Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (RVUUF) Ashland, OR

Tue, May 1,8,15,22, 1:30pm & 7pm. COHO (Choosing Options, Honoring Options) is presenting a series of 90-minute lectures on Conversations About Death and Dying at the Smullin Center, Rogue Valley Medical Center Campus, 2825 E. Barnett Road, Medford. These lectures are free but they would appreciate a $10 donation to cover expenses.

May 1: Palliative Care: Enhancing Quality of Life in the Face of Serious Illness
May 8: Where Do You Want to Be When You Die?
May 15: Being With the Dying – Families Tell Their Stories
May 22: Your Advance Care Plan – A Mini Workshop (You will need to register in advance for this.)

RVUUF will have brochures and a sign-up sheet in the back of the Great Hall for you to sign up if you would like a ride or could offer rides to others. For more information: www.COHOroguevalley.org

Thu, Apr 26, 10:30am. Barbara Karnes is an award winning hospice nurse and nationally prominent speaker on the dynamics of dying. In 1986 she published, Gone From My Sight: The Dying Experience (often called, "The Hospice Blue Book"), which has been for the caregiver, professional and lay, the primary source material on the signs of approaching death from disease. Her work has been instrumental in creating one of the most important tools in the Hospice movement today: the patient/family educational booklet.

SO Friends of Hospice: Event Flyer

All are welcome.

Everyone is invited to attend

Thu, Dec 15, 11am. In the holiday season, we often experience mixed emotions. It is a time filled with expectations and hopes that are hard to meet. The holiday season is particularly difficult for any of us who have experienced a recent loss of a friend or relative. Come join Rev. Leslie for time to share your thoughts and feelings. Offered by Pastoral Ministries.

Mon, Nov 7, 10:30am-12pm. Led by Adam Marx

We all suffer losses in our lives, both big and small. This might be the death of someone close to us or it may be the loss of a job, a relationship or a home. In this workshop, I will share several methods that are very effective in helping people through the grieving process, leaving them stronger, more resilient, and more connected to the best parts of the person or situation they have lost. Come to this workshop if you have a loss that you'd like to work with, or if you want to learn ways to help others who are grieving.

Thu, Nov 3-Dec 8, 11am-12:30pm. RVUUF’s Pastoral Ministries committee is offering this five-part course to help participants become more comfortable with discussions of death and dying, learn tools for decision-making and end of life arrangement, and find support from others.

• Nov 3: "Having the Conversation with Significant Others." A video will introduce us to ways we can begin a conversation about our end of life wishes with others. Rev. Leslie will help us explore our feelings about this difficult discussion.
• Nov 10: "The Process of Dying." A speaker from Hospice will guide us through this process and how we can prepare for a dignified death. Note: new location: Under Balcony. For those who’d like to join to the workshop series for the first time this week, we will re-show the video Tue, Nov. 8th, at 12:30 in the Library.
• Nov 17: "Advanced Health Care Planning." Dr. John Forsyth will help us examine the decisions that need to be made in order to ensure that our choices for the life-sustaining medical interventions we would prefer are honored. Topics include: the living will, appointment of a health care representative, POLST, and Code status.
• Dec 1: "Attending to the Details." What plans need to be made before we die so that our loved ones will be able to manage post-death details? Writing our obituary will be a part of this process.
• Dec 8: "The Grief Process." Gwyneth Bowman will help us understand and honor the grief process.

We will be requesting a $10 registration fee to cover materials. We would like to limit the number of attendees to 20 with the hope that you would attend all 5 sessions. Please register by Oct. 31. The sign-up sheet for the workshop is in the lobby or you can email your registration to the RVUUF office.

All are welcome.

Coordinator: Gwyneth Bowman
Ministry: Spirit

Form: Pastoral Information Sheet [.doc: Word format; type info, save, email to Office]; [.pdf; print, write info, mail to Office]
Form: Caring for One Another at RVUUF interest form [.pdf]
  Would you (or a friend) like a visit from a Pastoral Care Visitor? How might you participate in the Caring Network?
Form: Application to become a member of Pastoral Care Visitors Team [.pdf]
Workshop: Deep Listening (Jan 29, 2011): event description; slides [.pdf; 1.5M]

Pastoral Ministries is a program designed to provide caring and support during times of health concerns, loss, celebration, and other needs. Our focus will be on the promotion of optimal well being and prevention of disease. This program is made up of three subcommittees:

1. The Caring Network
2. Pastoral Care Visitors
3. Health Ministries

Purpose

• To promote a physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy Congregation.
• To support a sense of community and connection

The three subcommittees provide a continuum of care to people depending upon their situation. The level of training and expertise of the people who participate in each subcommittee increases along the continuum:
  1. Caring Network, 2. Pastoral Care Visitors, 3. Health Ministries.