Prayers & Squares Quilters

Prayers and Squares is an organization that makes quilts and prayer squares to be tied by people while they say a prayer for the recipient of the quilt/square.   It is considered a prayer ministry rather than a quilt ministry.
 

Members of the church may request a quilt for any person in need.  The requirements are that the person receiving the quilt knows it has been requested and has agreed to receive it.  This is partly because of privacy issues and also to assure that the person wants the prayers of the congregation.  
 
Quilts are always a gift but donations are accepted.
 

The Shepherd of the Valley Prayers and Squares group started in 2000.   To date over 340 quilts have been tied here along with quite a few prayer squares.   There was a larger group of women making quilts in the first years but with people moving away, etc. we now have only 3 that are helping with the quilt making and layering.  We have also been making prayer squares that have been given to the chaplains at Grossmont hospital for their work with patients there.
 

The lap sized quilts are sewn at home and then we meet usually once a month on the 3rd Wednesday in the morning at church to put the layers together and put the ties in.
 
We have a supply of quilts in the closet so we hope that someone looking for a quilt will find one there that will suit the recipient.  We have sometimes made a quilt of a particular color, etc. after we receive a request.
 

For several years we have given each child or adult being baptized a quilt.  We also have made twin bed sized quilts in the spring for our high school graduates.  We ask for their preference for color.   Then on a Sunday before graduation the students are asked to be in church for a chance to be recognized by the congregation and their quilts are tied. 
 
When a quilt has been requested we ask the pastor to say a prayer for the person at the worship service.