Prayer Bear ministry proves popular

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Religion & Ethics Writer

The Rev. Dr. Jon Bullock of the First Christian Church in Makiki shows off some of the several hundred stuffed animals donated to the church. Bullock is looking for places to donate the bears, such as nonprofit groups for the sick and elderly. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser Prayer Bear ministry To donate a teddy bear: Bring it to First Christian Church in Makiki, 1516 Kewalo St., between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. To request a teddy bear: Call the church at 521-3500 or e-mail office@fcchonolulu.org.

As a matter of fact, her friend who had a stroke is getting one of the stuffed animals sent to her in Texas.

"We've had requests for bears as far as as Wisconsin, Minnesota — maybe because it's cold up there — Texas and Nebraska," said the Rev. Dr. Jon Bullock, the interim pastor at First Christian Church in Makiki.

Originally, the church's Prayer Bear ministry program, modeled after police departments' Care Bears, started as a Christmastime project to collect bears and send them to local retirement centers. But the donations kept piling in, and now, Bullock said, the church is up to its paws in donated bears.

"We have several hundred bears now," said Bullock, who retired as pastor of Ke Anuenue O Ke Aloha. "It really started to take off."

Anybody can donate a teddy bear to the church. The bears are piled high in the sanctuary, and many have sat through several Sunday services at the Disciples of Christ church.

They each bear a tag: "This Prayer Bear has been blessed by its presence in our worship service at First Christian Church. It brings prayers of love, peace and joy to you today and always."

To continue the program, the church is seeking places to donate the collected bears, including local nonprofit groups for the sick and elderly. The church pays the shipping costs to send the bears out.

"It's a fun thing," said Bullock, who adds that showing up on a hospital visit with one in his arms has proven to be an effective ice breaker. "The first week, the youth of church were invited to grab as many as they could, and hugged them. If we can be known as 'the hug church,' that's OK with me."

And Whitman, an elder at the church who has been collecting them from her co-workers as well as fellow churchgoers, notes that the recipients of the bears are giving even more than they're getting.

"We feel like we're getting blessed, rather than us blessing them," she said. "It's for people who need a friend."