Prayer shawls: A ministry for people with a variety of needs
Posted: 12/1/2009
By Mary Jo Harrod
When the women in the Roots Sunday school class at Highland Baptist Church were searching for a special ministry project for themselves, member Twila Morris suggested they make prayer shawls to give to anyone in need. Thus, was the Prayer Shawl Ministry born on June 7, 2007.
"Fifteen to 20 women are involved in this Christian ministry, and many of them are retired," Chairwoman Vonda Arnsparger said. The group meets at the church on the third Thursday of the month from 9 until 10:30 a.m. They open with prayer and Bible study, "then we discuss our upcoming projects in detail," she said. "The shawls and other items are then made at home in our spare time."
The members pray as they knit or crochet the shawls, which are given away to anyone in need or suffering. People celebrating a wedding, anniversary or birth may also receive a prayer shawl.
"Sometimes we pray at the yarn store for just the right color or yarn, but we pray over all we make," explained Arnsparger. "We continue to pray for the recipient and the family after the gift is given. The first prayer shawl we made went to a Shelby County woman who had lost two adult children."
Stacy Triplett learned to knit only after she joined the women's group. While Bonnie Witt does not crochet or knit, she prays and furnishes yarn and other donations to the women, as well as sharing in the camaraderie. "I bring them a sack of yarn and say, 'Here it is, girls!' "
While it is a prayer shawl ministry, the members try to provide whatever item is needed the most. A recent meeting found members Arnsparger, Triplett, Witt, Joanne Bemiss, Janice Turner, Lynda Kindrick and Joyce Cornett discussing their recent trip to Pike County, where they delivered some of their handmade pillowcase dresses. The women have made and given away 127 shawls or lap covers, 20 scarves, 59 pillowcase dresses, 45 T-shirts, one Bible, eight prayer bears, a wool helmet liner for a soldier in Afghanistan, two bunnies, one table runner to a new church, an infant burial outfit (gown and hat), a crocheted doll, four chemotherapy hats, 14 baby blankets to a home for unwed mothers and 11 purses for those mothers, and seven baby hats. Beside Kentucky, these items have been sent to Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Georgia.
"One woman who received a shawl takes it to chemotherapy and wears it during her treatment," said Bemiss. "In fact, the nurse will not begin the treatment until the woman has her shawl in place."
When a friend was going through a divorce, Bemiss said a shawl was given to the woman and a prayer bear went to the woman's 10-year-old son. The young boy was having a rough time and felt so comforted by it that he would not go to bed without the bear.
The women were asked to make a prayer shawl for a couple at a Jewish wedding. In return, the groom's family made a Jewish shawl and sent it to the women. When they heard about a Jewish lady in Pennsylvania whose cancer had returned, the shawl was sent to her.
"These are God things that happen for a reason," Bemiss said.
Witt's son and daughter-in-law tried for nine years to have a baby, then they went to Georgia, Russia, to adopt a baby. Since they still had frozen eggs left from their earlier in vitro fertilization treatments, she had the eggs implanted when they returned from Russia. The treatment was successful and a baby was on the way. The women at the church gave a shawl to the new mother-to-be, which she took with her to every doctor's appointment. During the delivery, the young mother had to be given 20 pints of blood, but she and the baby survived.
Said Kindrick: "My daughter's father-in-law, Herb, had brain cancer and her mother-in-law, Emma, was not well either, so we gave a prayer shawl to them. We prayed with them as both the husband and wife held onto the shawl. Emma covered her body and said that the shawl was hers and she would keep it. Herb died a week later, and Emma never let the prayer shawl out of her sight. A month later, Emma passed away. The shawl was at her funeral and my daughter gave it to me. When I put that shawl around me, I feel wrapped in prayer."
Sometimes the recipient of a handmade item and the accompanying prayers is another church member. Elizabeth Willoughby, also a member of Highland Baptist Church, received a red prayer shawl when she was preparing to undergo eye surgery. "I was surprised to receive the shawl, but I insisted on taking it into surgery and was able to witness to the doctors there."
Arnsparger said other churches that have heard of the Prayer Shawl Ministry, visited Highland Baptist Church to inquire about it, then have gone back home to begin their own prayer shawl ministry. Arnsparger has also been asked to go to churches out of town to talk about their ministry project.
The women keep scrapbooks with a swatch of each item that they make and insert any thank-you note that they might receive for the item.
"The people who receive these items have peace and comfort knowing that someone is praying for them. We know the Prayer Shawl Ministry benefits the people that receive the gifts, but we receive more joy and blessings than you can imagine," Bemiss said.
For more information about the Prayer Shawl Ministry at the church, visit www.highlandbaptistky.com.
"Fifteen to 20 women are involved in this Christian ministry, and many of them are retired," Chairwoman Vonda Arnsparger said. The group meets at the church on the third Thursday of the month from 9 until 10:30 a.m. They open with prayer and Bible study, "then we discuss our upcoming projects in detail," she said. "The shawls and other items are then made at home in our spare time."
The members pray as they knit or crochet the shawls, which are given away to anyone in need or suffering. People celebrating a wedding, anniversary or birth may also receive a prayer shawl.
"Sometimes we pray at the yarn store for just the right color or yarn, but we pray over all we make," explained Arnsparger. "We continue to pray for the recipient and the family after the gift is given. The first prayer shawl we made went to a Shelby County woman who had lost two adult children."
Stacy Triplett learned to knit only after she joined the women's group. While Bonnie Witt does not crochet or knit, she prays and furnishes yarn and other donations to the women, as well as sharing in the camaraderie. "I bring them a sack of yarn and say, 'Here it is, girls!' "
While it is a prayer shawl ministry, the members try to provide whatever item is needed the most. A recent meeting found members Arnsparger, Triplett, Witt, Joanne Bemiss, Janice Turner, Lynda Kindrick and Joyce Cornett discussing their recent trip to Pike County, where they delivered some of their handmade pillowcase dresses. The women have made and given away 127 shawls or lap covers, 20 scarves, 59 pillowcase dresses, 45 T-shirts, one Bible, eight prayer bears, a wool helmet liner for a soldier in Afghanistan, two bunnies, one table runner to a new church, an infant burial outfit (gown and hat), a crocheted doll, four chemotherapy hats, 14 baby blankets to a home for unwed mothers and 11 purses for those mothers, and seven baby hats. Beside Kentucky, these items have been sent to Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Georgia.
"One woman who received a shawl takes it to chemotherapy and wears it during her treatment," said Bemiss. "In fact, the nurse will not begin the treatment until the woman has her shawl in place."
When a friend was going through a divorce, Bemiss said a shawl was given to the woman and a prayer bear went to the woman's 10-year-old son. The young boy was having a rough time and felt so comforted by it that he would not go to bed without the bear.
The women were asked to make a prayer shawl for a couple at a Jewish wedding. In return, the groom's family made a Jewish shawl and sent it to the women. When they heard about a Jewish lady in Pennsylvania whose cancer had returned, the shawl was sent to her.
"These are God things that happen for a reason," Bemiss said.
Witt's son and daughter-in-law tried for nine years to have a baby, then they went to Georgia, Russia, to adopt a baby. Since they still had frozen eggs left from their earlier in vitro fertilization treatments, she had the eggs implanted when they returned from Russia. The treatment was successful and a baby was on the way. The women at the church gave a shawl to the new mother-to-be, which she took with her to every doctor's appointment. During the delivery, the young mother had to be given 20 pints of blood, but she and the baby survived.
Said Kindrick: "My daughter's father-in-law, Herb, had brain cancer and her mother-in-law, Emma, was not well either, so we gave a prayer shawl to them. We prayed with them as both the husband and wife held onto the shawl. Emma covered her body and said that the shawl was hers and she would keep it. Herb died a week later, and Emma never let the prayer shawl out of her sight. A month later, Emma passed away. The shawl was at her funeral and my daughter gave it to me. When I put that shawl around me, I feel wrapped in prayer."
Sometimes the recipient of a handmade item and the accompanying prayers is another church member. Elizabeth Willoughby, also a member of Highland Baptist Church, received a red prayer shawl when she was preparing to undergo eye surgery. "I was surprised to receive the shawl, but I insisted on taking it into surgery and was able to witness to the doctors there."
Arnsparger said other churches that have heard of the Prayer Shawl Ministry, visited Highland Baptist Church to inquire about it, then have gone back home to begin their own prayer shawl ministry. Arnsparger has also been asked to go to churches out of town to talk about their ministry project.
The women keep scrapbooks with a swatch of each item that they make and insert any thank-you note that they might receive for the item.
"The people who receive these items have peace and comfort knowing that someone is praying for them. We know the Prayer Shawl Ministry benefits the people that receive the gifts, but we receive more joy and blessings than you can imagine," Bemiss said.
For more information about the Prayer Shawl Ministry at the church, visit www.highlandbaptistky.com.
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