Help Me Help Stitchin' Mission

Some of you may know that I have a quiltmaking ministry called Stitchin' Mission. (Read more about it on my Stitchin' Mission website here.)

I usually keep my personal blogging separate from Stitchin' Mission activities, but this is a time when I am asking for everyone's help. I need your votes to win a $1,000 grant for Stitchin' Mission.

Background

Stitchin' Mission (SM) developed in January 2005, as I offered beginner quiltmaking lessons at my church, Lutheran Church of Hope. After several series of lessons at Hope, I was invited to teach beginning quiltmaking at a nearby Evangelical Free church. I did so, and since then, churches of all denominations have hosted SMs - including one SM at an Anglican church, in Sydney, Australia. Ninety-nine percent of the quilts made by students have been donated to the host church's mission of choice.

To date, 689 people have participated in free Stitchin' Mission beginner quiltmaking lessons, with 895 baby quilts going to missions throughout the world. (See the world map here.)

Where Stitchin' Mission is Going

I often receive inquiries about having SM lessons in other locations (California, Ohio, etc.), but thus far I have been limited by how far I can travel in the Des Moines, Iowa area, to teach the series of five weekly lessons. For several years, it has been my prayer that God will lead and grow SM where He chooses. I believe God's opening a door.

Through an organization called "Dream Big, Grow Here," SM has the chance to win a $1,000 grant. With the grant, my dream would be to put SM lessons on video and, accompanied by a coordinator's guide, made available to churches throughout the US and world.

To win the $1,000 grant, I need your help!

The winner is determined by which dream receives the most votes.

Beginning Monday, August 16 (at noon, US Central time), you can cast an on-line vote for SM. Votes are being collected until noon Tuesday, August 31. You can vote every day!

The July dream/grant-winner won with 2,000 votes. Can you help me help SM surpass that number?

Beginning August 16 cast your vote by clicking on the badge below, or click on the voting badge on the right side bar. Only one vote permitted per day, per computer network.

These badges take you directly to the SM "Dream Big Grow Here" site at http://tinyurl.com/vote4SM

Even better... grab the badge (right side bar) and post it on your own blog to get more people to vote for SM.

Remember to vote daily through August 31!

Thank you so much, friends, for helping me help Stitchin' Mission.

If you're in the Des Moines, Iowa area, tune in to Praise 940 AM radio on Thursday, August 19 at 8 a.m. I'll be talking about Stitchin' Mission as a guest on Maxine Sieleman's half-hour program!