Shawl Ministry at your church?

[boo1]

I signed up for mine and finally got a call this week. Their next meeting is in NOVEMBER. I was really hoping that it would be at least a monthly get-together.

 

Is anyone a member of an active one?

 

Any suggestions as to how to get one MORE active?

 

 

Thanks,

Boo

[judianne]

I make shawls/lapghans for my local catholic church. The Parish nurse heads a bereavement ministry and uses them in that conjunction. She said there are some ladies at a local seniors apartment building who meet together to make them, but the bulk of what she gets is from people who make them at home and give them to her.

With the way people's lives are so busy these days, it's not always easy to get a group together to meet - for any reason. You might have be content with a very small group.

I would think, though, checking in your local church to see if there is a similar type of coordinator where you can start to get names of those who might be interested would be a good idea.

 

I hope you can get something going!

[bettycrackpot]

a couple of the ladies in my hooks n needles group make them, but they dont have a special group. i found them on the lionbrand site under the club finder, that may be another way. GOOD LUCK!

[rascalsmom]

I am a "charter member" () of the "So and Sews" group at my church. Our group is only a year old, and we have distributed over 400 items!! We make lap quilts (sewn or crocheted), walker bags, bibs, neck pillows, etc....we make things at home and maybe bring a lap quilt that needs to be tied, and work on that at our twice-monthly meetings; or we will stuff neck pillows, whatever. Our items are distributed to shut-in church members, nursing home, abuse shelters, etc....

 

Even though our group has dwindled to four REGULAR members, I love going to the meetings. The two women who started the group are in their 70's (I am 50), and I just love talking with them....

[01buckler15]

My Grandmother's church does lapghans for the elderly. I think they actually meet every week at the church to sit and crochet (and visit of course). The only thing I would suggest is that you ask if anyone would like to meet more often. There has to be an interest for it to work. You may have to be the one to get the hook going!

[newthingcrochet]

I've been wanting to ask this and this seems like a good thread... What exactly is a "prayer shawl?" Is it something you wear when you pray? Or you pray over it before you give it? Something like a comfortghan but a shawl instead? I'm sure I sound ignorant but I never heard of one before Crochetville.

[rascalsmom]

I'm not sure exactly what a prayer shawl is, either.

Our group has made (sewn) a few bed jackets, that's probably as close to a shawl as we've gotten....

[kittyloverdeb]

I recently started one at my church. Our first meeting is this Saturday! I am hoping to meet once a month. I got alot of info off the internet on how to start one, the way it got started, suggestions for patterns and prayers, the symbolism behind it, etc...I will post more after our meeting. Wish me luck!

[losingmymind2]

We don't get to meet regularly at my church; but we bring in what we've made at home and it's prayed over before being distributed. I also make them for specific friends, praying for them as I make them.

[judianne]

http://www.shawlministry.com/

[hookdonU]

I am and we meet weekly unless there are 3 of us who can't attend (our group is 5 persons). We also have a monthly "show and tell" with a potluck and make sure that mention of the group goes into the neighborhood newsletter, etc.

[adagio]

Last February I had attended a Project Linus get together with several women from my church. We had a ball! I loved the fellowship, and the sharing of our skills. Afterwards, I was remembering how wonderful it was, and casually mentioned to our pastor's wife (who'd also attended), how much I enjoyed it, and how it would be nice to have a crochet group for a church. Well, she loved the idea, and has been my inspiration to actually start the group. We're called Graceful Hands. We meet weekly to work on group projects, and to learn from each other. We have a wide range of experience, from raw beginners (who we've taught!) to those of with with over 30 years of experience. So we enjoy the fellowship, crocheting, and the 'crochet therapy' as our pastor's wife calls it! We've made comfortghans, baby afghans, a prayer shawl. We're working on some afghans for Project Linus currently.

Ruth

[boo1]

I wonder if we could get more members if more people could knit or crochet. I am very much a beginner but I could surely help someone with the basics.

 

Or I could try to find a church nearby that has an active one. I really want to get together, make friends, pray, etc.

 

With the holidays coming up, it seems like it would be a good time to get active with this! I hate that they're not meeting again until November. Hmm.

[PamJ]

Hi Boo,

 

I was a member of a very active shawl ministry for several years. It was wonderful. The meetings always included opening and closing prayers for the work of our hands and the needs of the shawl recipients. There was a devotion and appreciation notes were read, showing us all how much the shawls were blessing people--a big encouragement. Then everyone worked on their current shawl or helped put on fringe, sew on labels, or wrap the shawls to be ready for distribution. We always included a prayer of blessing and a card telling the person the first name of the shawl maker, so that it was more personal. After the meeting, the leader took all the shawls turned in for a blessing from our priest. It's a great group made up of all ages women. In the bulletin, everyone is encouraged to be part of the ministry, even if they can't knit or crochet. There are always those other jobs to do at the meetings, and if they would like, someone will teach them to crochet or knit. Many women have learned through the years.

 

The regular meetings are once a month, but one of the women started opening her home one morning a week for anyone who wants to come and work together.

 

I think it just takes someone with a heart to be really involved and spend the time developing the ministry. If you want to stay in your own church, perhaps you could offer to help on the leadership committee. Your enthusiasm and good suggestions might really make your group more active. I imagine you'll also meet kindred spirits and can suggest getting together between meetings too.

 

If there isn't much response, I hope you can find an active group in another church. These days there are so many churches taking part. The ShawlMinistry link someone gave you above has a good list of churches in their links list. You can look at my group there under Plano, TX--click on Shawl Journal--there's a lot of helpful information and pictures of the meetings.

 

Keep us posted!

[some1uno]

I made 20 shawls & lapghans for our local nursing home last year - all by myself. Our local "spinning mill" donated some yarn. A prayer shawl is a shawl that you pray over while you are making it for health, confort, warm etc to the person that will receive it. Just pray every stitch. Also, our pastor prayed over them before I took them to the nursing home. I also placed them in a large ziplock bag with a saying on the front which I printed out on paper and taped to the bag. I changed the saying a little bit for the men. (Instead of "shawl", I used "gift".)

Here is my saying - - - - - - -

 

"May God's grace be upon this shawl,

warming, comforting and embracing.

May it be a safe haven . . .

a sacred place of security and well being. . .

sustaining you in good and difficult times.

May this shawl cradle you in hope,

keep you in joy,

bless you with peace and

wrap you in the comfort of God's love.

Amen."

[RoseRed]

This thread is just perfect timing. I mentioned starting a Prayer Shawl Outreach group to my Pastor last night and they all just loved the idea. I explained that you pray while you are making the shawl and then you give it to whoever needs it - sick, shut-ins, hospitals, surgeries, etc and when the person wears it they are wrapping themselves in prayer.

 

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas I would love to hear them!

[boo1]

I made 20 shawls & lapghans for our local nursing home last year - all by myself. Our local "spinning mill" donated some yarn. A prayer shawl is a shawl that you pray over while you are making it for health, confort, warm etc to the person that will receive it. Just pray every stitch. Also, our pastor prayed over them before I took them to the nursing home. I also placed them in a large ziplock bag with a saying on the front which I printed out on paper and taped to the bag. I changed the saying a little bit for the men. (Instead of "shawl", I used "gift".)

Here is my saying - - - - - - -

 

"May God's grace be upon this shawl,

warming, comforting and embracing.

May it be a safe haven . . .

a sacred place of security and well being. . .

sustaining you in good and difficult times.

May this shawl cradle you in hope,

keep you in joy,

bless you with peace and

wrap you in the comfort of God's love.

 

Amen."