The Outreach & Visitation Committee seeks ways to provide and stimulate personal visitation and other forms of communication throughout the Yearly Meeting, with a particular concern for Preparative Meetings, Worship Groups, and Friends isolated from any organized group. The work of the committee is meant to coordinate with and support Monthly Meetings, Quarterly Meetings, and NPYM’s Ministry and Counsel Committee in their respective responsibilities in this area.
POSITION: OUTREACH AND VISITATION COMMITTEE
Approved by Coordinating Committee 4-2-11
APPOINTED BY: NPYM.
APPOINTED AT: Annual Session
NOMINATED BY: NPYM Nominating Committee.
NEEDS: To the greatest degree possible, this committee should be diverse in terms of geography, Meeting size, and age.
TERM BEGINS: October 1
MEMBERS: Six, serving overlapping two year terms. The clerk or his/her designee is a member of Coordinating Committee.
REPORTS TO: Annual Session and Coordinating Committee
WORKS PRIMARILY WITH: Monthly and Preparative Meetings, Worship Groups, isolated Friends, and Ministry & Counsel Committees at NPYM and Quarterly Meeting levels.
COMMITTEE CHARGE: This committee reaches out to Friends isolated from any organized group, isolated worship groups, and others who may request visitations. It seeks ways to provide and stimulate personal visitation and other forms of communication, which may include publications. It may, at its discretion, seek out and sponsor teams or individuals whose goals for visiting or for projects are congruent with the committee’s goals.
TASKS NOT TIED TO A SPECIFIC TIMELINE:
1. Visitation. This committee has a major responsibility to provide, stimulate, and facilitate intervisitation throughout the Yearly Meeting, and especially visitation to isolated Friends, Worship Groups, and small and/or remote Meetings. Such visitation may be carried out personally by one or more committee members, or by other seasoned Friends who travel under the auspices of this committee. The committee tries to respond to requests from small meetings or isolated Friends.
2. Support of outreach by Meetings. The committee has a responsibility to find, gather, and publicize resources that can help Meetings, both large and small, to improve outreach into their communities.
TASKS WITH A SPECIFIC TIMELINE:
1. Maintaining contact with isolated Friends. committee holds principal responsibility within the Yearly Meeting for maintaining contact with isolated Friends. In the spring of each year, the committee should make information and registration materials for Annual Session available to all isolated Friends. At the same time the O&V committee should update the list of isolated Friends, making sure that all contact information is current and accurate. This information should be forwarded to the NPYM Secretary in a timely manner for inclusion in the annual NPYM Directory.
2. Maintaining contact with Meetings and Worship Groups. The committee should give priority to those worship groups not under the care of a monthly meeting, those meetings that are small or relatively isolated, and those meetings and worship groups that specifically request ongoing contact. Contact should be made at least once annually, and may be by telephone, correspondence, or visit, depending on the situation. The committee should suggest solutions or personal contacts where it discerns need in small or isolated groups.
OTHER TASKS may on occasion be requested of the committee by the Coordinating Committee or by another standing or ad hoc committee of NPYM. In addition, the committee should remain open to leadings by individuals or NPYM representatives who may propose (or be invited to propose) specific projects in the areas of outreach or visitation. As way opens these Friends may be invited to provide outreach and visitation under the care of the O&V committee.
EXPENSES & TRAVEL: Reimbursement is provided for "office expense" (LD phone calls, postage, and photocopy) and mileage expense for these responsibilities, within the NPYM budget. Submit reimbursement request with receipts, when applicable, to the NPYM Treasurer.