Colorful Ministry on Display
When we arrived in church on Sunday February 19, the altar rail was draped with a huge collection of beautifully knitted, crocheted and 
quilted items. Over 75 of them were laid on the altar so that we could lay hands on them in prayer. These items are used to extend God’s love, through PUMC, through blankets and shawls, to those who are in need.
Each item was lovingly created over the last 6 months by the Hooks ‘n Needles ministry and the Scrappy Quilters of PUMC. Some were donated by a quilting friend and some by the Martha Circle. This dedication of the items has been happening around Valentine’s Day and again in September. It is estimated over 150 items are created and distributed each year!
Two “Thread ‘n Yarn” Ministries
Two separate groups are busy turning yarn and thread into gifts of love…
Hooks ‘n Needles…
The gifted women of Hooks ‘n Needles Ministry use their skills to create baby blankets, baby hats, preemie hats, afghans, baptism blankets 
and prayer shawls.
With loving care, they minister to people who recently had a baby or are sad, hurting, lonely, sick or otherwise need a “hug from God” plus reassurance there are people who really care and are praying for them. This wonderful ministry has grown from 5 to 17 members in just a couple years!
You don’t have to be at the church to participate! Several people stay at home and contribute items.
Scrappy Quilters…
Hooks ‘n Needles creates items that wrap people in the warmth of yarn. But our other group, the “Scrappy Quilters” churns out warmth in the form of quilted blankets.
Scrappy Quilters meet on the second Saturday of each month from 9 am – Noon. Their quilts help displaced and abused women. They also supply items to the groups shown below.
How Far Can Yarn Reach???
Why are we making all of these blankets, prayer shawls, cancer hats, and other cool (sorry- WARM) stuff?
As needed, we donate our items to places such as the following:
Hugs within Our Church Family…
The blankets, shawls, and other items help glue our own church family together….
Baptism… Members and friends of our congregation plus babies who are baptized at our church also receive the pieces. Each creation is tagged with a label that reads, “Made with love and prayers by the Pitman United Methodist Church” and is accompanied by a gift card that includes uplifting Bible verses and well wishes.
Pitman Manor… As an outreach ministry, the women recently started going to the UMC Manor at Pitman on most Wednesdays to teach their skills and share their enthusiasm with residents and staff members.
Become one of the Huggers!
New members and visitors are always welcome to join the group on Mondays when they create and fellowship! Don’t worry if you don’t know how to knit or crochet – they will teach you! They even have yarn to get you started and easy patterns to follow! 
Hooks ‘n Needles is always thankful for donations of yarn and gently-used crochet hooks and knitting needles. Monetary donations help go toward bags, cards and labels for distribution. If you aren’t sure what to give, don’t hesitate to ask!
We also need your help in reaching anyone who would benefit from this ministry. If you know of someone with a need or if you have a question please contact Sue Simmons (or the church office).
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For more info about our Thread and Yarn Ministries click this button: Thread ‘n Yarn
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Chuck, this is awesome. Thank you.