Prayers & Squares International

Transcription

1 Prayers & Squares International The Prayer Quilt Ministry Winter 2012 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE: Hello. My name is Corky Kuhlman and I have served as the Treasurer for Prayers & Squares International for the last four years and now have the honor of starting out 2012 serving this blessed ministry in a new leadership position as President of a dynamic Board of Directors. This wonderful ministry started twenty years ago in 1992 with one prayer quilt being freely given to a little boy named Cody. Another prayer quilt was begun and then another and another. Prayers & Squares chapters formed to promote prayer through prayer quilts. As new chapters begin their journey each month the world is blessed with that many more prayers. My personal Prayers & Squares journey began in 1999 with one safety pin. Yes, one safety pin. When I arrived at the Prayers & Squares Chapter 1 meeting, I confess to the welcoming members that I knew absolutely nothing about quilting but was willing to learn. Standing at four foot ten inches tall, Carolyn Wright, one of the Prayers & Squares founders, looked at me in disbelief. She smiled and snickered at the same time and said to me, "Do you know how to use a safety pin?" I was too intimidated to speak so I just nodded. She smiled again and said, "Okay, that is where we will start!" She walked me over to a table with a prayer quilt being layered and showed me how to pin the layers together. Later that day she showed me how to tie a knot and pray for a prayer quilt recipient. The moment she placed that safety pin in my hand, my life changed forever. It was a new start for me on a path toward becoming a lifelong quilter, as well as a devoted Prayers & Squares member. However you started on your Prayers & Squares journey, I sincerely hope that you feel as blessed by it as I do. May you have a blessed New Year. New Board of Directors A new board of directors was installed during January, Thank you to the following individuals who have said Yes to Prayers & Squares International. President: Vice-Pres. Secretary: Corky Kuhlman, San Diego, CA Peggy Dunn, San Diego, CA Marilyn Clements, Poway, CA Treasurer: Marsha Skarupa, San Diego, CA Members-at-large: Carla Meade, Charlotte, TN Wendy Mathson, Poway, CA Many heartfelt thanks to Cheryl Louie, San Diego who has served on the board for the past 8 years as secretary. Your efficiency, attention to detail and wise insight has enhanced the board. We also extend heartfelt thanks to Wendy Mathson, Poway who as a founding member of Prayers & Squares, answered the call two years ago to serve again as President. We are thrilled that Wendy will continue to serve on the board as member-at-large. We will continue to be blessed by her creativity and by her vision. The new board has already met and has many exciting ideas that they will begin implementing in this next quarter. Stay tuned.

2 Winter 2012 Newsletter Prayers & Squares International Page 2 CHAPTER NEWS We love to hear what is happening in the chapters around the world. We have some very inspiring stories below. Keep the stories coming! From Chapter 195 Forest Lake Church Orlando Florida: We received a lovely letter from Jo Ann Roth, Director of Chapter 195. We send our prayers to Jo Ann as her husband, Ken, battles colon cancer. Jo Ann s enthusiasm for Prayers & Squares is evident in excerpts shared here from her letter. This wonderful ministry will be (8) years old in February of The years seem to have flown by. Just a couple of weeks ago we presented our 2000 th quilt. We are probably near to 2100 by now. It is such a blessing to me that these wonderful volunteers are so dedicated to this ministry. I knew when we started that the focus of this ministry must be the PRAYERS everything else is a bonus. I do believe our strength and the dedication comes from the fact that we make worship together a big part of our ministry and nothing begins until we worship together and pray for those names in our prayer journal each week. (We started keeping our Prayer Journal when we began the ministry. We add new names every week and continue to pray for each of them. We share our cares and concerns for each other and we also speak of the blessings God has given us as we have a time for Praise. We pray, share, praise and laugh together before we even think of going to work on the quilts. I suggested to the ladies and gentlemen that they incorporate prayer in their homes as they cut and sew the quilts. I ask them to start with devotion, perhaps light a candle and go to an attitude of prayer as they sew for the one who will receive that quilt. Prayer is actually sewn into each quilt and prayers continue as the ladies batch, hand sew, place ties and prayers continue right down to the sewing on of the label. I don t know how many times individuals have said this quilt is mom s very favorite color, or uncle Joe, loves hunting and wild life and those are the quilts that are picked from our shelves for them without our knowing any of these things. The notes we receive often reflect this fact. to sew or quilt we provide a good teacher who takes them by the hand and with love teaches them the basic elements of quilting. Once they have made a baby quilt (which our ministry presents to every child dedicated in our church) they can move on to the Prayer Quilts with a little supervision and help as they need it. We have taken nonquilters and helped them to become quilters of beautiful Prayer Quilts. I believe if you teach them to quilt and give them the freedom to grow and develop their skills they will find the joy of creating something beautiful for God s I have recently compiled all of the thank you notes we have received and I come to tears as I read the lives our quilts have touched. People who haven t been to church in a very long time or individuals who haven t prayed in many years are being found on their knees tying a knot for a friend or loved one. The ripple effects of these quilts go on to reach many more people that the one who received the quilt. It is amazing, but shouldn t be, just how God has used this ministry to touch the lives of those who could not be reached in any other way. I must stop!!! I give thanks to the day I found your ministry on the computer. My prayers for a ministry that had to do with prayer and sewing were met that day. God did provide. With love and prayers, Jo Ann Roth Chapter 195: 2000 th quilt One of the ideas I had when we started was to teach quilting. Even if one wants to join and doesn t know how

3 Winter 2012 Newsletter Prayers & Squares International Page 3 From Chapter 754 New Harvest Christian Fellowship, South Africa: We actually received this back in July and our apologies for not printing it in the last newsletter. It is a story about connections from South Africa to Abu Dhabi to West Sussex, which is how Chapter 1022 came to be. Enjoy! It is a while since I last wrote to you regarding my church in South Africa- New Harvest Christian Fellowship. Prayers & Squares has been such a blessing to so many people of the church as well as those to whom a P&S quilt has been sent. It truly does speak volume and is a mighty way to witness and minister to people not only to the recipient but also to those who come in to contact with the person concerned. And it is also a way to minister to people from and to any part of the world. Yes, the Name of the Lord does reach all ends of the earth. reassured of prayers from her friends. Helen s friend dearly desires to have this blessing but it probably would not be possible for us to make a quilt, have the blessing and mail it to her to arrive in time. Is there a possibility of a chapter being notified that would perform this task on behalf of our chapter. I don t know if this is an unusual request, but I thought I would pose the question. If it is possible then I will provide you with more information on her location I am not currently aware of it, I only know it is Miami. I understand some chapters are probably small (as ours is) so we could replace the quilt if that is desirable. Kind Regards, Pauline Chandler We contacted JoAnn Roth of Chapter 195 (see above story) and she immediately said yes and they got a quilt tied and mailed to Miami. Thank you to Chapter 195 as you exemplify the true spirit of this ministry. I am presently visiting my sister in the UK. Her husband was a recipient of a P&S quilt from Abu Dhabi [I was still staying in AD then]. Because Lorraine has seen and experienced the power and blessings one gets from a P&S quilt, both of us felt the need to get P&S going in the UK. So why not start with it at her own church? Her Pastor said that we could present P&S after church last Sunday. We have received thus far 5 ladies interested to get it going. The Church is called Littlehampton Baptist Church. Kind regards, Lorna Burness From Chapter 725 Anglican Parish of Glasshouse, Queensland, Australia. Another international connection was made recently between Australia, Orlando, Florida and Miami. Read on! This is the quilt that was requested from Australia was made and tied in Orlando and sent to Miami. These quilt ties that are tangible prayers are also the ties that bind us together. A member of our church, Helen Paige, has a friend who lives in Miami (America) who is dying. Helen is trying to organize a quilt so her friend can be

4 Winter 2012 Newsletter Prayers & Squares International Page 4 WELCOME NEW CHAPTERS My, how we have grown! We are now 1,045 chapters strong, in 12 countries and 49 states. Talk about the power of prayer! Here are the 11 newest chapters since our last newsletter: Ch 1034 West Side Community Church Traverse City, MI Ch 1035 Saint Mary s Anglican Church Whitby Porirua, New Zealand Chapter 195 Forest Lake Church, Orlando, FL PATCHES, FLAT PAT: CALL HOME Our traveling ambassadors, Patches and Flat Pat are out visiting some of our chapters. However, they have not called home. Let the newsletter editor, Peggy Dunn, know where you are and where you are going next. Ch 1036 Corpus Christi Catholic Church Bonita, CA Ch st United Methodist Church Cape May Court House, NJ Ch 1038 One of Many Emmetsburg, IA Ch 1039 Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church Aliquippa, PA Ch 1040 Church of the Ascension Gaithersburg, MD Ch 1041 Alvin Lutheran Church Alvin, TX Ch 1042 Columbus SDA Church Columbus, MS If anybody wants Patches and Flat Pat to visit them, contact Peggy and she will try to get them to you! Ch 1043 Harmony Baptist Church- Bethel Harmony Extension Education Association Club Weatherford, TX Ch 1044 Denver First Church Englewood, CO Ch 1045 Rockingham Uniting Church Rockingham City, Western Australia

5 Winter 2012 Newsletter Prayers & Squares International Page 5 REGIONAL GET-TOGETHERS In previous issues of the newsletter, it was encouraged for chapters to host regional conferences, sit and sews, meet and greets. Whatever name it goes by, it is the opportunity to fellowship with other chapters in a geographical area. Below are stories of two such get-togethers. Chapter 128 First United Methodist Church of Santa Monica Santa Monica, CA Presentation of Quilts On September 24, 2011 Chapter 128 held a Stitch and Pray Workshop inviting local chapters from the area. Six chapters were represented along with board members Corky Kuhlman and Peggy Dunn, as well as Peggy s daughter Katie. A welcome breakfast and a worship service opened the program. After a short welcome from Maile Marquand, we were out of our seats and touring their sewing space. Sue Payne presented how they store, organize, finish their quilts. Everyone was mingling, taking pictures and notes. Lots of good ideas were taken from this session. The program continued with sharing of ideas and tips, patterns and quilts. The sense of camaraderie carried over to lunch as chapter members mingled and sat with members of other chapters. The afternoon was an opportunity for a sit and sew with Ellie Throckmorton. It was a glorious day of prayer, fellowship, inspiration, sharing of ideas, and of course sewing. Thank you Chapter 128 for hosting this event! Maile Marquand Welcomes All Chapter 163 University Lutheran Church East Lansing, MI On October 26, 2011 Chapter 163 hosted an interdenominational Celebration of Prayer Quilt and Quilt Shawl Ministries. Eighty people from seventeen churches representing Lutherans, Episcopalians, Catholics, Methodists and Presbyterians attended. An 11:00 worship service with Pastor Fred Fritz was followed by a soup and salad lunch. It was a day to exchange ideas, display quilts and prayer shawls and related articles and a time to reconnect with old friends. On Nov 12, Chapter 163 also met with folks from school age on to make 36 flannel blankets for Haven House, to help people between homes.

6 Winter 2012 Newsletter Prayers & Squares International Page 6 Chapter 163 Celebration of Prayer Quilt and Prayer Shawl Ministries October 23, 2011 Enjoying lunch and fellowship In Memory of Reva Egelston Reva, one of the original founding members of Prayers & Squares, and the grandmother of Cody, the first prayer quilt recipient, passed away January 11, Please keep her family in your prayers.may she rest in peace.