Holy Spirit Episcopal Church

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

Our Fall Ingathering for the United Thank Offering (UTO) will take place on Sunday, September 29, at both services. Special envelopes will be in the pews that day for your donations, and you can bring your Blue Boxes to church and place them in the basket at the back of the church. Our offering will join with those of others around the diocese at our Diocesan Convention on October 4-6 in Helena, Montana.

Since 1889, the United Thank Offering has been collecting the offerings of Episcopalians that have been made in gratitude for the many blessings of this life. 100% of what is donated to UTO is used to fund vital projects in the U.S. and throughout the world. The United Thank Offering, in the spirit of Matthew 25, is focusing on areas of ministry that serve those who society has left out and left behind. The 2025 grant focus is on water, based on Jesus' words:

"I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink."

UTO will fund projects focused on water, including but not limited to projects that:

• Address water issues such as desalinization, access, care of water sources, water rights & education about water resources.
• Increase water awareness (drought tolerance, flood prevention).
• Address health issues directly related to water quality (formula access for babies, aftermath of contaminated water, etc.).
• Address water needs of unhoused people (laundry, showers, bathrooms, drinking water).
• UTO recognizes that many water access issues today stem directly from historic trauma and harm done to marginalized people. Projects that encourage truth-telling, acknowledge historic trauma around water, and establish pathways towards healing also fit this focus.