Church gives out prayer bears to struggling people

By Heidi Robinson*

Cancer survivor Wayne Johnson holds a prayer bear given to him by members of Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Elk Creek, Va. UMNS photos by Heidi Robinson.

ELK CREEK, Va. (UMNS)--Wayne Johnson recalls the day his doctor told him to go home and get his affairs in order. The 52-year-old was not expected to survive surgery to remove his tumor-filled kidney, particularly on the heels of an earlier heart surgery.

"My two kids were sitting right there with me," he recalls. "Can you imagine what that was like? A doctor tells you to figure out things like wills and where you want to be buried."

Waiting for the surgery proved to be the hardest on Johnson and his family. Too sick to work at his coal company and too weak to leave the house, "I just prayed to God to let me live to raise Nick and Ashley," he says.

Hope came from an unexpected source: a stuffed teddy bear from a local United Methodist church--and the prayers it symbolized.

"I was literally sitting there dying," says Johnson. "My daughter's friend Taylor came in to the house after she'd been at church. I was so sick I didn't even get off the couch. And she handed me this bear."

Around its neck was a tag with this message:
"This bear has been among the congregation of Mount Zion United Methodist. It has heard the Word read and taught, prayers prayed, and songs of praise sung. It now comes to you, with prayers for your comfort, strength and healing. May the Lord bless you and keep you in His care."

Johnson and his family were not members of Mount Zion but, but the church was his first stop when he was able to walk on his own following his surgery.

"I knew the people of that church, and I knew the strength of their prayers," he says. "I wanted to thank them … for this bear. It's the anointing of the bear. There is a lot of love in this bear. There is a lot of healing."

Sharing hugs and prayers
Johnson is one of hundreds of people who have been touched by the Mount Zion "prayer bears" ministry. While the church averages between 50 and 60 people in Sunday worship, the congregation has given out more than 300 teddy bears in the last two years to people in need. Each comes with a message of encouragement.

Nestled in the rolling hills near Elk Creek, the small white church is one of five congregations that Pastor Bill Shupe serves. Mount Zion's prayer bear ministry has inspired other churches on his circuit to launch similar ministries.

"It is not always the big things people do that touch lives and inspire hearts," says Shupe. "It is in fact often the small things … given when someone needs them most. A phone call to check on a friend, a hug, and yes, a teddy bear that remind people who are hurting that we, the church, are praying for them in their pain."

The ministry began when Pam Southerland, a lay leader and administrative assistant to the pastor, was experiencing painful symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Her sister, a United Methodist pastor, gave her a teddy bear from her church to remind her that she was receiving prayer and support. Out of her own personal experience came Mount Zion's prayer bear ministry.

"I bought a few bears and brought them into the church and put the tags on them," she says. "I asked the congregation if they would take them to the people on our church prayer list. Then, I invited folks to bring in other bears to be tagged and sent out to anyone who was sick, homebound, hospitalized or just needed encouragement."

The ministry took off. Families would donate stuffed animals and others would take them out in armloads to distribute throughout the community. As the ministry approaches its third year, church member Sherry Hale talks about the ripple effect and the joy of seeing others "pay it forward."

"Folks who have received the bears and come through their hard time are now giving their bears away … to bring hope to other people who need it," she says.

Shupe loves the congregation's enthusiasm. "It's something everyone can do … no matter the age. The bears give everyone a chance to reach out to people in need," he says.

Cuddly ambassadors
On any given Sunday, visitors to the church will find more than people in the pews. Teddy bears perch next to 94-year-old Miss Ester and are also clutched in the arms of children listening to the sermon. As the final hymn ends, people thoughtfully select a furry ambassador of hope for a friend, neighbor or family member.

"I'm getting one for my math teacher," says 11-year-old Micah Pike. "She has breast cancer, and I want her to know we are praying and pulling for her."

His 9-year-old sister, Dara, has selected a bear, too. "My neighbor's wife died. He is really sad. I don't want him to feel lonely," says the fourth-grader.

On the back of each bear's tag are the church address and an invitation to share how the bear helps.

"People write us cards, and letters," says Southerland. "… Folks say that knowing we were praying for them during their time of trouble helped them heal. Of course, it's not just us…. It's God. That's what is great."

*Robinson is a freelance producer based in Winston-Salem, N.C.