How women are turning knitting into a ministry to the needy
Keri Wyatt Kent
In the fall of 2005, Shirley Meisinger of Wilton, Iowa, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
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The shawl was fashioned by members of a knitting group at the United Methodist Church of Wilton. Unlike traditional Jewish prayer shawls—tassel-edged garments worn during synagogue prayer services—these shawls are prayed over as they're knitted and are meant to wrap the recipient in love.
Here's a way to connect with others by taking a walk with God and praying for them.
Sue Skalicky
Group Outreach
Our home sits on the edge of the largest park in town. As I take my daily walk on the winding asphalt paths under towering cottonwoods, the people that populate the property captivate my attention. I watch young children playing on the playground, teens disc golfing, elderly walkers meandering, avid tennis players competing, and skateboarders of all ages practicing new jumps and moves. ...
How to personalize prayers for children who may wander.
Sue Skalicky
Group Outreach
I had reached the end of myself. I longed to wake up and have it all be a nightmare. I wept in my bed, knowing that downstairs, directly below me, my 15-year-old daughter—smelling of smoke and having confessed to me hours before the drugs and the sex—was curled up in her fuzzy green blanket searching for answers to the ache in her heart. My heart also ached as my mind fitfully ...
Here are practical ways to minister to those who are ill.
Sue Skalicky
Group Outreach
In the two years that I have had Carolyn as a student, she has grown her hair out "#8211; twice. Each time, when her hair grew to exactly 10 inches beyond the shortest she could bear to wear it, she got it cut and donated it to Locks of Love (a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to children under age 18 struggling with long-term medical hair loss from cancer and ...
When our group divided by gender, we were able to delve deeper into the Word—and into each other's lives.
Diana Bennett
I took a risk! "The 20 Somethings" inquired about having intergenerational small group leaders. In other words, they wanted some of us older people to be willing to lead their groups. As Minister of Small Groups at this large church in Boston, I decided I certainly would take the challenge. On sign-up night I had 16 young men/women eager to dive into the material I had provided. It was a large group ...
It was watching young moms drop off their children at a church-sponsored, community outreach Story Hour program for preschoolers that prompted the very first Coffee Break Bible study for women. As the church's pastor and a woman from his congregation with a passion for sharing Jesus watched the young moms drive away, they asked, "Why not invite them to stay?"
By sandwiching coed times with gender exclusive times, it is possible to gain the profits of both.
Dave Earley
Which is best, gender exclusive groups or coed? The answer is both.
There is obvious value in joining males and females in a small group. One gender tends to share insights from the Word that the other would easily miss. Married couples get to spend needed time together. Singles are given the opportunity to develop healthy friendships with the opposite sex. Understanding of the other gender is gained. ...
"But it's easy to build community in the women's ministry; women are so relational."
That comment from a male colleague reflects a pervasive fallacy. While women may generally be more sensitive and verbal than men, many of us still struggle to develop relationships that foster true community.
Recently our church planned a weekend retreat, but many women didn't sign up because, we heard later, they didn't ...
These studies will help women and mothers who feel overworked and want to find a happy medium.
Somehow many women have gotten the idea that life is a competition for the busiest-woman-alive award. Our course combats this prevalent cultural attitude with such topics as avoiding comparisons, saying no, connecting with your kids, setting aside a day for rest, and conquering working-mother guilt.
Session 1
Debunking the Myth of the Ideal Mom Did God give us a formula for motherhood?
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