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Good point, Risa! I started a card ministry at my small church in February. I send cards for birthdays, anniversaries and illness/sympathy. It has been very well received. Let me know if a support group gets started. Blessings to all!
__________________ My Gallery Team Jasper! "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" Mt. 6:21
I began a card ministry a little over a year ago at my church. Everyone runs theirs a little different, but here is how I do mine. There is a group of ladies who get together about once a month. Not so much since the summer so I'm basically doing all the work & I don't mind at all. Too much going on right now & I understand. We have Sympathy, Get Well, Birthday, Spiritual, etc. When I shared what I was doing with a friend - she called to tell me a store with a card spinner was closing & that I could have it - FREE!!! We do NOT charge the church members for the cards but do accept donations which I use to buy envelopes. I enjoy it & I believe the church members enjoy it too! We have even had requests. Good luck to you!
__________________ I like mayhem! Southern Heart-my blog
Good for you. Let me tell you, it is very rewarding. I am part of the Bereavement Committee at my church. I send cards on the first anniversary of someone's death to their loved ones. We (the Family Life Director and I) thought it would be better to send it then rather than at the time of the death. The loved one needs a little comfort at that first anniversary -- and I speak from experience.
My church has always had a very active prayer group that prays over all the requests every week as well as the ongoing requests. They send out cards weekly to let people know they have been prayed for. After receiving several of those cards myself this year, I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to be a good steward of my stamping supplies and start making cards for the prayer warriors to send out each week. They mostly want praying for you types of cards, get well, baby, cards for shut ins, and they send cards to widows and widowers on holidays with a Christ centered caring messge on the inside. They do not send out birthday and anniversary cards since it is a prayer group. I thought that I had lots of stamps, but found that I didn't necessarily have the right types of verse, etc. so I had to purchase even more. They were so happy to receive the cards that they sent me a thank you! It is difficult to find appropriate Christian cards for teenagers, children, loss of baby, suicide, etc. That is the great thing about making cards. I can taylor them to the prayer needs. I consider this my ministry to my church and donate all the supplies I use. It is a big commitment, but an even larger blessing! I'm subscribing to this thread. Please post cards in your gallery to share. Sometimes it is hard to come up with fresh ideas.
Blessings everyone!
I consider this my ministry to my church and donate all the supplies I use. It is a big commitment, but an even larger blessing!
EXACTLY! I
too am subscribing to this thread. Let's share our cards in the gallery an d inspire eachother! Should we put "ministry" in the keywords so we can search eachother?
I like the keyword "ministry" idea. I already have cards in my gallery. I will edit them and add ministry to the keywords. I hope others will do the same.
I've been feeling very blessed to have so much great stamping stuff, and this sounds like a great way to give back. I don't think my church has a card ministry so maybe I will talk to the pastors about it. I have a ton of birthday and thank you stamps, but just wondering if you have suggestions for where to get stamps with bible verses/encouraging msgs. I'm a new SU hobby demo so I know what they have, but anywhere else?
I've been feeling very blessed to have so much great stamping stuff, and this sounds like a great way to give back. I don't think my church has a card ministry so maybe I will talk to the pastors about it. I have a ton of birthday and thank you stamps, but just wondering if you have suggestions for where to get stamps with bible verses/encouraging msgs. I'm a new SU hobby demo so I know what they have, but anywhere else?
SU has a couple of sets with bible verses/encouraging messsages. Two that I can think of off the top of my head are Words of Wisdom (page 179 IB&C) and Brighter Tomorrow (page 180 IB&C).
From a quick check of my gallery, I have Bible verses and encouragement type verses from Stampablities (Hobby Lobby), www.Clear Dollar.com (clear stamps), TAC (unmounted rubber), CTMH (clear), and I know I also have Eureka Stamps/Biblical Expressions. I know I have others which I will try to add later. I find that I use one or two verses in sets most from companies like CTMH or SU! because they don't fit my needs. My LSS has great indidvidual stamps also.
Just wanted to say thanks for all the suggestions on where to find stamps. By the way, I really liked Morningstar Stamps' motto: "Rubber stamps to encourage, cheer, thank, bless and celebrate."
I guess I kind of sort of have experience in a few different card ministries. I am not a member of any of these churches.
One group meets monthly at a local church. We pay a dollar "dues" which goes for an ice cream or chinese food party every six months or so and donate a card (Or two ) each month. The cards are "sold" for a donation to church members who can use them how they wish. The Leader of the group and founder of the card ministry (we call ourselves the Rubber Band ) donates a lot more and lets us know what categories are needed or running low. Often choir members or other people will stop by and compliment our cards(or put in special requests)
A different group meets sporadically (different church) and usually for a particular event or holiday opening up a stamping opportunity to the general membership. This has been more or less successful and I have been surprised that many members are more concerned with making cards for their own personal use than for the particular charity (Local group home valentines or cards for soldiers) So we have talked about separating the stamping lessons and the assembly line production into two separate events..
I realize this is kind of topic drift, but it is a different side of "card ministries"
Biblical Impressions (or whoever bought them out now) has a lot of good verses.
We have a card ministry at church and here's what we do. We have a display card rack that I got off E-bay very cheap, and we have many stamped cards in it for anyone to take to send to someone to bless their day. There is a stamped sign at the top that says "Take a stamped card to bless someone today". We have a shoebox swap at the church a couple times a year to replenish the cards, and we are starting this month a get together of members to come and stamp. We have a donation can on the table if people feel so led to donate. It was someone's idea that takes our cards frequently to put out a donation can. If we do collect any money, we buy supplies with it. Having the cards on display like this really gets the members'/visitors' attention. We go through a lot of cards, and it is worth it when people come back and say how much so and so enjoyed receiving a handmade card. We have all types of cards available too - b-day for men, women, and kids, get well, sympathy, blank, thinking of you, anniversary, wedding, congratulations, different holidays, etc.
It's an awesome ministry to be involved in. It brightens someone's day and it gives me a good excuse to stamp.
Spent a little time in Hobby Lobby tonight and found lots of stamps with verses and encouraging sentiments made by Stampabilities. They were half off this past week. Seems like they have stamps on sale every couple of weeks so I'm sure they'll be on sale again soon.
johneroo, I was at HL adding to my Stampabilities stash, too. Then of course the big Biblical Expressions sale. My credit card has gotten a work out this week! Now I have to check out Morningstar.com. I'm so excited to hear of another company that sells Christian stamps.
Jami, Hope it goes well for you. It sounds like a big commitment, but the Lord will definitely bless you for it. I know a local church actually purchases stamps and supplies for their card ministry, which meets each week during the day. Another church used to try to meet once or twice a month, just to stamp together, but it didn't last long. One idea you might start with is making one layer cards, just an image on a white card, that maybe you color in. Or, if you are familiar with One sheet wonders, that is an easy way to make several beautiful cards. personally, I have resolved that when I come up with (or case) an idea that I like, I make between 6 and 10 identical cards, always keeping one for reference. It really doesn't take that much longer (usually) and why reinvent the wheel? Hope that helps and God bless you for giving your time talent and treasure!!!
Victoria
How is everyone doing today?
Just curious in your card ministries - do you notice cards (b'day, get well, etc.) that you are replenishing all the time!!!
Mine seem to be Get Well. I did make a few for Valentine's & they all sold.
Did you know that American Art Stamps has a few funny ones by Emerson. I've made several of those that people seem to enjoy. One says "Work for the Lord, the benefits are out of this world" and "Listen Honey, God did promise it would be easy, He just promised it would be worth it"
__________________ I like mayhem! Southern Heart-my blog
How is everyone doing today?
Just curious in your card ministries - do you notice cards (b'day, get well, etc.) that you are replenishing all the time!!!
Mine seem to be Get Well. I did make a few for Valentine's & they all sold.
Did you know that American Art Stamps has a few funny ones by Emerson. I've made several of those that people seem to enjoy. One says "Work for the Lord, the benefits are out of this world" and "Listen Honey, God did promise it would be easy, He just promised it would be worth it"
EDIT - they didn't SELL - they are FREE!!!
__________________ I like mayhem! Southern Heart-my blog
What a blessing that you have to keep replenishing your cards! I'm currently working on Easter cards for our shut-ins. That should keep me busy all weekend.
Our church provides a list of all our shut-ins and lists their birthdays and wedding anniversaries. We don't have a "group" that gets together and makes cards, but rather the list is in the lobby and updated a few times a year. The congregation is encouraged to send cards to them as their birthdays and anniversaries come up.
I have taken it upon myself to make cards for everyone on the list - I've been doing this for about 3 years now. I consider it my "ministry", along with the infant nursery during the Sunday School hour - I don't like being up in front of a group of people so I wouldn't want to teach.
The cards I make aren't necessarily real fancy, sometimes they are very very simple - but I have had some of the children of shut-ins tell me how much their parents liked the card.
I have been facilitating a card ministry at our church for the last year and a half. I am mainly involved in creating the cards and gathering the women together to make them. We then have a couple very gifted ladies who write inside the cards addressing whatever the needs are. The church office forwards prayer requests from friendship registers we fill out at service. We mostly send out cards of encouragement to hurting people, but also do get well cards, welcome baby, congratulations of various types. I am responsible for gathering all the supplies and creating the designs. Then approximately once a month of group of us (about 5-8 works best) meet at my house or the church and make from 40-100 cards depending on how difficult they are. I find it best if I prepare a lot of the materials first and make the designs simpler. We use a lot of scripture stamps on our cards. I can't tell you how blessed people feel getting a note of encouragement. And especially one that is homemade and handwritten.
2 of my stamping girlfriends and I hostess a card making ministry at our church almost every month. We ask people to pay $1/card (we have 3 designs) to cover expenses and purchase necessities (like tools for each table...). They are free to take their cards home and most send them out to others to bless them. We always have visitors so we look at our ministry as an outreach where ladies can bring their friends! Our ladies love it and since there are 3 of us working together it isn't too much burden for us.
I just volunteered to be the "Welcome and Membership" coordinator for my church and this thread has been very helpful. I do wish that SU would come out with some new religious stamp sets with the new catalog. I have in the past donated supplies to make cards/tags for our soldiers for Valentines Day. Most of the ladies loved doing this so I don't think I will have a problem getting volunteers to help. Now I am off to order stamps from some of the sites that were listed.
The membership of our chuch is small and I took over the card ministry for our group a little over a year ago. I make and send the B-Day and Anniversary cards. We have a couple of military families who are now reassigned out of state, but we also send them cards of encouragement. I agree with one of the comments earlier in that I view this as using my gifts for the church. Sometimes we tend to forget that not everyone is crafty or likes to create like we do. I hope those of you new to this type of work will receive a blessing in so doing.
I didn't read what others had wrote but at my church the ladies get a list of names of people who missed from the preachers wife (secretary) and there are three ladies and they take turns designing the cards and providing all the supplies to make them. The church provides the stamps and I think envelopes. I have never been in on a card making session as they do it during the day and I work and don't get home in time to go help. But they do very simple but nice cards, mostly layers. Not sure if this is what you want. I also send cards but just to people that I notice arn't there. OH YA you should go to the minister first and get an OK but I would think that it would be OK.
As a parent on our parent advisory committee for our youth group I make birthday cards for each youth group member and other ladies bake something to go along with it. It's a great ministry to the youth.
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Paul Simon
I am the secretary for a small church. We had a card club that met once a month and learned new techniques and did swaps. Everyone made one extra card that I was able to keep and use in the office to send as sympathy, thinking of you, get well, etc. We had a short devotional and sometimes a snack sometimes not.
Many members of the club had to move and there were very few of us left. We still meet once a month and do techniques and swaps. I am an avid card maker. I make birthday and anniversary cards for everyone at church. If I ever need a card I have plenty on hand. I love our little club. The most important thing is to do what you love and have a passion for and if you are being led to start a new ministry go for it. It can be rewarding.
__________________ Did you know nearly 1 in 2 Americans live with chronic illness? chronic illness?
I started a card ministry at our church about three years ago. What we did was pick up a couple of card racks from a Hallmark store that was closing and put them in the foyer of the church. I get together with anyone in the church that is interested once a month and we all make cards for the "card rack." The members can search through them and send them to anyone they want -- the cards are free to everyone. That way, all I have to do is make sure the cards are made and the card rack is stocked up with cards -- EASY. The money for the supplies to make the cards is supplied through a couple of church budget line items, and then I usually donate some items, as well as other members are now donating items. It's great fun and a great time for fellowship. It has lead to me teaching a couple of nights a month a card making and scrapbooking class for church members, friends, family and anyone in the community.
Good luck to all, and keep up the great card ministries.
Christy
We have a group of ladies in our church called the TLC (Tender Loving Care) Ministry and each group has a different outreach. I am part of the group who sends out cards of encouragement when our leader emails us (three cards are waiting for the mail man as I write this). We have a Wednesday night prayer meeting and we get many of our leads from the prayer needs. I also am part of another group that gets together occasionally to make cards for specific reasons, ie to say thank you to all of our Sunday School teachers, etc. We just made cards of gratitude for all the men who pray during the morning service while our pastor is preaching - a very important ministry. At the same time, I have chosen to send cards to our shutins and hurting on my own. I am thinking also about sending cards to our young families to encourage them as they raise their children for the Lord. It is also a tremendous encouragement to send a card occasionally to your pastor, pastor and wife and his wife - just to let them know together and separately that you love them and pray for them. Also if your church supports missionaries, that is another wonderful time to be an encouragement. Some of this may be a repeat of what others have said but I hope it is an encouragement for the ministry that the Lord has placed on your heart.
__________________ ShariW
Trust in the Lord with all thine Heart-Prov.3:5a
Card Ministry
