In 2022, St. Bart’s curate, Revd. Claire Aldridge, had the idea of marking the Thy Kingdom Come period by prayer walking around the whole parish.
Shortly after, Revd Claire began chatting about it with a couple of older ladies at our fortnightly older people’s drop-in group. They said that they would love to prayer walk the streets with us, but these days they felt they were “fit for nothing but knitting and crocheting.” Claire was firm in the belief that everyone has a part to play in the mission of God, and so she set about wondering what they could do to feel part of the event.
It was decided that anyone who wanted to would meet together for a few sessions and crochet some woollen crosses. Initially the idea was to do one for every house in the parish and deliver them alongside the leaflets we had already printed – but there are over 15,000 people in our parish, so we realised that was a bit optimistic! In the end, we settled for a woollen cross for every house on the newest housing estate in the parish, which we hadn’t yet really made any contact with. That still required several hundred crosses!
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This group met and faithfully crocheted away. Claire quickly learnt to make the crosses. (I also tried to learn… but with less success!).
When the Thy Kingdom Come time arrived, a group of us met every evening, at various locations around the parish. We walked and talked and prayed, and we put a leaflet through every single door, and a cross too for the new houses. We had lots of good conversations as we walked and encountered people. Those who couldn’t walk prayed and/or crocheted either at home or in church as we went.
Revd Claire, along with a few other people at church, realised how much the crocheting sessions had been enjoyed – there seemed to be some momentum there. So, she set up a group with the tagline ‘wool with a mission.’ Together they chose the name Woolly Warriors (narrowly beating Knitting Ninjas and Crocheting Crusaders…). Julie, one of the ladies involved, soon emerged as a clear leader for the group, and she was perfect for this role, having a passion for both the gospel, and all things crafty and creative.
They’ve done so many different projects in the time since then:
- Little woollen pairs of feet, which we give as gifts to babies who are baptised here.
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- Hearts and flowers and crosses, which they put in little bags along with a Bible verse and blessing, and hang on washing lines around the lych gate, with a note asking people to take them as they pass by – and many do, particularly those visiting the graveyard.
- Postbox toppers for a post-box round the corner from church. These are absolutely extraordinary creations, depicting festivals through the church year, or parables, and always with a note to explain what they’re about, and give a Bible reference. The husband of one of the group members is a wood turner, and he makes sure the creations stand upright on the post-boxes (he’s the honorary ‘Woody Warrior’). The post-box toppers have such a brilliant local reaction, and so many people comment on them.
- Poppies to sell for Remembrance Sunday.
They have also been able to do a few specific commissions, such as clothes for therapy dolls for an NHS urgent treatment centre; hearts for a local support group; and items for the local nursing home to sell at their summer fair.
The post-box toppers in particular serve to give people a ‘soft’ entry into the physical church. People see them and are interested, and we have had quite a few people asking about our group. It can be quite foreboding to come into the church, especially if you don't know anyone. Coming to a group that is open to everyone, even if you can only drink tea, chat and eat cake, provides a way into our church family.
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The group has reached around 15 members, some attending every week, and some coming as they can from time to time. It often extends to embrace others, such as when a church member brought a young mum she was befriending and supporting, and when a student from Portugal, studying in Liverpool for 2 terms, came along to learn to knit an to practice her English. One of the group members brings her granddaughter during the school holidays.
It’s a friendly, chatty, sociable group. Alongside the knitting and crocheting there’s a lot of talking, and an awful lot of tea and cake!
Church members support the group by donating wool, and often someone will see something when they’re out and about and bring a new idea / project the group might take on.
Claire says: “They really are yarn bombing the parish with scripture and love. I adore the group’s missional focus and the life it's given to draw into mission those who didn't feel like they could do much anymore, and also those who just need a place to be.”
Julie says: “My hope for the future is that we are able to reach out to more people who will come to know the Lord, to provide friendship, and to let those who think that they are too old, infirm or have no skills know that God has plans for us all.”
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