Visiting Friend Job Description (PDF file)
Visiting Friend Job Description
The Pacific Yearly Meeting Visiting Friend, appointed by the Ministry and Oversight Committee will travel in the ministry among Monthly Meetings and Worship Groups in PYM in order to help us live more fully in the Spirit and strengthen the bonds of community in the Yearly Meeting. Visitors will be members of a Monthly Meeting, known to the Yearly Meeting and generally recognized as “weighty” Friends. Visitors may be individuals or couples. The term “Visitor” is used below to refer to the Visiting Friend (or Friends) in whatever configuration the Visitor takes at a given time (individual, married or unmarried couple, etc.).
The Visitor will travel over one year and try to visit each Monthly Meeting and Worship Group. In the past the Visitor has had 2-5 topics to present, based on his or her concerns, experience, and answering to the Spirit.
The Visitor may be released from duties at his or her Meeting.
Monthly Meetings may choose a topic for the Visitor to address, either from among topics suggested by the Visitor or a topic that is of particular interest to the Monthly Meeting. The Visitor may provide assistance in discerning a response to an issue in the Meeting.
The Visitor is in regular contact with the support committee throughout the year, and at the end of the visiting year provides a written report to the committee, to be shared with PYM’s Ministry and Oversight Committee.
There may not be a Visiting Friend each year if the funds do not support it or no suitable Friend is available, allowing the reserve to build up to a level that will support a Visitor.
June 2012