While we continually concentrate on supporting several areas of local and long-distance outreach such as with V.B.S, our weekly newspaper articles, answering a seemingly never-ending stream of benevolent needs, financial support of several brotherhood efforts and so on, we here at the Cleveland church of Christ have found our most all-inclusive and well-supported outreach program to be that of supplying beautiful, quality, hand-made articles of appropriate clothing to those who need them most. Hundreds of home-made knitted and crocheted items such as many, many lap robes for wheelchair patients and afghans to Oklahoma Veteran’s Centers, “preemie” and cancer caps to several Tulsa hospitals and health centers, lap robes and afghans to local area facilities such as the Community Service Center right next door, teddy bears and children’s afghans and blankets to the Department of Health and Human Services, and many other items have been, and continue to be, lovingly provided, delivered and distributed free of charge in the Name of Christ.

This is only made possible by the very generous benevolent suppport lovingly given to the very hard-working ladies who actually create these beautiful items, from both individual Christians and also in the form of their monthly “yarn allowance.”  Our ladies meet each thursday afternoon at 2:00, and each thursday evening at 7:00 to learn, craft, knit, and crochet – and share some great fun and fellowship along the way. Many of these good and devoted sister-saints have never knit or crocheted before, while some did many years ago. But the bottom line is that one of them has been crafting continually for over 35 years and is teaching the rest of them everything from the most basic stitches to reading and following the most complicated patterns on their own! Many of those who never thought they could, do indeed, from the oldest to the youngest… and love in the form of soft, warm, cuddly and cozy craft items continue to be turned out in the Name of Christ to those most in need. See them in some of these pictures for yourself!

And we would also like to extend an invitation to any of our sisters from around the local and Tulsa area congregations - be they elder’s wives, deacon’s wives, preacher’s wives, or any of our interested sisters in Christ who would like to come and learn these skills and help contribute to these good works, to please come and join our ladies on thursdays for a while and then take the skills you’ve learned back to the sisters in your home congregations and start your own craft fellowship. All are welcome; the work is rewarding; the fellowship is fantastic; and the benefits are “out of this world!” To God be the Glory; always and in all ways! Amen!