The Messiah’s Quilter Bees, the quilting ministry of Messiah’s Church in Clay, N.Y., sprang to life in an unusual, circuitous way.

I had been known to say, “I’ll never quilt! Who wants to cut fabric into little pieces and sew them back together?” But God had other plans.

It all started with a serious health situation. I was diagnosed in fall 2014 with a precancerous pancreatic cyst and underwent major surgery the following January. The recovery was long and difficult, and along with it went considerable weight loss. Rather than buy new clothes I wanted to alter the ones I had, but my sewing machine was old and unreliable.

So off I went to purchase a new sewing machine. It seemed that all the ladies at this particular store, both the staff and their customers, were quilters. Rubbing elbows with them at machine owner’s classes caused quilting to rub off on me!

I contacted a long-time friend that I knew was an avid quilter and asked if she could help me learn. She is a believer, and the leader of her church’s quilting ministry. It was through her group that I was introduced to Scripture quilts—quilts with Scripture verses handwritten on individual quilt blocks and then sewn together. Her group makes and gives these quilts to the sick, the bereaved, and the missionaries of their own church.

When I saw that first Scripture quilt I thought of one of our congregation’s dear older members who had become homebound. I made up the quilt and, on behalf of our congregation, another member and I delivered it to her. She loved it! We hoped it would be a reminder to her of God’s love for her, and of her church family’s love for her too.

Shortly after that first quilt, I received word that the blanket supply of the palliative care department at one of our local hospitals was low. That department accepts donations of afghans and quilts to give to patients when they are deemed terminal. When palliative care services deems a terminally ill patient ready to receive a blanket, a hospital volunteer brings a rolling cart to their room with a stack of blankets for them to choose from.

I mentioned this need to another of our members, with the Scripture quilts in mind, and she jumped at the opportunity. In no time, six additional ladies were on board. We all understood the impact God’s Word could have on the patients, their families, and staff as these quilts are placed across the foot of the patient beds, on display for all to see.

I contacted the hospital to offer our Scripture quilts, but the initial reaction wasn’t exactly warm. The first person I spoke with wasn’t interested but said she would run it by her boss. Praise be to God, her boss was thrilled with the concept! One of our members, Anne, came up with the name Messiah’s Quilter Bees. Then, meeting at my home, we all got to work.

Out of the seven of us, only two knew how to make a quilt from start to finish. Actually, only two of us really knew how to even sew at the beginning. But all were ready and willing to try their hand at the various aspects of quilt-making.

Today, the jobs are divided based on what each member is inclined to do: some sew straight seams, some cut and press fabric, some write out the verses on the individual blocks, and some tackle several of the jobs. After the blocks are created and the verses have been written on them, they come back to me to be sewn together to create the quilt tops. We meet two weeks later to assemble the quilt layers into a “sandwich” consisting of the top, batting, and flannel backing. These sandwiches are then machine quilted. I finish the quilts by binding and labeling them. It takes us two separate two-hour sessions per month to finish four quilts. Since we have become more efficient, we intend to make five quilts per month this year. We plan to set the fifth quilt aside for when other needs arise within—or even without—our congregation.

Regarding palliative care, we have been told the Scripture quilts don’t stay on the rolling cart very long and the patients are happy to receive them. The department has received numerous notes from patients and families expressing their gratitude. One patient wrote a beautiful thank-you note directly to us expressing how much the quilt meant to her and how much comfort and encouragement it gave her.

Since starting our ministry three and a half years ago, we have had the privilege and blessing of providing the hospital with 92 Scripture quilts. We have made additional Scripture quilts for Messiah’s Church members and others as a comfort for them as they have endured various trials such as surgeries, chemotherapy, and the loss of loved ones.

Currently, I’m the only member that knows how to take a quilt from start to finish. Our other quilter is on maternity leave. But, with so many so willing to do their part and to do it well, as unto the Lord, we are still able to keep this ministry going. And, based on our model, I believe it is a very reproducible ministry.

Our God is a God of beauty and order, and quilting reflects both of these qualities. What a privilege to combine the beauty and order of a quilt with the beauty of God’s Word. It is a further blessing to use it as a witness to the lost and to minister to His people at a time when comfort and encouragement are most needed.

Our ministry began with a serious health situation. I would not have started quilting if it were not for the subsequent surgery and the difficult recovery that ensued. God continues to use that very trial to bring His Word to the terminally ill and the lost. Amen!

Sue Pikarsky, along with her husband, Rob, is a member of Messiah’s RPC in Clay, N.Y., a suburb of Syracuse. She is a “very retired registered nurse” who wishes she had started quilting decades ago.