Care and Counsel Committee - Mountain View Friends Meeting

Mountain View’s Care and Counsel Committee is a reflection of our Quaker testimony of community. The committee serves the MVFM community by providing emotional, spiritual, and material support, often thought of as pastoral care in other faith traditions. Because we don’t have a paid minister in our unprogrammed meeting, we provide pastoral care to the community. The foundation of our work is seeing that of God in everyone and using the meeting’s human and financial resources to support members of the community as best we can.

Using words from IMYM Faith & Practice: the Care and Counsel Committee “ensures that those who are ill, troubled, or in want receive visits, spiritual help, and practical assistance as may be needed.”

Here are some specific ways that the Care and Counsel Committee may be of help:

1. We form clearness and support committees:

Clearness for marriage, with input from the couple seeking to be married under the meeting’s care.
Clearness for leadings or any other question around which a person is seeking specific support to discern a path or decision (again, with input from the person requesting this help).
Support for anyone looking for emotional support in this form. People may suggest members and/or the committee will make suggestions.
Support and clearness committees to people we know are struggling and to those referred to the committee.

2. We have funds available to offer limited financial support to members and attenders in need.

3. We distribute caring quilts to those in our meeting who are suffering or struggling or going through a difficult time.

4. We arrange food and rides and other means of material assistance to people facing challenging times.

5. We can assist with conflict resolution.

6. We can help find resources outside of the meeting.

All of the committee’s work is confidential. Our work is different from the Response Committee’s work in that we are not responding to crises or to events that may have implications for the entire meeting. We are available and willing to hear from anyone who is going through a hard time, and we will find the way to best support them.

To contact us, email: care@mountainviewfriends.org

Resources for Planning as We Age

These resources were gathered during forums about aging and conversations with people in the Meeting. If you know of resources that should be added, please contact Gail Hoffman, hoffman2@centurylink.net.

Quaker

Queries for aging, death, and dying