Wrapped In Prayer and Care   Sometimes we need a tangible reminder of the love and care that surround us in our GPC family. Congregational Care has begun a new ministry to give just that. The Prayer Shawl Ministry offers a warm, soft hand-knit shawl to those who are sick in body or in spirit. Knit by members and friends of the congregation, the shawls are a way of surrounding the hurting with prayer and the loving care of the church family.    Knitters receive a prayer to pray as they knit a prayer shawl:   I knit a mantle of protection. I knit a mantle of wholeness. I knit a mantle of healing. I knit a mantle of patience. I knit a mantle to enfold you. I knit a mantle to encircle you I knit a mantle to empower you.. As I knit I ask for these blessings In the name of Jesus; the Savior, The Healer, and the Lifter of Pain; And in the name of the Holy Spirit: The Comforter, the Consoler, The Sustainer of Life. Amen   The recipent of the prayer shawl also receives a card about the shawl with these words:   This gift of a prayer shawl is a reminder of God’s ever present love—as near to you as your own skin is to your body…Wear it or drape it on your lap whenever you like; when you pray, when you work, when you read, or rest or worship. Wear it when you are drawn to prayer or when you have no interest in prayer but need to be reminded of God’s love and care for you.   To knit a shawl for this ministry, instructions are available from the church office or download a copy here. To request a prayer shawl for someone, contact Charlotte Spencer, Chair of Congregational Care, or Mary Beth Lawrence.