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 Training Day: Aug. 22 at 8 a.m. Eastern time
The next quarterly training day will be in August, with a focus on grant support and fall formation materials. You may have noticed a slight delay in releasing the 2027 grant materials. We received input from past UTO grant applicants and did a major revision of the application materials, and they are taking a bit longer to get online then they usually do. That means that this training day is very important for anyone working to support applicants in their diocese, so be sure to register here.
Seasonal Materials for Spring/Summer
We’ve put together spring and summer resources to help individuals, families, and congregations practice gratitude during these warmer months. There’s even an outdoor scavenger hunt for kids. We also have a new Gratitude for Growth journal sheet to reflect on the ways you are growing, helping others to grow, and giving thanks for those who have supported you in growing.
The deadline to order printed spring/summer kits has passed, but you can still download the resources here.
Vacation Bible School
Our newest Vacation Bible School program, Gratitude Rocks!, explores geology, the Eucharist, and gratitude. Two parishes will try it out this summer, and their feedback will help us improve the final materials. We plan to share the finished program with the UTO community by the end of the year and release it to the whole church next year.
As always, let us know what resources you would like to see from UTO.