CARISSA HEBERT
Editor
INDIAN VILLAGE – Members of the “Sew Blessed Prayer Quilt Ministry” group are combining a spiritual message of love with each quilt they have made since 2008.
“All the glory goes to God,” said Patty Savant, a member of the quilting ministry group. The group recently presented a quilt to Ben Terry, the morning meteorologist for KPLC Channel 7 in Lake Charles. Terry was diagnosed with colon cancer last year and spent 40 days in Houston to receive radiation treatment. Despite the side-effects associated with this treatment, Terry was able to do the morning show from his hotel room in Houston with today’s technology.
Savant explained the ladies presented Terry with a “prayer quilt,” like they have done for many others over the years. On the quilt were scriptures, written by the ladies, or as in this case, already printed on the material, to help the receiver of the quilt through whatever ordeal they are battling or facing in life.
“When we do scriptures on it ourselves, we put it out for the church family,” Savant said. She said then members, like their Men’s Prayer Group, will pray over the quilt and for the person that will receive the quilt. She said sometimes members of Indian Village Pentecostal will sign their names to the quilt. The Men’s Prayer Group will anoint it with oil as it is written in the Bible.
“When they pray, they are committing themselves to praying for that person,” she said.
Savant describes the quilt as something like “touching a prayer.” She explained the quilt provides a tangible item for the receiver to hold especially during difficult times. It’s something that person can hold on to while praying and reflecting on their own spirituality and other life events.
When presenting a quilt to someone, the group has a card to go with it. There are instructions on the card describing how to care for the quilt – even on how to remove stains. It includes the following message – “Please feel free to use your prayer quilt. It was made to be a blessing each time you use it. Many prayers are represented by this quilt. This quilt is intended to comfort you. Jesus said He would be our comforter and this is merely a physical representation of that promise. I call it “touching a prayer.” It’s signed by Savant and includes the church and her email contact information.
“It’s a source of faith to be built upon,” Savant said. She said it takes several people to construct the quilt, each working on different parts. Savant explained one person cuts the fabric from a pattern they use continuously and puts together what they call “kits.”
After the kits are made, two people usually sews the tops together. Then two ladies iron the material in the process of making these quilts. Savant said one lady, who has a nicer handwriting than her, usually writes the scriptures on the material when scriptures are not printed on the material already. She said the group has created a book with scriptures that they use for these projects. The last person does the “sandwiching” portion of the project, which means adding the bottom, backing and piecing the tops together to complete the quilt.
Savant said all of this started because God guided her to creating the ministry. “God gave me an idea about 10 to 12 years ago.” She used to make the quilts by herself, but that got to be too much work for her. She said one day she was driving home from Kinder when the idea of the “Sew Blessed Prayer Quilt Ministry” came to her, and thus the ladies involved began a ministry to make a difference.
She said a member of the church was battling cancer, and she had a burden. She wanted to find a way to help. She knew they could pray together, but she wanted something to encourage them. She said God gave her the idea, and when she asked if someone wanted to join her, the ministry group came together.
Over the years, the group has shared this process with other area groups and churches, so that area could begin a quilt ministry. She said they only use one pattern, so if something happens, someone else can pick up the work and complete the project.
“I just do what God told me to do,” she said. “It’s God’s decision,” and she gives all of the glory to God.
She adds the ladies enjoy working together. “We enjoy it because we are real good friends. It’s fellowship time together. We are praying together; bonding together.”
An average quilt can take a week or two, sometimes longer, depending on how much time the ladies have to work on a project. When making quilts, Savant said sometimes the group learns about the recipient’s likes or illness and purchases fabric or colors that will be comforting to the person receiving the quilt. She said an example is breast cancer, and the color pink. In the cancers, she said they try to use the ribbon colors which represent the different types of cancer.
“We can’t always do it,” she said because they make many of the quilts ahead of time. Sometimes for a child, they may buy the child’s favorite color or a design depicting the child’s likes.
And as the years have gone by, Savant said they have had to put guidelines for the quilting process, because they receive many more requests than they can possibly make. She said some of the ladies are in their 80s.
Today, the ladies welcome anyone who wants to learn the process, volunteer their time, or share some unique ministry to join them. Savant said one member knew nothing about quilt making, so this is an educational process where people can learn. And if you have no sewing experience, the ladies need ironers, cutters and even writers of the Scripture which requires a nice handwriting. And not all members of the ministry belong to the congregation at Indian Village Pentecostal Church. One of the ladies in the ministry is a member of The Grand Church in Kinder. The ladies even receive donations from the community to continue the quilt making process. Savant said the church has been great in helping the ladies with supplies and support for this ministry. You can visit the church to learn more about becoming a volunteer.
Members of the ministry are Agnes McNabb and Martha Rosas who piece the pattern together. Rosas is a member of The Grand Church. Liz Miller is a cutter and makes the kits for the group. Ironers are Cat Savant and Ouida Baggett. Juanita Jackson, who is deemed the person with the best handwriting, writes the scriptures. Patty Savant is the quilter, finishing the final pieces.