Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago
Episcopal Charities and Community Services
To transform lives, Episcopal Charities and Community Services supports and strengthens its partner agencies, congregational outreach programs, and other faith-based ministries of Christian service that offer hope to all people in the Diocese of Chicago.
Episcopal Church Women
The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) ministry is centered in congregations and empowers women to do Christ’s ministry in the world. All women of the Episcopal Church are considered members of ECW and meetings are open to any interested individual. The ECW hosts several programs in the diocese each year, ECW members attend the Province V Annual Meeting, and representatives attend the national ECW meeting, Triennial, held in conjunction with the General Convention. The calendar of events is available on the ECW website.
In the Diocese of Chicago, the ECW administrates the United Thank Offering (UTO), a personal and family devotional program of the Episcopal Church. Through this program, participants give thanks to God for the blessings in their lives by placing coins or bills in a blue cardboard mite box, known as “the Blue Box,” each day. The following year, 100 percent of those offerings are awarded as grants to support innovative mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and Provinces of the Anglican Communion.
Information on the UTO grant program is published in the diocesan newsletters. Members of the diocese interested in applying should contact the UTO Coordinator for more information and guidance on how to apply.
Episcopal Relief and Development
Episcopal Relief & Development is an international relief and development agency that offers a compassionate response to human suffering on behalf of The Episcopal Church of the United States.
Tim Murray, a parishioner at St. Mark’s Barrington, is our diocesan coordinator for Episcopal Relief & Development. He can be reached by email.