Men, women children ... have you thanked God for a blessing today? One concrete way is to put a coin or a bill (not a large amount) in the UTO blue box or even in a dish on the table every day. A daily gift adds up to a joyous expression of our love for a very giving God. The United Thank Offering is combined and given through grants within the Diocese, the United States and throughout the world. These grants are for such needs as kitchen equipment for a homeless shelter, dental clinics for the poor, half-way houses, a playground for a child-care center, a school, clean water supplies, or whatever needs that we can meet. Of course, there is never enough money so counting our blessings becomes a top priority.
The United Thank Offering began in 1886 through the effort of two remarkable women, Julia Emory and Ida Soule, who inspired women to pray and give coins for building a new church in Alaska and supporting a woman missionary to Japan. The offerings reached $2,188.64. The first missionary offering was collected in 1889. In 1989 UTO celebrated their centennial offering which for the first time topped $3,000,000. With the economy in the doldrums, we have not had that much in a few years.
Do you need a blue box or an envelope for your offering? There will be some available at the reception area. If you have any questions, please call Judy Lovegren (757-229-1794) or Joann Maslin (757-253-2803) or email UTO@brutonparish.org. We will be collecting the spring offering on Sunday, May 20, at the three morning services.
