By the UTO Formation and Development Committee

Spring/Summer Materials

This spring our materials are focused on giving thanks for all the signs of new life around us and in our own lives. Spring and early summer is an amazing moment to notice and give thanks for resurrection and the promise that God is making all things new, so for those of you who use UTO materials for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or simply in the summertime, we hope these materials will make that celebration more special. We wanted to create a way to mark these days and broaden the celebration to give thanks for all the ways we grow, the people who help us grow, and to give thanks for all the “growing” things around us. 

For kids, we’ve got a fun scavenger hunt to help get them outside to look for signs of new life and growth. For adults, we’ve got a gratitude journal that gives prompts for reflecting on resurrection, growth, and the people who support us on our journey. 

Kits for congregations include gratitude journals for adults, a spring/summer scavenger hunt for kids and families, as well as seed postcards to send notes of gratitude as an activity your congregation can do during coffee hour. You can order materials now for spring/summer through April 10; they will ship by April 28.

Find the order form for UTO materials here: https://dfms.formstack.com/forms/uto_orders

Waves of Gratitude: Free Vacation Bible School Materials

If you are starting to shop for expensive VBS programs, stop and check out our free VBS program here! Waves of Gratitude is a complete VBS program that focuses on baptism and water. It includes crafts, snacks, STEAM projects, and music. This program was featured at the children’s program at General Convention and was a huge success with leaders, parents, and participants. Things we love about Waves of Gratitude: It includes a way to play with water and includes a sheet to send home to families to share what you learned each day. When we asked the kids what they loved, they said science experiments and snack-tivities! We hope you’ll check out Waves of Gratitude for your VBS this summer.