1. NYYM Handbook
  2. NYYM Handbook: Ministry Section and Coordinating Committee

NYYM Handbook

NYYM Handbook: Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee

NYYM MINISTRY AND PASTORAL CARE COMMITTEE (2009)

Purposes & Objectives

The purpose of this committee is to sustain and support quarterly, regional, half-yearly, and monthly meetings and worship groups to be instruments of God’s love and care to one another and to their members, attenders, visitors, and communities throughout the Yearly Meeting. Our charge is to assist these bodies so that they can better enable, empower, and provide ministry and pastoral care, as well as support those serving in the Yearly Meeting in pastoral roles. The work of this committee is under the care of the Ministry Coordinating Committee (MCC).

Committees & Task Groups Under the Care of Ministry and Pastoral Care (M&PC)

  • Traveling Friends Advisory Group

Functions & Activities

  1. Traveling Friends
  2. Periodic meetings with clerks of quarterly, half-yearly, and regional meeting Ministry and Counsel committees at Yearly Meeting Sessions.
  3. Oversight of New York Yearly Meeting prayer list.
  4. Annual spring and fall Pastors’ Retreats.
  5. Recommendations to MCC for distributions from the Stevens and Nathaniel Smith Funds.
  6. Coordination with the NYYM Meetings for Discernment in areas related to ministry and pastoral care.

Areas of Concern that May Arise

&at the regional level:

  • Support of regional meetings for ministry and counsel.
  • Visitation among and between meetings.

&at the monthly meeting level:

  • Pastoral care of and in meetings and worship groups.
  • Support of and assistance to meetings for ministry and counsel to:
    • Care for the ministry and spiritual life of their meetings.
    • Support and sustain the gifts of ministry evident in meetings.
    • Provide care for their leadership including clerks, pastors, resident friends, meeting secretaries, recorded ministers, and Yearly Meeting staff.
  • Eldering within monthly meetings.
  • Gifts of ministry among young Friends.
  • Healing ministries

&at the Yearly Meeting level:

  • Support of pastoral leadership, including the annual Pastors’ Retreat with New England Yearly Meeting. Support of worship groups and small or struggling meetings.
  • Support for pastoral care in prison worship groups.
  • Sponsorship of workshops/initiatives on worship, ministry, pastoral care, and related concerns.
  • Education about, including but not limited to: pastoral care and nurturing of pastors and pastoral care givers, clearness committees, committees of care/support, listening skills, and discernment, prayer.
  • Work with the Spiritual Nurture Working Group.

Organization & Method of Appointment

The New York Yearly Meeting appoints two members at large to the committee each year for three- year terms. M&PC chooses a clerk, assistant clerk, recording clerk, and appoints a member to serve on the Ministry Coordinating Committee. Committees and groups under the care of M&PC appoint representatives and report to M&PC on an as needed basis.

Meeting Time & Places

M&PC meets regularly four times a year and at other times as needed.

Finances

Committee expenses are provided for in the Operating Budget.