Ministry & Pastoral Care

Contact: ministry-pastoralcare@annapolisfriends.org

 

For information about specific programs, check out Ministry & Pastoral Care Initiatives.

The purpose of the Ministry & Pastoral Care committee is to promote the spiritual and social well-being of Annapolis Friends Meeting and its members.

Adult Religious Education

• Coordinating Adult Religious Education activities and providing orientation for members, attenders, and interested persons to Quaker faith and practice.

Ministry Oversight

• Nurturing the spiritual well-being of Meetings for Worship.
• Organizing members to greet worshipers and break worship.
• Counseling and supporting those who are led to speak from the silence, giving encouragement and advice to inexperienced speakers and eldering individuals in a positive manner.
• Considering requests for travel minutes, leadings, embraced ministries.
• Preparing an annual Spiritual State of the Meeting report.

Fellowship/Building Community

• Encouraging visiting and fellowship within the Meeting.
• Organizing Friendly 8s dinners.
• Facilitating spiritual formation and friendship.
• Arranging for special worship/fellowship gatherings on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas eve.

Care for Friends in Need

• Providing assistance to those who are ill, absent, troubled or in material need;
• Organizing and facilitating Memorial Meetings; recommending Memorial Garden policies and arranging for ground stones and plaques with families; and
• Guiding applications for AFM’s Emergency Fund for Suffering.

Clearness Committees

• Establishing clearness committees for membership, marriage and personal decisions regarding life transitions.

Administrative Functions

• Recording committee meeting minutes and decisions, including clearness committee membership, approved embraced ministries, supported travel minutes, and AFM memorial services;
• Coordinating with Meeting Recorder to notify BYM of new members, deaths, committee clerk changes;
• Checking in with Friends and notifying Directory Coordinator of changes; and
• Budget & Fund Oversight
  • Emergency/Suffering Fund
  • Embraced Ministry Fund
  • Memorial Garden & Services (in conjunction with Meetinghouse & Land)