Prayer Ministries Works to Blanket UCC

By Autumn Dunzweiler

UCC communications coordinator

Upper Columbia Conference prayer ministries began a remarkable project that is impacting the lives of many of its constituents. The prayer blanket ministry began with the goal to provide a blanket to each church and school in the conference. 

“When the idea of this project was brought to me, I felt so impressed that this was something we needed to do for Upper Columbia Conference,” shared Kathy Marson, UCC prayer ministries coordinator. “This ministry will work to blanket the conference in prayer.”

The prayer blanket ministry was designed to create fleece tie-blankets, which would then be given to churches or schools. Upon receiving the blankets, a group would gather to tie knots in the blanket while praying. Once the blanket was completed, it would be gifted to someone within the church, school, or community who was going through a challenging time. The recipient would be the focus of prayers and blessings as they received this beautiful blanket.

“As I took on this project, we decided that we would pre-cut each of the 160 blankets before they were presented to the churches and schools at the 2023 Constituency Session,” explained Marson. Realizing the need for assistance, the group opened up the opportunity for a one-day mission.

The first one-day mission welcomed 20 volunteers, eager to help cut in the 5-hour time frame. At the end of the first day 29 blankets were completed. With only two weeks left before constituency, there was pressure to complete the other 131 blankets. 

“Several volunteers offered to help each afternoon to get more blankets completed. We also set another one-day mission project the following Sunday,” said Marson. “We managed to complete 71 blankets that week, totaling 100 blankets! We only had 60 left to complete, and my brain was having a hard time computing this.”

The final one-day mission involved 10 volunteers who miraculously completed the remaining 60 blankets. “I don’t know how it was possible, but I know God was involved,” shared Marson. “He helped us complete this project.”

At the 2023 Constituency Session, the prayer blankets were beautifully presented around the UCA gym for the constituents. During worship, before the session began, David Jamieson, UCC president, invited attendees to go and pray while tying some of the knots on the blankets. The blankets were blessed with hundreds of prayers. Then at lunch, constituents were invited to take a blanket back to their church or school. 

Each blanket featured a label that read, “From Upper Columbia Conference and prayed over at the Constituency Session.” Directions for creating these no-sew fleece tie blankets can be found at uccsda.org/prayer. The concept is simple: create a prayer blanket and gift it to someone you are praying for, spreading warmth and love throughout the community.