Conversation Sabbath begins next month! We're inviting congregations across the nation to take part in Conversation Sabbath between October 24th and November 3rd by sharing each faith's teachings on the critical topic of end-of-life care. We encourage clergy leaders to support congregants in having the conversation in familiar settings, and not during a medical crisis in the ICU.
Are you looking for ideas on where to start (or want to learn more about Conversation Sabbath)? Or, maybe you've participated in the past and are looking for new inspiration and ideas? Well, we have you covered. Below are a list of different resources to help you get involved:
Click here to access some resources to support you in preparing for this year's Conversation Sabbath and/or for sharing with others who you'd like to join you along the way!
Bethel AME Church has dedicated their efforts to launching a ministry called Planning Ahead. This program not only prompts congregants to think critically about what matters most to them, it also encourages them to think about how their faith speaks to the values they would like to have honored towards the end of their lives. Click here to read Bethel's case study where they share their successes, challenges and insight around what it was like to meaningfully engage their congregation in having the conversation in a faith-based setting.
Engaging Faith Leaders and Other Lessons: Ashley Areyan is the Development and Community Engagement Director at the Institute for Human Caring at Providence St. Joseph Health, based in Los Angeles. She collaborated with The Conversation Project to help bring advanced care planning to people where they live, work and pray. Read her group's case study.
Video: Conversation Sabbath
Hear from Reverend Rosemary Lloyd about Conversation Sabbath, a nationwide celebration where clergy will commit to preaching or teaching on the vital importance of having end-of-life conversations.
Click here to watch the video.
Book: Getting Good at Getting Older
Getting Good at Getting Older by Richard Siegel and Rabbi Laura Geller, written with a Jewish readership at heart, is a tour for all those of "a certain age" through the resources and skills needed to navigate the years between maturity (building careers/raising families) and frail old age. It brings humor, warmth, and more than 4,000 years of Jewish experience to the question of how to shape this new stage of life. Krista Tippet writes: "Pragmatic, playful and wise...an invitation to stop treating age as an enemy and to claim its abundant gifts."
3 Go-to-Resources to Help Prepare for Conversation Sabbath
Click hereto access a blog that offers resources to support you in preparing for this year's Conversation Sabbath and/or for sharing with others who you'd like to join you along the way!
What Are You Doing for Conversation Sabbath?
We'd love to hear what you are planning for Conversation Sabbath this year. Take this brief surveyto help us learn more about how you plan on participating in Conversation Sabbath this year and/or how you've participated in the past. And please go to our map and add a pin to help us connect with one another!
Download the Getting Started Guide for Congregations
This guide is designed to help congregational leaders introduce The Conversation Project's mission and free resources in the communities they know and serve. It is filled with examples of how diverse faith communities are encouraging their congregants to engage in thoughtful reflection and have conversations about their end-of-life care wishes with loved ones and health care providers.Click here to download the Guide.
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The Conversation Project is dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care. Our free Starter Kit can help you talk to your loved ones about this difficult topic.
