According to the Episcopal Church website: the “United Thank
Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the
whole church. Through United Thank 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
UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. United Thank Offering is
entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to
distribute the UTO monies to support mission and ministry throughout the
Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the
developing world.”
That sounds really good, but what does it mean in everyday
language? Simply that the UTO gives us a chance regularly (daily) to remember
that we have many blessings to be thankful for. We are ‘blessed to become a
blessing.’ From Genesis forward, God has called on God’s people to become a
blessing to others. God tells Abram (before he is renamed Abraham) “I will
bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” (Genesis
3:2b) In the Beatitudes, Jesus also makes the point that we should “give and it
will be given to you.” (Luke 6:28, Matthew 7:7)
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul spends two
chapters talking about how generosity is a blessing to both giver and
recipient. (2 Corinthians 8-9). Anyone who has volunteered in a thrift shop or
food pantry, or any other ministry, knows the rewards of giving of self.
UTO gives us the opportunity to both say ‘thank you’ for our
blessings and to reach out to the world in ways we couldn’t by ourselves. UTO
funds projects ranging from kitchen equipment in a homeless shelter and
playground equipment for a child-care center to a school in the Dominican
Republic and a library for a seminary in Africa.
Some recent gifts are listed here.
Rickie Sherrill, UTO Chair in the DRG notes, in the last 7 years the DRG has
received grants for Wings for Life, Roswell,
A Peaceful Habitat in Albuquerque,
and two for Gateway, El Paso!
Connie Osbourn who is the CPC
representative says, “UTO builds the shelves and CPC puts
books on them.” You can support both ministries without feeling that your gift
to one is depriving the other.
UTO has been a ministry of the Episcopal Church since 1889
when the first offering was collected. It was initially a way for women to
donate toward mission work in a time and culture where few women had much
discretionary income. Now anyone and everyone can contribute. It is a great
family activity and a good way to teach children to look for something positive
in each day as they put a penny or more in the box.
Rickie Sherrill is the DRG UTO chair. Congregations are
encouraged to take an in-gathering in spring and fall. At the Diocesan
Convention, a representative from each congregation may bring their check
forward to be put in the Diocesan UTO plate. This plate (pictured below) was a gift from women
of the Diocese in 1972 when, "a specially made
alms basin, designed by Karl Larsson of Santa Fe, created ‘from jewelry given
by women through the Episcopal diocese’ was blessed for use in collecting the
annual UTO offering. In the center was the gold pectoral cross worn by Bishop
Howden.” (From A Grain of Mustard Seed, by Cynthia Davis © 2008)
UTO Prayer
Gracious
God, 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