United Thank Offering Report May 2026

Province VIII Meeting – UTO Report – May 2026

Date: May 20, 2026 Submitted by: Tammy Smecker-Hane (tsmecker@cox.net), UTO Board Member from Prov VIII

United Thank Offering (UTO; https://unitedthankoffering.com) is a discipline of The Episcopal Church focused on ministry and mission where every penny that parishioners donate annually goes out as innovative grants to Episcopal groups in the USA and the wider world through the Anglican Communion to solve pressing community problems.

News items of note for this quarter are:

1. 2027 UTO Grants: Gifts of God for the People of God In 2027, UTO is going to fund projects that empower congregations/dioceses/provinces to use their gifts to meet the needs in their communities. This means that all of the projects will look a little different. In some communities this might mean a project to create an after-school tutoring program, in others it might look like renovating a kitchen to provide space for home bakers to start a cottage business, in some it might mean hosting an annual health care for the unhoused event. Each Sunday, we are reminded that we are blessed to be a blessing, so UTO looks to support the unique way God is calling you to make an impact in your community. It's never too early to start talking about applying for these grants. Go to https://unitedthankoffering.com/apply for more information. Note that the list of grants for 2026 will be announced in June.

2. Contribute Prayers Now for the 2027 UTO Prayer Book We need voices from the Western US & Pacific to make the next edition of the UTO prayer book the best yet. We collect prayers submitted online by anyone and publish a new UTO prayer book every 3 years. Please encourage people in your congregation to submit their prayers by June 1, 2026, to be included in this unique collection of contemporary prayers. People love the fact that prayers come from Episcopalians all over the world and exemplify unique cultures. We print all prayers, and especially welcome prayers written by children and young people, those who have never written a prayer before, and in languages other than English. You can find out more about the prayer book, get helpful hints for writing prayers, and submit your prayers at https://unitedthankoffering.com/pray/.

3. Order Your UTO Ingathering Materials for Fall by Labor Day in September All the materials you need to do a UTO Ingathering in your parish are available free of charge from www.unitedthankoffering.com/shop, but you must order well ahead of time. The deadline for materials for Fall Ingatherings will be Labor Day in September. Read all about our Fall materials at https://unitedthankoffering.com/fall.

With sincerest wishes for God's blessings on you & your ministries,

Tammy Smecker-Hane UTO Board Member from Province VIII UTO Diocesan Coordinator, Diocese of Los Angeles UTO Parish Coordinator, Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church (Irvine, CA) Email: tsmecker@cox.net

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