United Thank Offering
UTO Challenge Grant to the Diocese of Jerusalem
From the final grant report submitted by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem Please share with us about how the challenge grant helped to sustain the work of the Diocese of Jerusalem. This project has been instrumental in helping the most vulnerable individuals, many of whom lost all sources of income due to the war, gain […]
A Well-Tuned Heart
By Linda Kennedy (she/her), UTO Board Province IV Representative At a recent evening church service, I was struck by those four words in a hymn we were singing. Wouldn’t the world be a much better place if we all had a well-tuned heart? I am grateful for those with well-tuned hearts who have come into […]
Upcoming Training and Lent 2026: Gratitude and Reciprocity
Updates from the UTO Formation and Development Committee UTO Mid-Year Training for Parish and Diocesan Leaders: Saturday, Jan. 10, at 11 a.m. Eastern time Please join us as we gather to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Julia Chester Emery on Saturday, Jan. 10. We’ll gather for one hour beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern. […]
2026 Grant Application Portal Now Open
Updates from the UTO Grant Committee By the time you are reading the UTO newsletter, it will be time to start submitting your applications. Heather will be on Christmas break beginning Dec. 10, so please do not send draft applications via email but submit them through the portal as they may be delayed in processing […]
It’s Ingathering Time Again! (End of Year Giving Reminders)
By Cheryl Dobrzynski (she/her), Member of the UTO Finance and Archives Committee In our everyday lives most people don’t use the term “ingather” very often, but we will gather in many different ways. This is harvest season, when farmers are busy harvesting, or gathering in, their crops, and the backyard gardeners are finishing bringing their […]
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
By Heather Melton, (she/her) UTO Staff Officer Time for a confession—I’m not great at Advent, but I admire those who are. I love seeing folks decorate their tree for Advent, only to transform it for Christmas, or those who hold out on the Christmas decorations at all until Christmas Eve. In my house I spend […]
Sedona Jacobson, from UTO Board Member to Young Adult Service Corps Volunteer in the Philippines
From an email update from Sedona and her blog post This month we want to bring you an update that is a little bit about the work of the UTO Board and an update about our grants from the Emery Trust Fund to support the work of Episcopal Church missionaries sent through Young Adult Service […]
Infusing Gratitude into Thanksgiving Gatherings
By Caroline Carson (she/her), UTO Board Province II Representative Thanksgiving usually offers more than a shared meal. It is a spiritual practice that echoes the Eucharistic heart of our Episcopal faith. The word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving,” reminding us that gratitude is not seasonal but sacramental. Each time we give thanks, we participate in the continual […]
Why Practicing Gratitude with UTO Matters
By Mathy Milling Downing (she/her), UTO Board Province III Representative Gratitude is a positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative. When you experience gratitude you feel grateful for something and respond with feelings of warmth, kindness, and other forms of generosity. Gratitude involves recognizing the goodness of life. It’s noticing something special and giving […]
Upcoming Training, 2025 Orders, Lent 2026, and More
Updates from the UTO Formation and Development Committee November begins a time when we wrap up one year and get ready for the next, so this section of the newsletter is packed with information and dates. Get your calendars ready! Materials for November/Thanksgiving For individuals and families:We have our beloved conversation dice to share stories […]
