How does one show God’s love and care in a tangible way? That’s the question that entered my heart recently. My best friends are dealing with their 2 year old son having been diagnosed with a brain tumor, then the surgery to remove it, and now the long and treacherous recovery process. I knew that throughout this process they would need Gods to help carry them through this. I wanted to show them that God is with them at all times, even in the darkest moments. Is there even a physical way to represent these things? It just so happened that another friend had told me about something called a Prayer Shawl Ministry. Suddenly I became intrigued.

After doing some research, I found out that the purpose of a prayer shawl is to create a garment that represents the love of God and the healing power of prayer. The shawl itself is made of soft yarn (or fabric) so the recipient can wrap up in it and feel God’s arms around him or her. Many blessings are put into every shawl. The creator begins each one with prayers and blessings for the recipient, which are continued throughout the creation of the shawl. The blessing is rippled from person to person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the unconditional embrace of a sheltering, loving God.

After learning about this awesome representation of God’s love, I was called to make a prayer shawl for my friend. While I was crocheting this shawl, I felt God leading me towards a path I had never expected to take. After much prayer, I decided to start a Crafting Ministry at our church. The name Made with Love sprang immediately to mind. I mean, God is love, so the Lord Himself would live in every thread and knot of every item we make. The first ministry that we will be focusing on are Prayer Shawls. Eventually, we would like to hear your ideas on different crafting ministries with which you would like to be involved. Some examples would be The Linus Blanket Project, mittens and hats for people who need warmth, or Baby Blankets for patients in the NICU. There are so many worthy causes out there that we are sure to find some that are close to the heart and community of UUMC.

If you would be interested in taking part, in any small way, please let me know. Also, please take a moment to check this website, which includes many resources for patterns and instructions for our crafting ministry. And if you are part of the Facebook movement, please join our group there as well! Please pass on this information to anyone you think might want to be involved or have an interest in supporting this ministry. They do not have to be a member of University United Methodist Church to be involved!