October 14th with the Prayer Shawl Ministry

God is good always. He brought us new members, new Prayer Shawls, Prayer Cloths, Helmet Liners and Scarves for the Armed Services Care Packages, and an abundance of donated yarn and knitting needles! The table in the room was stacked high with new yarn! Thank you Kathi, Linda, Dee, and Ellen for the yarn donations. God has big plans for the Prayer Shawl Ministry.

Davis dropped in for a few minutes to say hello. We offered to let him use some of the new yarn and needles. He graciously declined saying, “he didn’t knit, and he didn’t inspect our work, but certainly did respect it.” Ellen told him we could “keep him in stitches.” He said he had to leave because “he had been needled enough!” Oh well, so much for puns.

New Members: Ernestine, Anne, and Cindi joined us for the first time on Wednesday evening. Welcome to the Prayer Shawl Ministry. We are very happy to have you as members. These three ladies are knitters. A few months ago the crocheters outnumbered the knitters. Now it’s the other way around. There were only 4 or 5 crocheters at the meeting on the 14^th, so crocheters, if you’re taking a vacation – we need you back.

Knit Chemo Cap: There have been several requests for the knit chemo cap pattern, so it is attached.

Remaining 2009 Calendar: These are the scheduled meeting dates for the remainder of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 (yes, that is next year!). Given that the holidays are fast approaching, this may help us in our planning.

· October 21^st and 28^th – Regular meeting times

· November 4^th, 11^th, and 18^th – Regular meeting times

November 25^th – No meeting

· December 2^nd and 9^th – Regular meeting times

December 16^th, 23^rd, and 30^th – No meeting

· January 6^th, 2010 – No meeting

January 13^th and beyond (as they say in Toy Story)! – Regular meeting times

Next Communion Date: As on October 4^th, we will have Prayer Shawls, Afghans, and Blankets on the altar rail on November 29^th. Please let me know if you can help with set-up at 9:15, add items at 10:45, and remove the items at 12:15. This is really an easy task and it offers so much to our congregation. Thank you for your help and support.

Armed Services Care Package Update: There are approximately 10 Helmet Liners and 10 scarves ready to go into the Care Packages. Twelve Prayer Cloths are in bags with the special Prayer Cloth card. These items have been set aside in the gray bin for the Care Packages to be prayed over. The only thing that needs to be added are the care instructions to the Helmet Liners and Scarves since they are wool.

There will be 10 packages sent out from our church to members in Iraq and Afghanistan. The items will be prayed over at the November 2^nd Conversations with God service at 8:00 AM in The Upper Room. Please be there if you can. Sheri Smith and Nancy Ford have also requested help packing the Care Packages if anyone is interested. They will let us know the date and time.

Prayer Cloths: Prayer Cloths are spreading like wild fire. So many of you have taken the idea of the Prayer Cloths and run with them. I hear so many stories about sharing them with the women in your Circle, your bridge club, or other groups, and then those members making them for their friends. It’s wonderful to see this little piece of cloth mean so much to each of us.

Starting in January, I am going to suggest that each of us make one extra Prayer Cloth a week and that we store them until World Communion Sunday which is the first Sunday in October I believe. On that day, we should have enough to give one to everyone who wants one who attends any of the three services on that day. Let me know if you think that is a worthwhile goal.

I will not be in attendance on the 21^st or the 28^th due to cataract surgery, but will be with you in thought and spirit. I will still be crocheting though! And when I return I’ll be able to see all of you better.

Love and blessings,

Beverly

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” – Mother Teresa