Lent 2025: 40 Days of Welcome and Gratitude
Each Lent, UTO offers a variety of resources for congregations, families, children, and individuals. This year, UTO is proud to partner with Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) to present: 40 Days of Welcome and Gratitude: a call to giving thanks for the ways we are welcomed in the world and the ways that people offer welcome to us and to our communities. UTO and EMM are excited to partner together this Lent to provide a multi-faceted program to help people of all ages consider ways we experience and provide welcome that we are grateful for.
Download free resources for congregations and families below, or sign up for the daily text message prompt. The deadline to order free printed materials has passed. UTO also offers kits for families, those can be ordered through February 18th.
The Ungrateful Refugee: A Lenten Book Group with UTO and EMM
Looking for a way to connect with others as a part of your Lenten Discipline this year? Look no further! UTO, in partnership with Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) is offering a 5-session book club on The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You by Dina Nayeri. This is a perfect book to explore during Lent because it can encourage us to think more deeply about the experience of refugees. We’ll explore this book together and see what we can learn about gratitude as a way to receive the stories and experiences of others. While reading the text prior to the meeting will enhance your experience, it is not required. You’re also welcome to attend all 5 sessions or just the ones when you’re available or where a topic interests you.
Lenten Book Group
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6:50
9:28
16:00
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Lenten Materials for Adults and Congregations
This year our theme for Lenten materials is 40 Days of Welcome and Gratitude which is a call to give thanks for the ways we experience welcome/hospitality, in our homes, communities, and through the ways we care for ourselves and our stories. Our hope is that during the 40 days of Lent, we can all use gratitude to help us be more welcoming in the world around us.
In order to do this, we’ve got the following materials for individuals and congregations:
Daily text message: Sign up for a daily prompt to notice and give thanks for something in your life that you might take for granted.
Printable calendar (Calendar para Imprimir en Español): Download a calendar with the same prompts as the daily text message that you can print out and hang on your fridge to mark the days until Easter.
Printable prayers: Download prayers adapted from the UTO Liturgy for use during Lent and Easter.
Editable Prayers of the People (Oraciones del Pueblo Editables en Español): also from the UTO Liturgy booklet, these prayers will help ground your Prayers of the People in Lenten themes and gratitude.
Bulletin insert (Inserción del Boletín en Español): Gives an overview of the materials for Lent and more information on UTO and EMM.
Children and Families
Looking for resources to help your family deepen a commitment of gratitude while you countdown to Easter? Below are resources for families to use that you can print at home or order for free. (Order your free family kit by February 18th here.)
Printable Lenten Gratitude Challenge Calendar for Families (Calendario 2025 de Guaresma para Niños en Español): this year we’ve created a calendar for our families that is similar to the one we have for adults. Each day kids will get a question to discuss or a challenge to help them practice gratitude and welcome in new ways. Note: You can upgrade this calendar by covering the tasks with a scratch off sticker available from online sellers or your local craft store.
Printable coloring sheet: We’re sharing our popular Lenten coloring sheet from last year again in case anyone wants to use it again.
Lesson plans for formation leaders (Planes de clase en Español): If you would like a lesson plan to go along with the calendar for 2025, we’ve got one with a letter to send home to families ready for you here.
