A Threadletter of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
JANUARY 2013
Greetings!

Aging In The Light: The Needs of Older Friends

sunset
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
Message from the Field
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. 

Reflection from Experience
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. 


Resource
Quaker Aging Resources Website
QARThe 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.
Pastoral Care Newsletter Archive
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.


Pastoral Care Calendar

calendar

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


Planning a Family Directed Funeral

Saturday, March 3
Workshop will focus on the practicalities of planning a family directed funeral and green burial.

  

Walk Humbly, Serve Boldly: Prophetic Ministry among Friends Today
March 31 to April 4 at Pendle Hill

The Refuge of Awakening: A Seven Day Mindfulness Retreat
April 21 to 28 at Pendle Hill  

 

Return to Communitas: The Love Awakened Community
May 17 to 19 at Pendle Hill
With Ken and Irene Jacobsen  

   

Come Away and Rest Awhile
May 31 to June 2 at Pendle Hill  

    

Bulletin Board
Share news, events and resources.  To suggest a posting send details to PastoralCare@pym.org.

 Quaker Aging Resources
Providing Spirit-Centered Resources and Information for PYM & NYYM Friends.  


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. 

 

The Humanitarian Disaster Institute created a Disaster Spiritual and Emotional Care Tip Sheet Series to guide persons responding to survivors of super-storm Sandy.   
Thank you Friend!

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.


 
Spirituality & Aging Project
grant awarded
 

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.

   

 
The Threadletter
Family

 

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

To read or subscribe to any of these threadletters, go to the thread newsletter webpage

 

 
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