Greetings!
Aging In The Light: The Needs of Older Friends  This issue of the Pastoral Care Threadletter presents articles about supporting aging Friends. Awareness of issues related to aging can be of great benefit to Friends aging-in-place and the meeting community. The stories below describe how opportunities to share our concerns on aging are essential to the life of the meeting for all generations. Peace be with you, George Schaefer Care and Aging Coordinator
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Message from the Field
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A Meeting Retreat on Issues of Aging:
Process and Planning
 After hearing a presentation about the Quaker Aging Resources project, it became clear to Friends at Haddonfield Meeting that we could benefit from a longer conversation on aging. With the support of the meeting, an Aging Retreat Planning committee was formed.
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Reflection from Experience
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Small Groups: Large Gains in Pastoral Care
 One simple, effective means of reintegrating isolated older people into the life of a monthly meeting is to form interest groups. Groups that meet during the day will tend to attract retired people, and can focus on any topic--memoir writing, spiritual study, singing, mutual support for decluttering, knitting, or tai chi, for example.
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Resource
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Quaker Aging Resources Website
  The Quaker Aging Resources (QAR) website is designed to assist Meetings and individuals in responding to the needs of aging Friends including age related changes, chronic illness or disability. The resources are uphold a culture of care for the body, mind, spirit and community of the individual in a way that is consistent with our Quaker faith, and address a range of issues.
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Pastoral Care Newsletter Archive
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Dealing with Aging
 Those of us who are involved in pastoral care in Friends meetings and churches need to begin to talk about the process of growing older. Many Friends want their meeting to be a place where they can share their concerns about aging. It is important for Care & Oversight Committees to seek opportunities to initiate such conversations.
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Pastoral Care Calendar
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PYM Pastoral Care Thread Gathering:
February 23, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Gwynedd Meeting
Gathering opportunity for Friends active in the ministry of caring for Friends in our Meetings
February 8-10, Pendle Hill
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Bulletin Board
|  Share news, events and resources. To suggest a posting send details to PastoralCare@pym.org.
John Yungblut, shares the experience of contemplative prayer in facing many forms of diminishment.
Covers late-life creativity, spirituality, lifelong learning, and humanistic gerontology.
Center for Courage & Renewal offers unique opportunities to align your inner truth with your outer life, helping you reconnect who you are with what you do. Find out about "The Journey Toward an Undivided Life: A Courage & Renewal Retreats". Dancing With God Through The Storm is a Pendle Hill pamphlet that explores the connection between mysticism and mental illness. Included are the stories of many Friends describing their experience of mysticism. |
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Thank you Friend!
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PYM Pastoral Care is published bi-monthly to help strengthen our faith community through communication, connections and relationships.
Please forward this newsletter to friends and families in your meeting so that information about the Yearly Meeting programs can reach them directly. Just click the Forward to a Friend button in the column to the right of this message.
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Spirituality & Aging Project
grant awarded
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PYM receives grant for receiving Spirituality & Aging Project
An expansion of Quaker Aging Resources, the Spirituality & Aging program will provide direct and web-based seminars to Friends which uphold a culture of holistic care for aging persons. Funded by Friends Foundation for the Aging, the program will also seek to identify and train volunteers who can support the work in communities where they live.
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The Threadletter
Family
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Pastoral Care Threadletter
is a member of a family of e-newsletters. There are additional threadletters for Friends who care for the following concerns:
Youth Programs
First Day School
Worship & Ministry
Peace & Social Concerns
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Help Nurture
Quaker Work
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The Pastoral Care Threadletter is made possible through the support of readers like you.
 Share your gift of time and talent with the Yearly Meeting! Our spiritual community thrives because it is US. Find out about opportunities to volunteer in the Yearly Meeting.  Gifts of all sizes make a real difference in our ability to serve Friends. Please to support Quaker faith, practice and outreach. |
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