Prayer Shawls

Things made with love can communicate love. Esther Mae Long, a resident at Greencroft Retirement Center in Goshen, Ind., ministers to people suffering from grief or loss through gifts of handknit shawls.  Each is accompanied by a note, which says:

You, whoever you are, are very special to God. This Prayer Shawl was made with you in mind. Our prayer for you is: That God may guide you, keep you, and instruct you into all truth. May this shawl, as you fold it over you, keep you warm in his love, close to his heart, and at peace with yourself and others.

"People have expressed to me that as the shawl is wrapped around them they receive a peace that is inexplicable," Esther says. "I believe this is from the 'bank of prayers' that go into the making of these shawls. Every stitch is a prayer."

NEW:  In February women from Gulf States Mennonite Conference received 170 prayer shawls made by women from Atlantic Coast and Lancaster conferences. “This shawl is the most beautiful reminder of how much God loves us, and how much God’s people love us,” said Donna Duplessis, who lost her home in the hurricane, in the Mennonite Church USA story about this unique Sister-Link.

Karen Yoder of Macon, Miss., pictured right, is past president of Gulf States Mennonite Women and one of the coordinators of this Sister-Link.

Here are easily printable instructions for making the shawls (knit and crochet options). The Shawl Ministry website has additional instructions, tips, and prayers you might use.