In a world filled with distractions, it is easy to avoid the uncomfortable tasks of end-of-life planning. It seems like preparing for our death is an interruption in our life - but that’s not how the story has to go. What if preparing for our death could help us feel more alive and connected? What if it wasn’t an interruption of our life but a way to help us live well?
Beginning in January, St. Paul & St. Andrew is offering a four-part workshop series guides individuals, parents, families, and care-givers through the vital aspects of death care planning. Each session will be interactive, foster community, and provide practical tools for crossing off the many tasks of end of life planning and help to facilitate increased confidence in talking with loved ones about hopes and wishes for end of life planning. There will also likely be memes, wacky questions, and some (optional, but highly recommended) dancing.
- Session 1 - Sunday, January 12th, 12:30-2:00pm - In Person and Recorded
- Session 2 - Thursday, February 27th, 6:30-8:00pm - Zoom
- Session 3 - Thursday, April 24th, 6:30-8:00pm - Zoom
- Session 4 - Thursday, June 5th, 6:30-8:00pm - Zoom
Worksop Session Projects
Session 1: Finding Your Why and the Big 3 of End-of-Life Planning
It is hard to get end-of-life planning done. We know we should do it, and yet, there are so many ways to avoid it. Before we dig in, let’s do a little collective soul searching to name, claim, and proclaim:
1. The reasons why we’re tackling end of life planning and
2. What will keep us committed and motivated.
Then, we’ll jump into the big three: wills, powers of attorney, and medical directives.
Session 2: End-of-Life Celebrations
Let’s get creative about planning our end-of-life celebrations. Together, we will:
1. Transform obituary writing into a life-giving spiritual practice;
2. Craft our in-case-of-emergency “phone tree;” and,
3. Design a meaningful and epic memorial/exit party.
The benefits of thoughtful pre-planning are many! Your loved ones gain comfort in knowing that your wishes are being honored. More practically, they get a head start on the planning. Equally important, you gain clarity about your values and what it means for you to live a good life - right now, while you’re still living it!
Session 3: Digital Legacies
In this session, we tackle our digital lives and legacies in two parts:
1. We will make a plan for your people to have access to your electronic information. Do you have a legacy contact for your cellphone? Does anyone have key passwords for your laptop or student loans? What will happen to your social media accounts?
2. We begin the work of organizing and sharing your digital photos. Participants will leave with a solid start on these projects and resources to complete them after the workshop.
Session 4: The Stuff of Life
In our closing session, we will explore Swedish Death Cleaning as a way to deal with our prized possessions and the random, accumulated, flotsam and jetsam of our lives. Then, we will make plans for - and practice! - talking with our loved ones about our end-of-life planning. End-of-life-planning won’t do your loved ones any good unless you’ve talked with them about it. We will make plans to help prepare for these sacred conversations.
