Dial-A-Devotion brings church to the homebound

Helen Baskett couldn’t stand to see it go.

A resident of a nursing home in Fayette, Baskett stayed connected to her Methodist church with Dial-A-Devotion, the church’s prerecorded prayer phone line. But four years ago, she learned that Paul H. Linn Memorial United Methodist Church planned to discontinue the service that seemed to go unused.

Unable to attend Sunday services, a bedridden Baskett couldn’t have that happen.

To persuade the church to keep Dial-A-Devotion available, she called the line several times a day just to boost the numbers on the small recorder’s counter.

When Baskett passed away at age 95 in April 2005, the numbers of people calling Dial-A-Devotion was high enough to keep it in service, largely because of Baskett’s support.

Today, Dial-A-Devotion lives on.

“She just loved getting those little religious messages on the telephone,” said Marjorie Baskett, Helen’s stepdaughter-in-law. “It was a great help to her.”

Dial-A-Devotion was started for homebound and nursing

home parishioners more than 15 years ago. The number is listed in the Yellow Pages, inviting any curious phonebook flipper to call.

“It’s kind of an interesting ministry,” said the Rev. Daniel Hilty of Linn Memorial Methodist Church. “We don’t know who’s calling in or where they’re coming from. I hope it’s really helping people.”

The three- to four-minute prayers are written and recorded by church member Donna Stearns. She, too, was friends with Helen Baskett and remembers her devotion to the phone line.

Stearns tapes Dial-A-Devotion in the cramped copy room of the church every few Sundays, always reading a prayer and a sermon-like explanation that correlate with events on the Christian calendar.

It sometimes takes more than one try to get it right, Stearns said.

“Every once in a while one of the kids will run in there and slam the door, and I have to start over,” she said with a smile. “I don’t mind.”

The devotional always ends with Stearns reading parishioners’ joys and concerns, whether it be praise for a newborn child or prayer petitions for the injured or sick.

Last week’s prayer request remembered three dozen church members.

“This is my way of helping get thoughts and prayers out there,” Stearns said. “Sometimes people just need to hear some words of comfort, whether it’s in the middle of the day or at 3 in the morning.”

Currently, the prayer line explains the origins of St. Patrick’s Day and the meaning of the shamrock. The next topic on Dial-A-Devotion will be an explanation of the Easter celebration.