Prayer Shawl Ministry - Haywards Heath Methodist Church

The Prayer Shawl Ministry at this Church ....
.... has been funded, initially, from donations in memory of Kathleen Savage who was herself a recipient of a shawl (pictured on the front of the attached leaflet - please see the link HERE) during the final stages of her illness. It was a very meaningful gesture made by a similar ministry at First United Methodist Church, Conway, Arkansas USA.

Anyone interested in helping with this ministry is welcome to participate by

· making a shawl, a blanket or a wrap;

· donating money or providing wool or other materials for the ministry;

· suggesting the name of a potential recipient to the Minister or a Team Pastor;

· praying for the makers and recipients of the prayers shawls;

· offering a home for a meeting of a knitting/crochet group.

Any level of skill is acceptable. Help and advice are available from the Team Pastors who hold supplies of patterns and wools. There is also much information on the internet to give new ideas.

Update on our Ministry - April 2019
Our first Prayer Shawl was donated in October 2010 to a church member who was moving away from the Haywards Heath area.
Since then we have donated over 160 items including:shawls, scarves (the scarves are given to men), shawls for Baptisms, knee blankets, ponchos' capes, baptism shawls, baby shawls to the Special Care Baby Unit at t_he_{Princess Royal Hospital.}
In addition to the shawls going to local people, we have sent:
3 shawls nationally and
14 shawls and 3 scarves abroad.

The shawls have been donated to the recipients for various reasons such as illness, bereavement and for comfort during difficult personal times. A few have also been donated to people in need of something cosy to wrap around during the winter months.

Over 34 people in our church and friends have been involved in the making of the shawls and scarves.

As well as donating the shawls and scarves, the coordinators of the Ministry have had many national requests for information about patterns and how we began this Ministry.

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For more information on the Prayer Shawl Ministry of this Church, to suggest a shawl recipient, or to volunteer to participate in any way, contact the Minister or one of the Pastoral team or e-mail to: office@haywardsheathmethodistchurch.co.uk

Haywards Heath Methodist Church
Perrymount Road
Haywards Heath
West Sussex RH16 3DN
Tel: 01444 416170

View Prayer Shawl Ministry leaflet

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6: 24-26

Prayer Shawl History
Over the centuries, shawls have come to symbolise shelter, peace, and spiritual sustenance. The Prayer Shawl Ministry began in 1998 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, and many churches across the world have now begun similar Ministries of their own. Members and friends of these churches have lovingly donated their time and talents by creating knitted and crocheted shawls for those in need. The first shawls were knitted for women undergoing treatment for cancer. Some were also made for new mothers. Many other situations calling for comfort and care are now responded to, with the gift of shawls, blankets or wraps to both women and men. What started as a grass-roots ministry has quickly grown into an international cause.