The United Thank Offering is a personal and family devotional program of The Episcopal Church. It is a practice in our life in Christ that begins with daily prayers and gifts of thanksgiving. These gifts of thanksgiving – coins and bills dropped in the UTO Blue Box – from each man, woman, and child are combined with others at parish and diocesan celebrations and finally within all of The Episcopal Church. The Offerings totaling nearly $3 million each year are given away in the form of grants. These grants continue to support and strengthen the mission and ministry of the Church throughout the world. Every penny of the Offerings is allocated each year for granting.
The mission of the United Thank Offering is to expand the circle of thankful people. To achieve this mission, we encourage daily prayers, offerings, and awareness of the abundance of God’s blessings.
The United Thank Offering 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. Keep each of us ever thankful for all the blessings of joy and challenge that come our way. Bless those who will benefit from these gifts through the outreach of the United Thank Offering. This we ask through Him who is the greatest gift and blessing of all, Jesus Christ. Amen
Diocesan UTO Alms Basin
A very large and beautiful alms basin, made of sterling silver donated by women of the diocese many years ago, is used for the United Thank Offering Ingathering at the Diocesan Episcopal Church Women’s Annual Meeting each spring. Any parish in the diocese may borrow this alms basin for use at its ingatherings. The UTO alms basin can be reserved by contacting the Diocesan UTO Coordinator. It is kept at the Diocesan House in Savannah and anyone borrowing it is responsible for collecting and returning it to the Diocesan House.
Who provides the leadership for United Thank Offering?
The Church UTO Coordinator. This volunteer provides the education and programs to her parish and plans the spring and fall ingathering services. Church UTO coordinators play a vital role in educating their parishioners to the prayer and practice of the United Thank Offering.
The Diocesan UTO Coordinator. Each diocese has a UTO Coordinator who supports the parish UTO Coordinators with materials and information. They also help screen the grant requests within their diocese and research those that are forwarded to the UTO Committee.
Here in the Diocese of Georgia, the Coordinator receives the spring and fall ingathering offerings from the churches in the Diocese, records these offerings, and mails a check in the amount of these offerings to the New York office. She holds a UTO workshop in conjunction with the ECW Annual Retreat each spring and represents UTO at the Diocesan Convention each February and the Province IV Women’s Conference each June. Also, she attends the Triennial Meeting of the Episcopal Church Women where she attends UTO and other leadership workshops.
The UTO Coordinator for the Diocese of Georgia (2020–2023) is: greatly needed
Your InGathering checks should be sent to our Diocesan Coordinator.
Ingathering Dates
Spring Ingathering – Sunday before or nearest Ascension Sunday
Fall Ingathering – Sunday closest to All Saints Day
UTO Materials
UTO materials are available for you to use to help encourage participation in the United Thank Offering. Twice a year (February and August) an envelope containing a letter, order form, and sample UTO materials is sent to each church. Current materials are available at the UTO website: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/ministries/united-thank-offering/
Deadlines for Ingathering checks to be sent to the diocesan UTO coordinator are:
Spring Ingathering – June 30
Fall Ingathering – November 30