A WEEKLY eNEWSLETTER AND OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN DELAWARE | | |
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Glimpses of Gratitude from Around the World
Do you remember those little, blue
United Thank Offering (UTO) boxes?
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You might be asking yourself:
- What ever happened to the blue boxes?
- Did UTO go out of business?
- Do we not see them because coins are so out of circulation these days?
- And, do we have time for one more fundraiser?
| Yet my childhood memory persists. When I was young, I remember each of us getting our own United Thank Offering (UTO) blue box. We were told to drop a coin in whenever we felt thankful or blessed, and later bring it back to church to share that gratitude with others around the world. As a child, it felt amazing to know that my small contribution could help someone in another country or town — just by being thankful and giving. I still recall shaking my box, comparing its weight to my sister’s, mom’s, and dad’s, thinking, “Not bad, not bad!” | |
Today, UTO is still going strong and has grown far beyond those little blue boxes we remember. Now, individuals and churches can participate in gratitude programs for Fall and Lent, engage with faith formation lessons, find crafts and activities for kids, attend webinars, use gratitude journals, and more. Plus, you can download bulletins and apply for grants, all available online for free. You can even sign up for “30 Days of Gratitude” texts to get daily glimpses of thankfulness from around the world.
Check out all the resources at: https://unitedthankoffering.com/leaders/resources/fall/
Please let me know if you are using or plan to use any of these UTO resources.
Fran Taccone Griffith
Global Mission Advocate
The Episcopal Church in Delaware
Frantaccone836@gmail.com
302-438-3359
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National Voter Registration Day
September 17
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Philadelphia Eleven
Documentary Film
Saturday, October 19, 3:00 p.m.
St. Andrew's School | Engelhard Theater
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I am profoundly grateful for the ordained women — deacons, priests, and bishops — who have helped form me as a disciple of Jesus Christ and who have helped guide my career in the church. We have become a stronger, wiser, and healthier church as our ordained ranks have evolved to more fully reflect the breadth of God's creative energy and expression. The growth in the last 50 years has been stunning. The Philadelphia Eleven, and those who supported them, were sparks that lit the flame of this transformation.
— Bishop Brown
About the film:
In an act akin to civil disobedience, a group of women and their supporters organize their ordination to become Episcopal priests in 1974. The Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia welcomes them, but change is no small task. The women are harassed, threatened, and banned from stepping on church property. In this feature-length documentary film, we meet the women who challenge the very essence of patriarchy within Christendom and succeed in building a movement that transforms an age-old institution.
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Everyone is invited to the film screening at 3:00 p.m. on October 19, in the Engelhard Theater at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown. There will be a panel discussion following the film, where the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions. Reserve your spot today by registering here. | | |
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Vocational Discernment Day
A time for you … to discover something new within yourself!
Saturday, October 19, 12:30 p.m.
St. Andrew's School
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Delaware Communion Magazine
Fall 2024 edition
Walking the Edge
Everything, everyone, every particle of matter, the space within us, the space among us, the space around us and before us, is shot through with holiness. And so, I walk.
by the Rev. Canon Martha Kirkpatrick
Wired for God's Love:
How does the Church
Respond to Adolescents
by the Rev. Patrick Burke
Yes, Send Me:
My Journey to Ordination
by the Rev. Canon Marianne Ell
Welcoming Strangers:
A Newcomer Greeting
by Kristin Sausville
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Issue: September 11, 2024 | | | | |
