Prayer Shawls?

Have you ever heard of a Prayer Shawl? When DD and I went to church this morning, we unfortunately entered a congregation that was grieving. A two year old in their congregation died this week and the funeral was later today. They were all clearly affected by this death deeply. During this service, a prayer shawl was passed around for everyone to pray over that could be offered to the aunt of the child who had died. One had already been given to the mother. I was so touched by the idea; I have decided to try to create a few that the church can use in the future. If this idea appeals to you, here are a few websites to check out:

http://www.firstchurchwlfd.org/Prayer%20Shawl%20Knitting%20and%20Crochet%20Directions.pdf
http://www.shawlministry.com/crochet_patterns.htm
http://www.pineislandpresbyterian.org/shawl.htm

I happen to crochet better than I knit, so I will probably do that, but either is acceptable. The woman that I spoke to about this ministry afterward mentioned that it is helpful to pick colors and designs that are multi-aged, multi-gender so that they can be pulled as the need arises. You may however wish to check for a similar ministry near you or maybe you may want to start one.