850 GOOD NEWS: The prayer card ministry changing lives

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - In Lynn Haven, pen, paper, and prayer are making a big impact-- one envelope at a time.

A group of women at First Baptist Church in Lynn Haven is turning handwritten cards into hope for people who need it most.
And that’s what makes this story 850 good news.

This ministry built on encouragement has come full circle.

The names on these cards come from everywhere-- church members, social media and real-life encounters.
People facing health challenges, job loss or family changes.

“They’re important, and what they’re going through is important enough for us to pray for them, to encourage them,” said card ministry founder Pat Johnson.

The idea for this prayer card ministry came to Patricia in 2023.

“I said, ‘You know what? Nobody’s doing this. We have people who can’t get to church anymore,’” said Johnson.

Her pastor approved, and the card ministry was born.

“Once a week,” said Johnson.

They’ve been at it for more than two years.

“We write cards,” said Johnson.

Sometimes it’s ten cards, sometimes thirty-- depending on the need.
And it all starts with prayer, then the yellow book.

“We have a yellow book that we’ve used since the beginning and it has every name of everybody we’ve ever written,” said Johnson.

Then, the writing begins.

“It’s just whatever comes from our heart,” said Johnson.

And those words don’t go unnoticed.

“I open the card, and I go to reading this handwritten note, and I just teared up,” said card recipient Martha Ross.

At the time, Martha and her husband Robert were dealing with major health issues.

“I found it extremely encouraging and uplifting,” said Martha Ross.

The cards between Pat and Martha turned into calls. Calls turned into friendship.
A friendship that came full circle when Patricia needed it most.

“They even encourage me now that I have some health issues too,” said Johnson.

Now, Pat, Martha and her husband, Robert, say they’re more like family.

“I had no idea that I was going to get these cards, and so it just meant so much to me coming from my church family,” said Robert Ross.

For Pat, it’s all about living out the message she’s been writing all along.

“God tells us we are to lift each other up, to encourage one another, to bear one another’s burdens,” said Johnson.

From a simple card to a shared burden, this card ministry proves sometimes, the smallest gestures leave the biggest impression.

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