Conference was held on Sunday, January 17, 2016.
There were 21 Friends on this consultation conference call including six members of the NPYM Ministry and Oversight committee.
Consultation Clerk – Jane Ewert, Bridge City Friends Meeting
Queries Regarding Pastoral Care among unprogrammed Friends
Introductory query: Are we maintaining our own individual and corporate practices of centering in the Divine Presence and lifting each other up?
Awareness
1. What habits and practices cultivate an awareness of each other’s challenges, burdens or suffering?
Discerning the Meeting’s Response
2. What ways might help us to understand the needs of others and ascertain if the needs are appropriate and realistic for us to deal with?
3. How do we determine if we, as individuals or a meeting, have the capacity to meet the expressed needs at this moment in time? (heart, skill sets, time, energy and resources)
Caring for ourselves and our community
4. How do we encourage Friends to establish their own boundaries when assisting another?
5. How do we handle confidentiality in a community where many people may have access to very personal information?
6. What practices help us continue to see the other person with an open heart?