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This is a text-only version of an article first published on Tuesday, 1 July 2014. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
IF you go down to Woodstock Church today, you may well find a large group of teddy bears waiting to be cleaned, repaired and used as part of a new Prayer Bear initiative.
Jo and Sandy with the Prayer Bears.
The idea came from St Paul on the South Shore in Montreal, Canada, where Woodstock Team Rector the Revd Canon Adrian Daffern visited during his sabbatical last year.
A ministry he found working well was Prayer Bears.
Adrian said: " 'Members of the local community donate unwanted teddies to the church.
They are cleaned up and repaired, and then have a prayer tied around their neck with some contact details from the church.
Then people take the bears to people, who are lonely, or sad, or ill."Adrian brought a prayer bear back with him to Woodstock, where he is Team Rector, and thought the idea was worth a try here.
Having spoken about the prayer bears in a presentation about his time in Canada, Adrian was approached by two new members of the congregation who were interested in taking the project forward.
Prayers attached to the teddies are short, simple phrases or verses from the Psalms."Jo and Sandy have done a wonderful job," says Adrian.
"At first I think people were quite bemused - now we can't quite keep up with the demand.
People take one of the prayer bears with them on hospital visits, sick communions, or round to folks who don't get out much: it's wonderful to see the joy they bring, and with people, of all ages.
It's a tangible sign of our love and concern, and we're hearing some lovely stories from people about how much comfort, and even healing, is brought by the gift of one of these special teddies." ;