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Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee

Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee Interchange Reports

Spring 2015 Interchange

One book: A Sustainable Life
BYM's Ministry and Pastoral Care committee recommends Douglas Gwyn's A Sustainable Life as a one-book in preparation for Annual Session 2015. Gwyn combines a deep understanding of Quaker values with insight into the workings of the spirit and a far-reaching sense of our need to be in right relationship with the world. These virtues can solidify our foundation for contributing to and opening to Annual Session.

Winter 2015 Interchange

Issues Raised in Spiritual State of the Meeting Reports

Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee’s brief analysis of 2013 reports identified seven issues, each of which was raised in six or more reports. They were:

1. Conflict within the Meeting and people feeling safe in participating freely in Meeting (e.g., in speaking) (11 reports)
2. Attracting young people and young families (10)
3. First Day School and religious education for children (8)
4. Property and its care (8)
5. Participation (e.g., on committees) (7)
6. Welcoming new people (6)
7. Building community in the Meeting (6)

If these issues are of concern in your Meeting or Worship Group, you are not alone. Help is available from the Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee, as well as other BYM committees.

As your Meeting or Worship Group prepares its report for the year just past, please consider whether MPC might help you with one of these or other issues. While some issues, like property or religious education, are not in MPC’s immediate area of concentration, the committee would be pleased to serve as points of contact for MPC issues and to provide guidance to other committees.

Fall 2012 Interchange

Queries for Worship Sharing at Annual Session 2012

Committee members who facilitated worship sharing at Annual Session around the theme of Spirit-Led Social Action reported that their groups had found the queries meaningful enough that they hoped for sharing with a wider audience. We offer them below.

(Food for thought: Does spiritual growth lay the groundwork for social action, or does social action lay the groundwork for spiritual growth?)

Wednesday: What is the most difficult thing you have ever done as a personal witness for peace or justice?

Thursday: Tell about a time in your life when you experienced a deep sense of being at peace. How did it happen, and what was it like?

Friday: Have you had the experience of listening deeply and lovingly to someone with whom you disagreed? What happened?

Saturday: Tell about a time when you felt you really made a difference. What would enable you to make more of a difference in the world?

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