It is hard to believe that the current triennium is almost over. I am grateful for all of the loyal people who have contributed their time, talent, and treasure to further this important ministry. For those of you who have not attended general convention, we have a big ingathering service. Representatives from every diocese come forward to place a card representing their contributions into a basket or box. It is a very inspiring service. In 2015, the total triennium ingathering was $4,378,328.16. In order for our total to equal that amount in 2018, we need to increase the ingathering for 2017 by about $700,000 from 2016. This can be done. We need to contribute about $1.8 million to achieve our goal. In 2008, the total ingathering was over $2 million. So, please help us get the word out. We don’t want to continue this downward trend.

At a recent ECW meeting, someone asked me why we should support UTO. Her church has a budget for outreach and she believed they were doing enough. I explained that UTO is both outreach and inreach. It was established to support the ministry and mission work of the church. In addition to many community projects, UTO has helped establish a number of new churches all around the world as well as helped existing congregations to grow. Every grant not only helps members of a community, it also gives men and women the opportunity and privilege to serve. Finally, UTO encourages the spiritual practice of gratitude. Spending time thanking God for our blessings enriches our relationship with God as well as helps us to resist the temptations of greed and envy. So, the real question should be why wouldn’t we support UTO?

The UTO board is hoping you will help us get the word out to everyone to increase our contributions so we can continue to take your blessings and bring blessings to others.