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Greetings Friend! **
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Given the weather fluctuations here in NJ, it is hard to know if winter is really here, or not. But I hope wherever you are, that you are warm, and dry. I find it hard to remember the warmth and sun of summer. Will I ever really go out without a coat? Will I really ever see a flower growing in my garden again? I don't know, but all evidence up to now is that the seasons will circle through. I can't know for sure this will happen this year, but I live in faith that the miracles of the Earth will happen. It seems so improbable on a gloomy winter day that spring will spring again. And yet, I have to believe in things unseen, and the forces greater than myself that surprise me time and time again. Even harder to see sometimes is that this gloom, this rain, snow, darkness is necessary for that time of growth and light. That with is most alive is preparing below the surface. This is where God is for me right now ( and also my greatest challenge at the moment): surrendering where I am, with the promise that That which must happen will indeed happen, but all in God's time.
I took comp time from my Field Secretary work for the month of December, as I had too many hours built up over the year. But all along I was excited to bring to you all the opportunities that are coming in 2014. There is so much to let you know about! I just want to jump in. In this issue there is information on upcoming events at Powell House, for individuals and families. There is information about NYYM Sessions throughout the year. It is never too early to plan for Spring, Summer or Fall Sessions. Look in the volunteering section for information on ways of getting involved in the wider world of Quakers. Want to know about ways you can support good work being done in the world? Look the spotlight on a committee and learn about the Committee on World Ministries.
OF SPECIAL NOTE: March 28-30 there is a weekend for families, CHILDREN AND ADULTS, on Stewardship. How are we asked to take loving care of ourselves, each other and the wider world? We had one like this last Spring and it was a success! If you have family, please join us!
Are you a crafty person? Wish you were? Do you find yourself saying you want to make time to create? Check out the Creativity and Spirituality Workshop at Powell House February 21-23!
**A word about this newsletter. I know that there is a lot of information. I invite you to skim, or to look at the list of articles and choose what is relevant to you. I am not a graphic designer, and soon I will have someone help me with layout, and editing, but until then, use what is helpful to you, and refer back when you need it. Spread it around. Send it to your clerks, print it and post it at your meetings. Use it however it is helpful!**
Peace and Blessings,
Gabi Savory Bailey
Young Adult Field Secretary, NYYM—nyym.yafs@gmail.com
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Click on the article you want to see, and it will take you right to that part!
What is YACC? The Young Adults Concern Committee (YACC) is a committee of NY Yearly Meeting. It is the committee that oversees the Circle of Young Friends (CYF) and the retreats they plan. YACC also plans the CYF activities for Summer Sessions each year. This committee is one way that Young Adults can find voice in the Yearly Meeting. YACC is also interested in the spiritual nurture and care of Friends between 18-35 ish. YACC meets regularly throughout the year on the internet, and also in person at Summer Sessions, and one other annual meeting. Currently sitting on this committee are: Jens Braun- Old Chatham MM, Rosie Stillman—Montclair MM, Audrey Jaynes—Montclair MM, Jenny Pronto Adirondack/Ithaca/Poplar Ridge MM, Anthony Smith—New Brunswick MM, Alanna Badgley—Poughkeepsie MM, Joy Meilke--Wilton MM, Robin Mullaney, Nick Rozard, Alfred MM, Noah Pomerselig, New Paltz MM. If you have any questions, ideas or concerns please contact a member of YACC. You can also contact me to put you in touch with YACC. Are you interested in getting involved with YACC? They are actively looking for Friends who have gifts in organizing conferences, reaching out to new people, spiritual nurture, recognizing gifts, eldering, hospitality, and community development. Contact me at nyym.yafs@gmail.com, or co-clerks Alanna Badgely and Audrey Jaynes.
Epistle from Young Adult Friends, Summer Sessions 2013, Silver Bay, NYHere is the epistle from YAF at Summer Sessions at Silver Bay this past summer. Click HERE to read it. Where have I been? Where am I going?
January 26-26 Coordinating Committee Weekend at Powell House
February 21-22 co-facilitating Creativity and Spirituality Weekend at Powell House
March 1- Meeting for Discernment- Purchase Meeting
March 28-30- Co- Facilitating Family weekend at Powell House
April 4-6 Spring Sessions in Rochester
July 20-26 Summer Sessions at Silver Bay
November 14-16 Fall Sessions 15 Rutherford Place, NYC
Would you like me to come to your Meeting, or Region? Would you like someone to support the work that is already being done there? I am eager to travel to do a program, support an existing program, or simply sit and listen. Contact me at nyym.yafs@gmail.com
YAF CONFERENCES FOR NYYM ( families welcome! )Want to see a weekend happen? Consider joining the new Events and conferences planning sub committee. :)Upcoming Powell House and Pendle Hill weekends www.powellhouse.org
This will be an opportunity for new, experienced, and potential clerks of Friends' meetings and committees to meet and think together about the role of presiding clerk. It is expected that each person will leave the weekend with new energy and enthusiasm for being a clerk, feeling well grounded in both the theoretical and the practical. There will be handouts, exercises, and opportunities for experience sharing.January 31 - February 2, 2014
Among other topics, we will consider:
- The fundamentals of a Quaker meeting for business
- What is a "sense of the meeting," and how is it different from consensus?
- What is the meaning of "unity?"
- "Standing in the way," and how can we think about it?
- Techniques of "good" clerking.
- Dealing with difficult situations.
Arthur M. Larrabee is a lifelong Friend and presently serves as General Secretary of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. In addition to presiding at meetings of numerous committees and boards, he has led many workshops on clerking. In the past, Arthur has been the clerk of the Committee in Charge of Westtown School, and clerk of Philadelphia Yearly meeting.
Register by January 15th: $220/adults; $110 ages 13-22 & commuters: $55 infants-12.After January 15th: $240/$120/$60 Children's Program and Childcare with 3 weeks notice.
**If you are from NYYM, please call Sharon BEFORE you register!** We must hold NYYM registrations to keep a balance!February 7-9, 2014 at Powell House
Whether we are part of a programmed or unprogrammed meeting, we have people in our meetings whose way nurturing the spiritual life of a community is to ground and hold an individual, a group, a meeting . . . historically named the gift of eldering. In New England and New York we are learning that this often silent ministry can lead an individual or the corporate body to new insights.
In this joint gathering of NEYM & NYYM Friends we will explore how eldership is manifesting among us today. In sharing our experiences, our joys, and our challenges, we hope to deepen and hone our practice. Potential breakout sessions may include:
- long-term accompaniment of ministers/pastors/Friends in leadership roles
- authority/accountability
- eldering within larger Quaker bodies
- how do we raise up the function of eldership within our monthly meetings?
- what works in our meetings?
- eldering in situations of chaos and conflict
- prophetic eldership
- reflecting on the primary work of the elder
- naming and nurturing eldership in others
- supporting/working with other elders
Jan Hoffman, Mt. Toby MM (NEYM), has experienced the power of elders and has carried a concern to name and nurture Friends with the elder's gift of discernment for 30 years. She is a public Friends with a variety of experiences in many parts of the Quaker world and is now serving her twelfth year as clerk of New England Yearly Meeting's Faith and Practice Revision Committee.
This retreat is sponsored by NYYM's Spiritual Nurture Working Group and NEYM's Ministry and Counsel.
Limited scholarships are available through Powell House. Please contact your monthly, quarterly/regional and/or yearly meeting if you need additional scholarship assistance.Register by January 15th: $220/adults; $110 ages 13-22 and commuters; $55/infants-12.After January 15th: $240/$120/$60. Children's Program and Childcare with 3 weeks notice.
Through all forms of creativity we find opportunities for deepening our spiritual journey. In a creative community we will delve into the interrelationship between creativity and spirituality through a variety of art forms: quilting, weaving, sculpting with clay, painting with watercolors, knitting, crochet, and photography. Each area will be led by a specialist, and the time will be rich with worship and creating. The weekend culminates with a whole group sharing of our creative process and our creations.If art leads you to a deeper spiritual journey or your spiritual journey leads you to be more creative or if you just want to explore the relationship between creativity and spirituality, this retreat is for you.This weekend has become one of our most popular so in 2013, we offered a 2 house retreat and added musical expression as a venue. It worked, so we're doing it again! Do you enjoy singing? Do you like to "jam?" We have some wonderful musicians ready to come and create, so come join us. Bring your instrument and see what Spirit brings together.
Anne Pomeroy, New Paltz MM and Anita Paul, Schenectady MM, will coordinate QUILTING. Peg Keiser, Poughkeepsie MM, will facilitate WEAVING. Mark Lariviere, 15th St. MM, will teach SCULPTING. Catherine Ramey, 15th St. MM, will teach WATERCOLORS. Gabi Savory Bailey, Chatham-Summit MM, will be KNITTING. Naomi Paz Greenberg, Morningside MM, will facilitate CROCHET with fiber and beads.Doug Stalker, Powell House property manager, will lead PHOTOGRAPHY. Noah Pomerselig, Jim Bacon, & Ed Seliger, all from New Paltz MM, will be making music.
Register by February 5th: $220/adults; $110/ages 13-22 and commuters; $55/infants-12. After February 5th: $240/$120/$60
Do you have a pretty good relationship with your life partner, and think things could be even better? This retreat may be just right for you. During the weekend, you will have a chance to celebrate your relationship and one another's gifts, talk and listen deeply to each other, deepen your relationship as a path to spiritual growth, and nurture the sense of joy that comes from feeling fully yourself in relation to your partner.Couple Enrichment for Friends, with Mary Kay Glazer and Mark Moss.
The weekend's activities will support two essential skills - the ability to speak one's own truth and the ability to listen deeply to the other, giving you the chance to explore who you are now as individuals and as a couple.
This workshop is for couples in a committed relationship regardless of marital status or sexual orientation.
Mary Kay Glazer and Mark Moss live in Ticonderoga, NY, and have been leading Couple Enrichment retreats for ten years. They are members of Rochester NY Monthly Meeting and attend Middlebury VT Monthly Meeting and the Ticonderoga Worship Group. Rochester Monthly Meeting and New York Yearly Meeting support Mark and Mary's ministry as released Friends.
Register by February 14th: $420/couple; $210 commuting couples. After February 14th: $440
Sharon Duane Koomler and Jerry Grant share a combined 50 years of Shaker scholarship and a special affection for Shakers - both past and present generations. Sharon has spoken and published on Shaker design, and has a particular interest in the individual call to spirituality as manifested in testimony, song, and art. Jerry is the Director of Research and Library Services at the Shaker Museum and Library in Old Chatham & New Lebanon, NY. www.shakermuseumandlibrary.org Jerry lectures on a wide variety of topics and has special interest in Shaker printing & publishing, and Shaker architecture.Social responsibility ranks high in the consciousness of Shakers and Quakers. In what ways have Shakers and Quakers responded to the needs of their neighbors at home and abroad? As we continue to look at the relationships that exist between Shakers and Quakers, participants will learn more about the history of activism in both groups and the myriad of ways each continues to be present in the world. As special "hands-to-work" project is planned to benefit Powell House. Sharon Koomler and Jerry Grant return to share the Shaker perspective alongside active Quakers.
Register by March 1st: $220 adults; $110/ages 13-22 and commuters; $55/infants to 12. After March 1st: $240/$120/$60 Children's Program and Childcare with 3 weeks notice.
". . . forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us . . . "Forgiveness
Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22)
Forgiveness is:
- Giving up the wish for a better past
- The fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. (Mark Twain)
- Letting go of the desire for revenge
- An act of faith
In the gentle, healing space of Powell House we will consider the burdens we carry from the past as we reflect on what we mean by forgiveness. Why it is so difficult? Why does it matter? Who is it intended for? We will seek to lighten our hearts and release the pain of resentments, great and small, that we have carried.
Margaret Lechner is a third generation convinced Friend and a member of Purchase Meeting, NYYM. She has created experiential learning environments in the classrooms at Earlham College, the trails of Grand Canyon, the shambas of Kenya, churches of El Salvador, and NY state prisons. She has learned about forgiveness from inmates, mothers of the disappeared, and from a stone spider that she carried for too many years. She travels in the ministry of facilitation with a minute from NYYM. Margaret Hawthorn is a long time member of Monadnock Friends, NEYM. In 2008 she completed an M. Div. at Earlham School of Religion. For 35 years Margaret and her husband Bruce MacDougall ran a home for mentally disabled veterans; their three daughters grew up there. In 2010 their oldest daughter Molly was murdered in her home in rural New Hampshire as she studied for final exams to graduate from nursing school. That day Margaret vowed not to turn to hatred. The years since have been an exercise for her living into that commitment.
John Calvi is a Quaker healer with 30 years experience working with abuse survivors, tortured refugees, inmates, and Quaker meetings. His first book, The Dance between Hope & Fear is available from Amazon beginning June, 2013.Rest, Repair, and Restoration - This workshop is designed for each person to lay down his/her burden, rest body and mind, and learn new ways to live and work carrying less tension, fatigue, and worry. Learn some simple clothes-on massage, energy work, and meditations that will wash the noise of the world out of your being. Be prepared to sleep more, relax deeply, and begin laughing more often.
Register by February 25th: $220/adults; $110/ages 13-22 and commuters; $55/infants-12. After February 25th: $240/$120/$60. Children's Program and Childcare with 3 weeks notice.
We will explore the faith and practice of Quaker nontheists and the richness of a spiritual life not necessarily dependent on a belief in God. While sharing our theologies, we will remain grounded in what we "now experimentally." We invite all seekers, to celebrate and deepen our own beliefs and practices, and our appreciation for the beliefs and practices of others, so that we may all enjoy what Henry Cadbury called "the natural variety in Quakerism."As early as 1976, the Friends General Conference Gathering hosted a well-attended Workship for Nontheistic Friends. In the decades since, Friends have become increasingly aware of the theological diversity of our Religious Society. Through experience and statistical studies, we have learned a large proportion of our members and attenders are somewhere on a spectrum that includes postchristians, agnostics, atheists, secularists, and humanists. How can we be nontheists and Quakers too? If our Quaker life is not centered on belief in God, what is our center? What are our challenges? How can theists and nontheists enrich each other while holding views that differ?
Teens and young adult Friends are especially invited to this workshop.
Robin Alpern, a lifelong Friend and a member of Scarsdale Meeting, is one of the originators of the Nontheism Among Friends workshop. She has co-led the workshop many times at the FGC Gathering since 1996. Robin contributed an essay to Godless for God's Sake: Nontheism in Contemporary Quakerism, David Boulton, ed. available from www.quakerbooks.org. Some of her other writings on nontheism can be found at www.nontheistfriends.orgDavid Britton, a member of Morningside Meeting, has been a nontheist Friend since he was eight, and has led workshops on nontheism among Friends at FCG Gathering for the past two years. A Vietnam era conscientious objector, he claims to have PSTD from the war on poverty and currently participates in the leadership of the Campaign to End the New Jim Crow www.endnewjimcrow.org. He teaches psychology and studies neuroscience at the City College of New York, after having laid down his efforts to get rich in the technology sector. Dave plays the Irish flute and pennywhistle, and recently dusted off his banjoy mandolin and has been known to get in trouble at Powell House for trying to entertain instead of wash pots after dinner.
Register by March 7th: $220/adults; $170/full-time students/ $110/ages 13-18 and commuters; $55/infants-12. After March 7th: $240/$190/$120/$60. Children's Program and Childcare with 3 weeks notice.
THIS IS A FAMILY WEEKEND. It is intended for whole families to participate, thus, there is no child care as all children, no matter the age, will be in sessions with everyone else. The sessions are intentionally planned to be multigenerational.
How do we answer Spirit's call to love and care for one another? How do we nurture that of God in our families, our friends, and ourselves? Join us for a practical, hands-on exploration of loving kindness through play, worship, art, and music. In this intentionally multi-generational weekend, all ages work together to develop connections within and between families. This weekend is coordinated and facilitated by Gabi Savory Bailey, Young Adult Field Secretary for NYYM and others. There will be planning support and input from a variety of other concerned individuals and NYYM committees. May 2-4--Self! in a time of Responsiblity
We are of an age when we are attending to many needs: jobs, mortgages, children, aging parents, homes, finances. How do we keep our selves true and strong in the whirlwind of responsibilities? How do we take care of ourselves physically, spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually? Let us take some time to think about our own lives for a change. There will be time for fellowship and enjoyment of Powell House's beautiful grounds. Conference runs from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch.Self! in a time of Responsibility.
This conference was born from the tongue-in-cheek "circle of middle-aged friends," but we welcome those who are not-quite-middle-aged or just-past, too. Conference facilitators are Jessica Fleischer-Black and Sarah Way, members of Brooklyn MM.
Special family-friendly pricing! Families with children should register early (at least three weeks in advance!) so Powell House can arrange childcare.
Register by April 21st: $220 for families of 1-2; $330 for 3-4; $440 for families of 5 or more.
After April 21st: $240/$360/$480
NOTE! Registration page will show $440 for everyone. Be sure to click the appropriate family size and the amount should reflect that as you confirm registration. Please call 518-794-8811 if you have any questions or challenges in registering.
There are times when we are being called to participate in extraordinary personal, community, and societal transformation. Quaker Earthcare Witness, Transition Towns, and the Pachamama Alliance are all working to unite people who are determined to heal the Earth in a purposeful, living web of relationship. This workshop will empower participants to become change agents within their communities, using the practical methods of the Transition Town resiliency model. Transition Towns provides a framework for creating the changes needed within each community to deal with climate change, economic instability, and the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The weekend will combine the best of the Pachamama Alliance's Awakening the Dreamer Symposium with Transition Town training.
This workshop will enable participants to:
- Explore the sacred connection with the Earth that fuels our concern
- Understand the dynamics and techniques of community organizing
- Learn tools for supporting both the outer work of transforming your community's fossil-fuel dependence, and the inner work that is essential to resilience
- Develop an action plan to make your home community a Transition Town
The workshop will be led by Reb MacKenzie (NEYM), Fred Doneit (Poughkeepsie Meeting), and Pamela Boyce Simms (Hudson Meeting). All are trained Awakening the Dreamer facilitators, and Pamela is a led trainer for the Mid-Atlantic Transition Hub. Financial assistance is available from the Yearly Meeting's Earthcare Working Group.
The cost includes a premium for the TT training of $108 per person . . . this is a special reduced price from the usual TT training fee of $150; and for Quakers, the EWG will provide assistance to defray this extra charge.
Register by March 25th: $328/adults; $218 ages 13-22 and commuters; $55 infants-12. After March 25th: $348/$228/$60 Children's Program and Childcare with 3 weeks notice. This program is especially encouraged for young people ages 16-30.
Upcoming Pendle Hill weekendswww.pendlehill.org
January 31–February 2, 2014
Jacob and Gretta Stone
Couples in their 50s and 60s find their lives and their couple relationship shifting focus as they approach retirement age. What are our hopes and fears for this next, uncharted phase of our lives?
Deborah Shaw and Deborah Fisch
Looking to develop or improve your clerking skills? Join two Friends with years of experience as clerks of their monthly and yearly meetings, and as teachers and mentors to others with gifts for clerking.
Jan Hutton
The heart-based practices of Compassionate Listening are applicable in the family, meetings and congregations, and community-based organizations – wherever the possibility of conflict transformation arises.
Mary Grace Orr and Anne Briggs
This retreat will be a time of silence with periods of sitting and walking practice, opportunities to talk about your own practice, and formal presentations.
Clinton Pettus
When we are called to a social action, few of us will find that we have the resources we need or want to achieve the change we would like to bring about in the world. How do we decide which thing or things we should attempt to achieve from among the many possibilities that exist at any given time?
Jen Karsten and Soledad Alfaro
This is a workshop for middle-school teachers seeking the training and materials necessary to promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of wetlands and watersheds.
Katy Hawkins
Explore everyday practices that bring the yogic teachings to life.
Nancy Reeves and Kenneth Sutton
Whether you are an experienced recording clerk or newly called to this service, you are invited to join in a weekend on the practical and spiritual dimensions of recording.
There are funds available to help make conferences possible! PLEASE contact me, Helen Garay Toppins (office@nyym.org) or the clerk of your Monthly Meeting to find out how to get financial assistance. Questions about Transportation? Let’s talk. I bet there is a solution!
Spotlight on a committee: Committee on World Ministries
| Under Witness Coordinating Committee | |
History
The Home and Foreign Missions Board of New York Yearly Meeting (Five Years Meeting affiliation) was started June 4, 1889, with representatives from each quarterly meeting. The first projects involved assistance to schools in Victoria, Mexico. This work continued until terminated by the Mexican government. In the meantime other projects had been assumed, and the work led into cooperation with the Mission Board of the Five Years Meeting (now Friends United Meeting). With the reunion of the two New York Yearly Meetings, the Mission Board continued as a body of the united Yearly Meeting. The broader concept of wider ministries adopted by Friends United Meeting led to the name's being changed in 1971 to Committee on Wider Ministries, and later to Committee on World Ministries.
Purposes & Objectives
To provide a means whereby members and meetings can encourage and support programs of world ministries of New York Yearly Meeting, Friends United Meeting, and other Friends' groups.
Functions & Activities
The committee administers the income of trust funds bequeathed to New York Yearly Meeting for "mission purposes."
The committee has occasionally sponsored interest groups at Yearly Meeting sessions. It has provided financial support for special projects from time to time.
Funding Policies
- Grants are generally made to organizations or committees rather than to individuals. The committee prefers the accountability and oversight a larger supporting body can offer, as well as the advice and experience available in a larger body of Friends.
- Levels of funding for major programs should not be changed suddenly, as this makes it difficult for programs to run smoothly. Annual review of current and past funding should take place.
- Grants can be made either for the general program of an organization or committee or for specific programs or requests.
- Scholarship aid, if given, should go to schools or other organizations that can screen individual students, assess their needs, and offer nonmonetary support.
- Grants are not generally made to individual meetings for the construction of meetinghouses, as there are other sources of funding for this, either in their yearly meetings or through Friends Extension Corporation. Exceptions have been made for meetings with no other source of help, especially in areas in crisis or where Friends' witness is needed.
- Travel support has been given in the past for mission workers going to or from the field, New York Yearly Meeting members traveling on concerns related to this committee's area of interest, and mission workers visiting our Yearly Meeting sessions.
- Most funding decisions are made at regular sessions of the committee; in time of crisis or in the face of an urgent need, approval has been obtained by phone poll or letter.
- Full and continuing information is vital, and personal contacts with Friends on the spot are essential. The committee does not want to simply put checks in the mail and forget about the people! It is strengthened by the experience of Friends who have "been there." At the same time, the committee must be careful not to allocate funding only to the "pet projects" of our own members.
- Given the funds at its disposal, the committee looks for places where a small amount of money can make a large difference. Seed money has often been given to projects that later became self-sustaining and to pilot projects in new areas of concern.
- The committee is looking for new ways to help, new doors that are standing open, and new uses for its funds.
Organization & Method of Appointment
The Yearly Meeting appoints about twelve members to the committee for three-year terms, one-third appointed each year, on the recommendation of the Nominating Committee.
Meeting Times & Places
Meetings may be held at the call of the clerk but have been regularly held at Yearly Meeting sessions and at the time of both Representative Meetings.
Finances
The committee depends on three sources for its income:
- The income from trust funds held by the Yearly Meeting trustees and designated for "mission purposes" is administered by the committee. Most of this money is forwarded to Friends United Meeting for its programs of world ministries, but some of it is used for related concerns coming before the committee.
- The Committee on World Ministries also seeks funds from the Sharing Fund of New York Yearly Meeting, not only for the work of Friends United Meeting, but also for other projects of interest to New York Yearly Meeting.
- The Lindley Murray Fund has also contributed to the work of the committee.
Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS)
A Year long internship in Portland, OR, Philadelphia, PA, or Atlanta GA. Volunteers live in a communal house, work in the community and worship and are supported by a local Meeting. The website is great! Really worth a look. AND you get health insurance. :) Check it out! DEADLINE FOE APPLICATIONS IS MARCH 15. This is a GEM of an opportunity.
Young Friends in Residence (YFIR)
Are you interested in living in a Quaker community with other young adult Friends? If so, then Young Friends In Residence (YFIR) may be the perfect program for you!
We are looking for young adult interns who will live in intentional community with 1-2 other interns. Work includes developing youth and adult programs focused on creating a space for friends of all ages to experience, live in and respond to Spirit. Interns are encouraged to immerse themselves in the local community and participate in the life of Perry City Monthly Meeting and the wider Quaker Community. An openness to grow and deepen spiritually is required as is experience in Quaker practices.
If you have any questions, or want to request more information, including a more extensive job description and an application, please email us atYFIRwg@gmail.com
American Friends Service Committee has many opportunities to volunteer, and to intern. Learn more atwww.afsc.org
Spot light on a NYYM Young Adult Friend: Check back here next month! We will have another YAF soon!
Know a young adult, or parent of a young family, who is doing good work? Let me know, so I can include them. nyym.yafs@gmail.com
What’s going on with YAFs and families in the Yearly Meeting?
These are examples of gatherings past and present. If you see something interesting, see me and I will set you up with a contact person.
15th Street MM- Friends under 40 (anyone is invited) meet once a month after Meeting for Worship, choose a local eatery (inexpensive preferably) and walk to lunch. It is a very informal gathering, for fellowship and food. Brooklyn MM- Young Adult Friends meet for a potluck once a month at the home of one of the YAF from the meeting. There is time for food, worship and fellowship. At least once a year there is also a gathering in the old Quaker cemetery in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, for a picnic, and sometimes worship. They also organize hikes, and other excursions outside of the city. Ithaca area MM -- YA Friends gather once a month at Burtt House, a property owned by Ithaca Monthly Meeting, in Ithaca. They have a potluck and fellowship. Rochester MM Parents worship sharing-- Rochester Friends met for an hour of parents' worship sharing while their children engage in an activity downstairs. The meeting begins with silent worship, followed by individual check in, then a query and worship sharing. Afterwards there is a family pot luck dinner. Rochester MM family worship--This was an experiment in a monthly opportunity for semi-programmed Worship for people of all ages. Brooktondale worship group--This group is under the care of Poplar Ridge Monthly Meeting. They meet the first Sunday of the month at a community center. People of ALL AGES are welcome. The format will be very simple. It will start with a query, prayer, scripture, poem or song to help lead us into worship together. Then we will sit together and share as led until 5PM. NJ/AFRM family worship and potluck--last fall fall, five families with children ranging from 18 months to high school age, met for worship sharing, a potluck and fellowship. We had the worship sharing in the nursery, all we welcome to participate. The younger ones of us popped in and out. It was a great opportunity to meet other families, and get to know each other a little better. We hope to do it again. All Friends Regional Meeting Arts Day--All Friends Regional Meeting experimented with forging and nurturing friendships among Friends across the region and generations by conducting an Arts Day at Chatham Summit Monthly Meeting one late Saturday afternoon and evening in April of 2012. It was a resounding success with 48 children and adults attending, many of them young families. Artists from various meetings oversaw mini-workshops in sculpting, fabric construction, origami, book-cover making, and beaded jewelry making. A show and tell, potluck and singing finale capped off a very enjoyable arts day. One parent said she felt like she had been on vacation and a child asked if we could do it every week! Family Day at Easton MM, Easton, NY.
Easton Meeting invited families with school-age and preschool children from all of the Northeastern Regional Meeting to Family Day,Saturday, June 29 - a program of fun, fellowship and getting acquainted. This program was presented as a response to parts of three Advices from Faith and Practice: From Advice Five: "Meetings are urged to help parents and children share religious experiences at home and in the meeting for worship and to give them an understanding of the principles and practices of Friends."From Advice Six: "Parents and older Friends are advised to be sensitive to the insights of younger people and to keep a close and sympathetic contact with them."From Advice Seventeen (adopted July 27, 2012): "Friends are advised … to share with our children and others our love for God's creation." We also recognize that many Meetings do not have a sufficiently large group of school-age children to have a vital and meaningful First-Day school or youth program. We are thinking "out of the box," and hope that this day will inspire other Meetings in our region to find ways for Meetings to work together to communicate to our children our Quaker values and how we have learned to live these values.
March 1, 2014 Meeting for Discernment -Purchase MMWhat is this Meeting for Discernment? It is a time to gather in extended worship around some queries. It is a time to listen deeply to each other and how God is moving in us corporately and individually. It is a time to spend together with others who are also faithfully trying to discern. I love them! It is a day long event, and I usually come away nurtured by wonderful worship. Questions? Contact me: nyym.yafs@gmail.com
Friday, April 4, 2014 - April 6, 2014
Spring Sessions will be held
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Rochester NY, and will be hosted by Farmington Scipio Regional Meeting. There will be a youth program! Please come and see the work that happens when we gather together. It is a chance to meet new Friends, see familiar faces, browse through the committees, and spend time in worship. I love Spring and Fall Sessions almost more than Summer Sessions. We look forward to seeing you there! Questions? contact me at nyym.yafs@gmail.com or contact Helen Garay Toppins at the NYYM off\fice 212-673-5750, office@nyym.org
July 20-26 Summer Sessions at Silver Bay. More on this later. Please mark your calendars. This is a week of worship, fellowship, business, play, Friendship and listening. We hope you can make it!November 14-16 Fall Sessions will be hosted by NY Quarter and will be held at 15 Rutherford Pl., New York City.
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