Also attending the meeting as members of the Helping Hands Prayer Shawl Ministry were Ruby Norman, Dot Biles, Tucky Carlisle and Venita Proctor.

After a show of hands indicated that knitting was new to the West End group, the Rev. Halbrooks offered encouragement to those willing to learn.

“If I learned how to knit anyone can,” he stated. “The main thing is don’t get discouraged. Sometimes I want to throw what I’m working on out in the yard. I watch Braves games and knit and pray. It’s a good therapy for me. I’d say God has blessed me in the knitting I do probably as much or more that those who receive and use the shawls.”

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“Let me say that Bobby Ray was the hardest person you can imagine to teach how to knit,” said Norman, chairwoman of the ministry. “But he’s the glue that holds our group together. The camaraderie we have is unbelievable. We all do this with the same purpose and it’s not for self-glory but for the glory of God.”

“A part of our ministry is to go to other churches and teach their members how to knit prayer shawls,” Norman pointed out. “We’ll work hand in hand with you to get your ministry started.”

Knitting bags were presented to each member of the West End UMC and the last part of the meeting was devoted to learning the basics of knitting.