Friends General Conference

Together we nurture the spiritual vitality of Friends
A Quaker Meeting of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting at Westtown School

Committees

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Westtown Monthly Meeting has 3 working committees. The 3 committees are,

Pastoral Care and Concerns
Worship and Ministry
Peace and Social Justice

We also approved in August 2020 a Nurture and Coordinating Committee for a year long trial. 


Pastoral Care and Concerns Committee

The PC&C members are responsible for the operational care of the Meeting and for the pastoral care of the members and attendees of the Meeting. Meets monthly except in the summer. Committee members must be members of Westtown Monthly Meeting.

Description:

  1. Pastoral care includes: visiting shut-in, ill or bereaved members. Providing in-home Meeting for Worship, meals, transportation, childcare and other assistance at times of crisis. Sending cards or notes to members at Christmas and at times of significant lifetime events. Maintaining contact with members who are inactive or who live at a distance. Helping to resolve conflict within the Meeting. Helping to identify the concerns and priorities of the Meeting, and channeling those concerns to the appropriate working group. Providing aid to member families at the time of severe sickness and/or death.

  2. Membership duties include: giving preliminary consideration of membership applications, transfers, releases, resignations and requests for marriage before presentation to Monthly Meeting. Nurturing attenders.

  3. Overseeing functions of the meeting, including but not limited to the following: reviewing the agenda for Monthly Meeting for Business. Reviewing requests for clearness committees. Maintaining address lists, phone chains and committee handbook. Facilitating events such as: Hymn Sing, Lake Suppers, Monthly Meeting suppers. Custodial functions related to preparing for and cleaning up after Meeting for Worship. Refreshments after Meeting for Worship. Inviting new faculty members of Westtown School and attenders to Monthly Meeting suppers.

Members: Marc Dear, Laurie Worth, Kevin Gallagher, Margaret Haviland, Joe Marchese, Isabella Harrison, Susan Waterhouse, Bruce Harrison, Nancy Bernhardt, Bob Bernhardt, Pete Lane, Juliet Lane

Worship and Ministry Committee

The Committee's primary purpose is to support, nurture, and enhance the overall spiritual life of the Meeting through formal and informal discussions both in and out of committee meetings and through silent and vocal ministry in the Meeting for Worship. The Committee meets monthly and gathers twice a year with Pastoral Care & Concerns for a combined meeting. The Committee also meets with Westtown School's Student Religious Life Committee.

Description:

  1. gather regularly to worship in order to deepen the individual and corporate spiritual lives of members/attenders.
  2. engage in outward discussions for greater clarity on specific topics connected with the nature of worship.
  3. consciously commit annually to the work of the Committee.
  4. uphold the life of the Meeting for Worship by supporting ministers of all ages, encouraging them.
  5. openly discuss concerns and difficulties that arise from the experience of Meeting for Worship as a praying community composed of Westtown School faculty and students and Westtown Monthly Meeting members and attendees.
  6. believe on faith that something good can come from even negative moments experienced in a Meeting for Worship held with a religiously diverse student body.
  7. encourage open dialogue about Meeting for Worship with adults and students.
  8. sponsor adult education forums to help the spiritual lives of members and attendees.
  9. help explore the various steps in spiritual discipline, and identify kinds of spiritual behavior within our individual and corporate journeys.
  10. help define spiritual issues for further explorations through worship sharing sessions, retreats, and other appropriate forums.
  11. Mindful of that place where "words come from," they remain conscious of the important role that the Committee must play in feeding the roots for the overall spiritual mission of the Monthly Meeting.

Members: Ginny Sutton, Tom Haviland, Andy Coe, Suzanne Roose, Rebecca Mays, Vince Willis, Jeremy Park

Peace and Social Justice Committee

The Committee is responsible for building a bridge between the individual concerns and involvement of those in the Meeting community and the Meeting as a whole. It seeks ways for the Meeting to support the leadings and social concerns activities of individual members.

Description:

  1. Keeps before Friends the need to develop international understanding and support for the institutions of peace.
  2. Supports in any way appropriate those who are endeavoring to be faithful to the Friends' Peace Testimony.
  3. Informs the Meeting about social problems on community, national and international levels, and presents opportunities for individuals to become involved in solutions.

Members: Jon Evans, Marcia Hepps, Marta Willgoose Salo , Paula Kline, Judy Nicholson Asselin, Paul Spiegel, Deb Wood

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