UTO grants?

The UTO Offering Committee makes grant awards in the two years between General Conventions and Triennial Meetings of Episcopal Church Women.   In the third year, the UTO Committee recommends awards and delegates to the Triennial Meeting make the final grant decisions.

Each Triennium, the UTO Committee consists of one person elected from each of the nine provinces of the Episcopal Church, three members elected by the former committee and one person appointed as liaison from the Executive Council by the Presiding Bishop.

Wouldn't it be wonderful?

...if we all dropped coins in our Blue Boxes when we offered up our prayers of Thanksgiving!  Think of all the grants that could be given for mission and ministry.  The women who had a dream so long ago and started this outreach give us a challenge...and one we can answer every day.

Let us join together in the United Thank Offering Prayer

"Source of all creation, all love, all true joy, accept we pray, these outward signs of our profound and continuing thankfulness for all of life.  Bless those who will benefit from these gifts through the outreach of the United Thank 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"

God bless you and remember your
Blue Box & thankful coins every day.