Ours are finished, but not quilted. The embroidery floss is put in and not tied by the quilter or by the quilter and friends. When the quilt is chosen to be used, it is placed on the altar during a service and is part of the communal prayer. Then it goes to a table in a quiet corner of the Fellowship Hall and after church, the knots are prayed over and tied by congregation members. I feel the congregation's involvement is an intregal part of the procedure. I know one friend constantly fingered the knots 'feeling the prayers' when she was very ill.

Ditto to Shelbie .... and don't forget to tell everyone affiliated at your Church what you are doing. Perhaps use your first quilt as a show and tell. And be sure to provide regular updates, and of course, always with an announcement inviting others to come out and get involved and a reminder that there are other ways to help as well!! There may be several who have no interest in participating and yet are keen to support your venture with gifts of money and/or supplies. (in our Church I can think of two older men who are always there to support financially in anything the women are doing ... special angels, they are!!)

And ........ don't forget there may be other quilters right here on this Board who would help out. Tell us where you are, and what you'd really like .... and who knows, what may come your way from the Angels here!!!!

We have started a prayer quilt ministry at our church. We have put several notices in bulletins and newsletters about needing fabric and batting. We have received both!! We have given out 11 or 12 quilts in a little over a year. Praise God, we seem to have a healthy church right now!

I am not sure how to start it, but I was blessed to receive one from my DS's church in WA. What a surprise since I live in CT. Our church makes prayer shawls and so they are not interested in starting prayer quilts. I crochet shawls for our church's ministry, but there is something missing in the way the quilts work. The prayers offered specifically for the person as the group ties the quilt at the end of the service really makes these quilts special! My quilt was tied with crochet cotton. Also, her church made a special label that was printed on the computer. They left a space to use a pen to write the name of the person receiving the quilt. Good Luck with your ministry.

Our church makes lap size quilts and prepares them to be tied. When we need one the congreation says a prayer and ties one tie.