We have continued our consideration of what it means to be a Quaker today by focusing on Quaker Trusteeship. We have been reminded that our spiritual journey is about living in the world and wrestling with the tensions between living out the testimonies and dealing with practical, financial and property matters. The real test of our faith is whether we can connect with the spirit in the mess of our daily lives.

trust the people to let you rest.

trust the people to do everything better than you could have imagined.

trust the people and they become trustworthy.

trust that the people are doing their work to trust themselves.

trust that each breach of trust can deepen trust or clarify boundaries.

trust the people who revel in pleasure after hard work.

trust the people who let children teach/ remind us how to emote, be still, and laugh.

trust the people who see and hold your heart.

trust the people who listen to the whales.

trust the people and you will become trustworthy.

trust the people and show them your love.

trust the people.

There are many resources on Polyvalal Theory eg https://www.somatopia.com/blog/polyvagal-theory-simplified

I'm a resource if I'm anchored in ventral, if I have enough ventral, alive and active, if my neuroception is one of safety, I'm then a resource for the world around me. If I'm not, I'm a threat. I don't want to be, I may not intend to be, but if I'm dysregulated, I am a threat. So am I sending a welcome or a warning?

https://read.amazon.co.uk/sample/B0CTCF1C94?clientId=share

Free sample available from this online book seller – chapter one of Deb Dana’s book. Whole book available from a range of online book sellers.

Anchor 1:  Soothe yourself to quiet your mind, calm your heart, and setting your body.

Anchor 2:  Simply notice the sensations, vibrations, and emotions in your body instead of reacting to them.

Anchor 3:  Accept the discomfort – and notice when it changes – instead of trying to flee from it.

Anchor 4:  Stay present and in your body as you move through the unfolding experience, with all its ambiguity and uncertainty, and respond from the best parts of yourself.

Anchor 5:  Safely discharge any energy that remains.

More detail:

https://episcopalmn.org/sites/default/files/resource/Embodied%20and%20Somatic%20-%20Resmaa%20Menakem%27s%205%20Anchors.pdf

Having bodies of named trustees is therefore not about giving all the power to a small group but making sure that all the difficult work gets done. Nor should we be surprised if mistakes are made, as this is where we as individuals fail as well. Both trustees and meetings need to hold each other in the light and above all to keep the lines of communication live and vibrant.

We all belong to the same worshipping community, we are all working together and it is the same spirit that leads us. Community is two-way. Trustees need to empower other Friends to ask questions, perhaps by making minutes more readily available, and other Friends need to talk to trustees and ask for information. This openness will in turn support trustees in their work. God has placed trust in us. We need to honour that trust in moving forward together to build the Kingdom.

trust the Friends who move toward you and already feel like home.

trust the Friends to let you rest.

trust the Friends to do everything better than you could have imagined.

trust the Friends and they become trustworthy.

trust that the Friends are doing their work to trust themselves.

trust that each breach of trust can deepen trust or clarify boundaries.

trust the Friends who revel in pleasure after hard work.

trust the Friends who let children teach/ remind us how to emote, be still, and laugh.

trust the Friends who see and hold your heart.

trust the Friends who listen to the whales.

trust the Friends and you will become trustworthy.

trust the Friends and show them your love.

trust the Friends.

We have continued our consideration of what it means to be a Quaker today by focusing on Quaker Trusteeship. We have been reminded that our spiritual journey is about living in the world and wrestling with the tensions between living out the testimonies and dealing with practical, financial and property matters. The real test of our faith is whether we can connect with the spirit in the mess of our daily lives.

Having bodies of named trustees is therefore not about giving all the power to a small group but making sure that all the difficult work gets done. Nor should we be surprised if mistakes are made, as this is where we as individuals fail as well. Both trustees and meetings need to hold each other in the light and above all to keep the lines of communication live and vibrant.

Having bodies of named trustees is therefore not about giving all the power to a small group but making sure that all the difficult work gets done. Nor should we be surprised if mistakes are made, as this is where we as individuals fail as well. Both trustees and meetings need to hold each other in the light and above all to keep the lines of communication live and vibrant.

We all belong to the same worshipping community, we are all working together and it is the same spirit that leads us. Community is two-way. Trustees need to empower other Friends to ask questions, perhaps by making minutes more readily available, and other Friends need to talk to trustees and ask for information. This openness will in turn support trustees in their work. God has placed trust in us. We need to honour that trust in moving forward together to build the Kingdom.

Each trustee is given a list of values from Brene Brown, and invited to:

a) circle the main values that resonate for them

b) if they have more than two, to reduce the list down to the top two values

optional - discuss in pairs or small groups why the values you chose are important to you, or how you found the experience of selecting them.

Discuss in the full group examples of how you bring these values into your trustee work.

Create a vision statement or strapline that describes how these values are embedded in your trustee work

If you have more than two values, see if one of the values encompasses and includes some of the others.

1. Each trustee writes a paragraph about the workstream(s) they are responsible for.

2. Paper plates are created including the name of each work stream and who is involved.

Also needed - a tea light (maybe battery to reduce fire risk)

Read out part two of the minute

Each trustee outlines how their workstream is progressing, and the group spends a few minutes holding that work and those involved in the light.

Keep an eye on time and move on to the next workstream as needed.

You may discover workstreams that are missing and need to be added, can be combined, or need to be separated.

We always talk about needing good or better communication. What do we think we mean by this?

a) Good tech skills to use email, zoom, document sharing and storage, websites?

b) lots of papers and documents and reports?

c) good relationships and opportunities for discussions and qusetions?

Consider what is already working well. What can be done better? What is missing - how can that gap be filled? Does a workstream focusing on communication need to be added or strengthened?

Friends take in information differently and are not always going to read lots of paperwork.

Just because information is available doesn't mean people will access it. Think of different ways to be more inclusive.

Spend some time exploring these or finding others in pairs or small groups.

Share what you are learning. What is helpful and what is challenging?

Or you may like to invite someone else to facilitate this session who has more experience in this area if it is all new.

https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/quaker-trustee-handbook

For more info see:

https://cymar.org.uk/