Knitting/Crocheting Prayer Shawls

[GeorgiaPeach]

I am starting a Prayer Shawl ministry at our church. Anyone out there have such a ministry at their church or are familiar with one? I need tips and ideas. I've bought the book (by Lion Brand yarn) and have found a fabulous website.

Now I'd thought I'd hit THIS fabulous website for some practical advice on starting one...implementing it, etc.

Anyone???

(FYI for those that have never heard of these...and I hadn't before I saw the book...prayer shawls are knit or crocheted for those that need comfort during time of illness, death of loved one, etc. or are celebrating a joyous occasion...birth of a baby, wedding. It's a tangible way to let the receiver know that you are praying for them. Each time to pick up the piece to work on it you pray for the receiver. My mom has a friend whose husband received one while fighting cancer. After he passed, she learned to knit so she could make them for others.)

 

[pamperedlinda]

Oh, that sounds so nice. I don't knit, but I do crochet. Do they have any crochet patterns in the book?

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Linda, It is really neat. I'm still a beginner (learned in 5th grade but never moved beyond squares and rectangles!) My husband doesn't want to EVER see another scarf!! Yes, the book has patterns for both knitting and crocheting. You are right up the road from me. When we get ready to kick this off you ought to come down and check it out. You don't need to be a member of our church to make them.

PM me and I can send you one of the patterns for crochet. Or you can get your own book at a Han**** fabric store or amazon.com.

 

[DebbieJ]

Some ladies at my church just started doing this. I think it's great!

 

[BethCooks4U]

There is a very active prayer shawl ministry at the church I work at. I am not involved with the ministry but I will ask about it for you. Feel free to email me if you like.

 

[melindag]

we have it! (long response)My daughter was actually presented with a prayer shawl today!!!!

Don't know if I've mentioned it here before but my 13 year old daughter has been struggling with "intractible hiccups" since September! They come and go....went completely away in November and then came back in December and have been pretty fearsome lately. There's no real way to describe what its like until you're actually around her....they come in rapid fire (like a machine gun literally) sucession, are very high pitched and very loud and can last for hours, even days and yes, even in her sleep.

Long story short - we are in the midst of many specialists, tests and hopefully soon we will know why she developed them, and then they will finally know how to treat them. last week in church they were really bad. Probably the worst they've ever been. She was scheduled to acolyte....which is part humorous and part stressful as you can look around the congregation watching people search for the source of the high pitched noise, having no clue it's her up behind the altar and part stressful as I sit and she and I try to give eye signals to each other and try to support her. Anyway, they were so bad last week that the Pastor and his wife, who are her confirmation teachers decided to secure a substitute acolyte for her. The pastor's wife is a nurse and she was very concerned about Emily's inability to breath because they were so rapid. We were thankful for the break....and she thought she'd try again this week.

i kid you not.....I went backand assisted her with her robe and she was hiccup free....I went into the sanctuary and sat down, and as she walked up the aisle I could see her shoulders reacting with hiccups....I could see them, but I couldn'thear them yet!

She made it the whole way through until it was time for offering and communion and then she felt she had had enough and discreetly excused herself. She and our pastor had worked out a deal, that as long as she wanted to acolyte, he was ok with her being up there with or without the hiccups....he only cares about her comfort. In fact, her told her today, he didn't even hear them!

Want to hear the funniest part?!?!? My mother in law and her husband were at church this morning....and we have somewhat kept them in the dark about the severity of the hiccups. They know she's been hiccuping, but conveniently we've been able to keep Emily away from them during the really severe episodes......so as emily walked by them to excuse herself and she was hiccuping...they thought her shoes were squeaking!!!! The literally pulled me to the side after church and asked me if I needed money to buy her new shoes!!! Can you believe that! I about fell on the floor with laughter!

But now that my MIL has heard her hiccupping literally from 8AM this morning until 4:30pm without a break.....now she's calling all her neighbors and searching on the internet....and pretty much driving us crazy!!!!

anyway.....our church does have a wonder shawl ministry program. and one of the ladies from the group came this afternoon and presented Emily with a shawl that had been blessed by our pastor, and she prayed wtih us over Emily and explained how the prayers will continue through the shawl group. Emily was very touched, and in fact, is snuggling in her shawl right now!!!

They had a wonderful prayer card tied to the shawl. I told Em I would laminate it for her, and she could keep it in her bible, and that we could use that prayer at bedtime when we tuck her in.

I don't know many details about our group other than what the lady shared with us today. I clearly didn't have an understanding of what exactly the shawl ministry was about.....but I now think its truly a wonderful program.

Melinda

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Melinda,

So sorry to hear about your daughter's hiccups. I can only imagine how her stomach muscles must hurt too. Love the part about your MIL offering you money for her shoes.

Can you PM me with what the card said that came with the shawl? The book I bought has a picture of a scrapbook journal that the church keeps showing every shawl given away and to whom. It has a pocket with their cards in it but you can only read half of the card!

I'm looking for ideas of what to give along with the shawl to help explain it and offer comfort.

Thanks!

 

[Lisa/ChefBear]

What an awesome thing these are....could someone share a picture??

I've never knitted, want to learn, and I'm not good at crochet, but again, want to learn/master it.

Maybe this will give me incentive to DO IT!!

Lisa

 

[Lisa/ChefBear]

Melinda.....Melinda,
I'll be praying for your daughter and peace from the advice of a mil, I've got one like that, lol.

Hugs,
Lisa

 

[melindag]

thanks for the prayers and good thoughts...she has lots of appointments and tests coming up in the next two months so hopefully we will get some answers.

When I get home from work tonight, I will post a picture of my daughter with her shawl and also will scan the card.

Also, I do know that our group gets together weekly and when a shawl is designated for a specific person, the shawl is passed around the group for prayers, and they continue to pray each week for those who receive a shawl. They also take pictures and are making a scrapbook.

Melinda

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Also, I do know that our group gets together weekly and when a shawl is designated for a specific person, the shawl is passed around the group for prayers, and they continue to pray each week for those who receive a shawl. Melinda

That's one of the things I really like about the whole ministry. Not every one can knit/crochet or wants to but everyone can hold the finished shawl and pray for the person receiving it. I also like that they don't have to look like "granny" shawls. Some are like wide scarves, some like small lap robes. I'd love for someone to post a picture. I only have pics from the book and that would be copyright infringement, I think.

 

[melindag]

Here's Emily's shawllet's see if I can do this....I have 2 files one of Emily and one of the prayer card

looks like the picture won't upload....too big. I will see what I can do to make it smaller....I'm not a techie, nor am I very patient!

Melinda

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Thanks Melinda, that's perfect! Exactly what I was looking for.

Forgot to mention, for all of those that are curious, that alot of my information came from a website, www.prayershawlministry.com. I believe there are also pictures there too.

 

[melindag]

maybe I could send the picture of Emily to you directly if you send me your email address.....here's mine. [email protected]

Melinda

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

My daughter was actually presented with a prayer shawl today!!!!

Don't know if I've mentioned it here before but my 13 year old daughter has been struggling with "intractible hiccups" since September! They come and go....went completely away in November and then came back in December and have been pretty fearsome lately. There's no real way to describe what its like until you're actually around her....they come in rapid fire (like a machine gun literally) sucession, are very high pitched and very loud and can last for hours, even days and yes, even in her sleep.

Melinda

Melinda,

Did you hear the news story about a girl that has had hiccups for the last 4 weeks and they have had her on the Today show, etc? I thought of your daughter. Four weeks is nothing compared to what your daughter has gone through! The girl's name is Jennifer Mee. I found the story under "news" on www.klove.com.

 

[melindag]

Yes, we have seen that girl on the news.....all over the place!!! I first heard about her last Thursday when consultant-friend from another online loop forwarded to me a newspaper article that was written about her. I was very surprised to wake up Friday morning and see her all over the news channels!

My daughter's reaction to her has been quite surprising...one one hand she would like to get in touch with her (I've tried but unsucessful so far), and share her story. On the other hand, Emily was very concerned to see that this girl is not able to be in school, and that her school sent her home....as this has been the complete opposite situation for herself. My daughter's school has been completely united in our efforts at keeping Emily feeling as normal as possible - at least keeping her routine as normal as possible. Since September, Emily has missed only 1/2 day of school, where she came home because of the hiccups....outside of sporadic appts, she is in class and participating in all of her activities including her sports. Kudos to her for her determination!!! It concerns my daughter that this girl has already isolated herself from her friends, her school, etc.....and its "only been 3 weeks".

Emily's comment on Friday truly a gift to me when she said "I guess that girls parents just haven't given her the self confidence to go on with her life". That was a little bit of redemption for me when she told me that....as I have worried many days especially when she was very escalated and severe with her hiccups, if we were doing the right thing trying to keep our approach casual and relaxed (on the outside, on the inside and away from Emily's awareness, I am on the phone nagging doctors all day long!).

We are closely watching for updates on this girl, and any others who surface with similar stories as we try to find our own answers. Hopefully they both will find relief soon!

Thank you for your positive thoughts and prayers.

Melinda