Author: srands

From their final grant report Note: We’re sharing this story today because the grant recipient really understands the beauty of UTO. Even though we will likely never meet in person, our thank offerings are impacting an entire community, and for that, we all give thanks together. Did this project change how you see gratitude? Yes….

By Heather Melton, UTO Staff Officer The UTO Ingathering for January through June was just completed. If you requested a report for your parish or diocese (either quarterly or biannually), you should have received that via email from Heather. If you would like to request a report, please fill out this form: https://dfms.formstack.com/forms/request_ingathering_report While the economy…

By Karin Elsen, UTO Board President and Chair of the Formation and Development Committee Seasonal materials for fall It is time to order your UTO materials for the fall! This year our materials are not date-specific, so you can use them whenever it makes the most sense for your congregation. The goal of our fall…

By the Grant Committee The 2027 grant process is underway! The first step is a grant proposal form. This is a chance to share the big picture story of what you are hoping to do. Please note that this process is meant to be collaborative, so the goal isn’t a perfect proposal but one that…

By Heather Melton, (she/her) UTO Staff Officer Lately, it seems like every conversation I’ve had includes the following two topics: how hot it has been this summer and how busy everyone is. Maybe it’s not been incredibly hot where you are, but my guess is that it feels like we’re all overserved when it comes…

By Karin Elsen, UTO Board President and chair of the Formation and Development Committee UTO has had a great start to the year and is finding new ways to support spiritual growth. With seasonal resources and partnerships, we are dedicated to helping everyone in the church grow in gratitude. Here’s what’s coming up soon: Quarterly…

By the UTO Grant Committee We tried something new in 2026 with community partners, and it helped open the door to learn a lot about our grant process. Perhaps the most important thing we learned, is that when we create a system with support, it creates a system that welcomes feedback. To honor all those…

By the Rev. Rowan Larson, (they/them), Chair, UTO Grant Committee This year, the whole board has been captivated by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s newest book, “The Serviceberry.” In it, she writes about a different kind of economy than the one the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times report about. Instead of money, she describes an…

By Karin Elsen, (she/her) UTO Board President The UTO Board is looking for representatives from Provinces II, III, V, VI, VII, and IX for the 2027-2030 triennium. Applicants need to live in the province they seek to represent. Selected individuals will help shape UTO’s future as we approach the 150th anniversary. The UTO Board reviews…

By Heather Melton, (she/her) UTO Staff Officer This summer has been incredibly busy at UTO, so I want to start off by expressing my thankfulness and gratitude to all of you for your patience while I try to manage all the moving parts. With that said, this newsletter is packed with information about UTO things,…