The super-secret surprise that Quiltteacher and I worked on has officially been presented and can now be revealed, it's a stole for our Senior Pastor! It has twenty-three small picture panels based on Old Testament stories done by the elementary Sunday school children. Today he was honored on the occasion of his twenty year anniversary at our church, it was a celebration of great proportion! Our Bishop preached, there was a brass ensemble providing music along with our choir during the worship service, and we hosted over 350 members and guests for a box-lunch meal following the service in our Family Life Center. It was a day to be remembered and cherished. Back a few months ago our Youth and Family Ministries Director approached me with her idea for the stole. I wasn't sure, at all, how to even begin construction on one, that's where Quiltteacher came in. She has made a veritable stole wardrobe for her sister-in-law, also a Lutheran Pastor. She was happy to help. We snuck into Pastor's robing room one day and made a paper pattern off a stole we knew to be the proper length. From there it was simply a matter of creating a layout with the blocks that the children had done and making it all fit. The twenty third block is on the back of the collar, it was turned on point and trimmed; perfection! I added the piping between the blocks to separate them, it adds a nice line of definition and dimension. We chose the green color for the longest season of the church year, the Sundays after Pentecost, when we thought he'd most appreciate a change of "clothes". I don't know who was more excited about the gift, Pastor or the children. See below two details of the illustrated blocks and the child-artists clamoring for a close-up look at their own handiwork in it's new form when the surprise was revealed!
It was a glorious day of celebration, tomorrow it will be back to work for our hard working Pastor; but today was "his" day to enjoy the well wishes, the gifts and the congratulations for twenty amazing years of dedicated service to God's church and a congregation that deeply appreciates him!
Life is Good!
18 comments:
What a wonderful idea! I know that your pastor will always treasure this work of art! The children will never forget the part they played. Great job! You deserve a big pat on the back!:-)
Yes it was a grand day! Thanks for the chance to help with the surprise. The smile on his face was priceless. And yes you need a 830!
What a wonderful gift to present your pastor. I can imagine the children's excitement as it was given to him.
Thanks for sharing this. You and Quiltteacher did a B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L thing.
Hugs
Spectacular!!!! Don't you just KNOW he is thrilled...what an awesome gift!
It is wonderful!!!! I knew it would be! Good job!
It is beautiful. What a wonderful gift!
What a beautiful stole. Having made more than a few I know what goes into a project like that. I made an advent one with 3" log cabins. I loved the kids pictures. Great job!
What a great way to honor the pastor and the children!
WOW!!!!!
Can't think of more imaginative or thoughtful gift.
LOVE days like this!
What a lovely way to bring forth and celebrate a spiritual symphony of the meaning of creating and giving. I'm can only imagine how everyone must have felt.
...you are the piping goddess now for sure.
What a beautiful work of art. I know the pastor and the children were thrilled, but it must have been very exciting and rewarding to know that you did all that beautiful work. Congratulations, Job Well Done.
All that piping...you are a piping machine.
What a marvelous idea! I was telling the pastor of the church at the kindergarten and he didn't seem to even be able to imagine a stole in anything but white silk with a cross embroidered on both sides. "In America they have FUN stoles!" but I don't think he believed me! I'll see if I can print out your picture and show it to him!
This turned out JUST GREAT!!!! Wow!!!!!!
Bonnie
How AWESOME is this??!!!! How have I missed this post until now? Holy cow. What a cool, cool gift and what a lucky man your Senior Pastor is!
You inspire me!
I´m allways looking for projects to work with childs. So this is a great project! A wonderful idea! AND a great work! Thanks for sharing! Bea
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