Quilting As Real Life: Try It

Part 6 of Six Parts

For this last post on quilting ministries, I want Sharon to speak exclusively for herself as she summarizes, further explains what’s going on, and projects hope for the future.  Sharon even identifies exciting new possibilities for congregations -- see #9.  If you would like to contact Sharon directly to comment to her on her ideas and/or to ask questions, she has said that would be fine.

Bruce

SHARON ROOS <sbroos2791@msn.com> wrote:

I was just thinking of all the ways this church quilting has continued to grow, not only in the number of quilts and the fact that we've found ways to get funding without having to ask our church for money.

1. When we display the quilts on the pews on Sunday, it helps remind church goers of the homeless among us.

2. Phase 2 of the church quilting is in speaking to people who work at the shelters, we've added to what we gather and bring them: towels (Simpson House provides showers for the homeless), blankets (overflow needs at Salvation Army), individual toiletries, warm scarves we knit from donated yarn. tote bags made from donated fabrics too heavy to include in a quilt. 

3. Women's day retreats for quilting, other handcrafts, water color painting, writing stories, scrapbooking (7 of these yearly so women have an opportunity to meet each other and make friends, something essential to new members staying with a church)

4. Mother/daughter fun handcraft sessions (after a year in the thinking stages, the planning meeting will be held in April for fun classes to start this summer)

5. Phase 2 of #4 is the girls and their mothers getting together a couple of times a year to have a knit-a-thon to make scarves and warm hats for the homeless with the congregation donating the yarn to feel part of this. (Many of the people who donate are senior citizens cleaning out their stash of yarn and fabric.)

6. Phase 3 of church quilting is that we donate a couple of quilts from our group but up to about 10 from some of the more talented quilters in our group to the annual quilt auction to raise funds for Luther Park Bible Camp.

6. Phase 4 of church quilting is putting together and printing MOUNT CALVARY QUILTERS' RECIPES to see for part of the matching funds that Thrivent requires when we ask them for funding for batting. The back page will be a short story of what we do with info on how to donate fabric, yarn, towels, toiletries, pillows, pillowcases, and money. This is a spring 2014 project.

7. Phase 6 of church quilting is that the going defunct group of Saturday Chaska quilters will meet quarterly at our church for a 1-2 day quilting retreat. Some of these women are former members of our church who have fallen away through the years, so it is a way of getting them back through the back door. (Only strangers knock at the front door, and it is much easier and friendlier to enter through the back door of anyone's house, including God's house.)

8. I forgot the second phase of church quilting when we had to raise matching funds for a Thrivent grant in 2011. We bought 80 little piggy banks, lettered the sides "Mount Calvary Quilting Ministry" and asked church members to take them home and fill them with FREE money. That is money you saved by having a glass of water instead of a soda or coffee when you eat at a restaurant, plus loose change at the end of the day. This was a way of making members aware of the homeless people also. 

9. Another possibility is one that comes from a writing stories retreat. An acquaintance of mine in Missoula connected with Hospice is talking about offering to write people’s life's story for their children or grandchildren. For instance, we could ask elderly members of our congregation if they wished to have their life story written. You have to know which questions to ask, but that's easy, just make a list for people, and they can help with those questions as well. (What a wonderful service to LISTEN to the elderly and write their wonderful stories. This can also end up being a cross generational service, as writing stories is something younger people may want to do as well.) This could also be part of a program for various church groups, reading those stories or parts of them, a way of honoring our seniors.

Sharon Roos