|
Friends United
Meeting |
 |
January/February 2012
Sacred Moments
FUM Welcomes New General Secretary Colin Saxton
Ramallah Friends School Hosts Model United Nations Conference
2011 Highlights and 2012 Hopes for Belize Friends School
Computer Department at Friends Theological College, Kaimosi
2012 Chain of Prayer, January 1 to May 27
Summer Mission Project
FUM Monthly Budget Goals
Christian Leadership
FUM Ministry of the Month, January 2012: Quaker Life magazine
Meetinghouse Monday
Fun Ways to Fund-raise!
Upcoming Events
FUM Friends Celebrate the Holidays
2011 Bestselling Friends United Press Titles
Canadian Faith and Practice
Recommended Resources
Indiana Yearly Meeting Update
Right Sharing of World Resources Project Report
Service - Stillness: Providing the Balance (USFWI)
After nearly six years on staff with Friends United Meeting, Sylvia Graves retired at the end of 2011 her position as general secretary. Sylvia’s untiring dedication to FUM has been invaluable — from her regular visits to our project partners around the world, speaking at local meetings, creating PowerPoint presentations to keep you informed between her visits and so many “behind the scenes” operations. Staff members in the Richmond office can also attest to her skill in the kitchen and behind a camera!
Sylvia has also shared with Quaker Life readers her “Sacred Moments” in this column since May 2006. In her first column she shared that she’d been retired from serving as a school principal for six months when God called her to help FUM in this way. Since then she has shared with us the lessons she has received from so many Friends and mentors on her life’s journey, her experience of the Spirit’s presence as our general board members have examined and explored and wrestled with God’s plan for FUM, suggestions for how we can be the Light and the channel through which others participate in life’s sacred moments, Bible lessons, stories from her visits to our project partners and her privilege at being able to serve Friends in this capacity.
One trip that Sylvia never had the chance to make while serving as FUM general secretary was to visit Friends in Cuba. And so her first plan for retirement will be to participate on the Cuba work team at the end of January!
We have been blessed by Sylvia’s faithfulness and wish her all the best in the next chapter that God has planned for her life.
FUM Welcomes New General Secretary Colin Saxton
Colin Saxton will assume his new role as FUM general secretary on January 1. He comes to FUM from Northwest Yearly Meeting in Oregon where he has served as pastor, adjunct professor at George Fox University and superintendent of the yearly meeting. Staff members in the FUM-Richmond office quizzed Colin in preparation for what life will be like with a new general secretary.
Tell us about your family.
Our oldest daughter, Hanna, is a nurse in Salem, Oregon. She works in the neurological trauma unit. She’s married to Kyle.
Ellie works for the University of Oregon in their sports marketing department.
Amy finished her first year of college and transferred to George Fox for her sophomore year, so she’ll be living in Newberg.
Sam is a high school senior, plays rugby and is very musical.
And Janine, she and I have been married for 28 years. She recently travelled to Guatemala for language study for two weeks. She’s involved in Newberg running a community school program that works to connect people in the town and also provide educational options — affordable and for people of all ages.
Do you have any food allergies?
I don’t know, but I am a vegetarian. I’m not a zealot about it though. It’s mostly for health reasons and because I just lost my taste for meat.
What is the biggest question you have about Wayne County and Richmond, Indiana?
The weather — what is it really like? We’re eager to know great places to go and explore and get to know the area.
How would you describe your leadership style?
There’s a book called Leading from the Middle, which I like a lot. The notion behind it is, rather than leadership that drives people from the back or leadership that says come on follow me — both of which are appropriate at times — there’s also something about being invested in and involved in and relationally connected to the community. It’s leadership that listens to people. Vision isn’t necessarily something that is always cast from one particular person, but it’s evoked from the community; it’s called out from the community. And I think that that’s probably more my way. I think that part of my leadership style or approach is I try to be somebody who at least works at embodying the values of the organization and works at reminding the folks of who we are called to be and what we are called to do. Something that has become more and more critically important to me is learning how to not be an anxious leader, but to remain calm in the midst of times when everyone is upset and frustrated and discouraged. There is something that is redemptive about that, when somebody can be that.
Ramallah
Friends School Hosts Model United Nations Conference
By Joyce Ajlouny, Ramallah Friends Schools Director
In October, while the international press was focusing on the controversy that arose with President Abbas’s United Nations bid for Palestinian statehood and the emerging debate, students at the Ramallah Friends School decided to hold their own mock United Nations conference. Building on their experiences attending several Model UN (MUN) conferences worldwide, our students planned extensively in preparation for the first Palestinian MUN for high school students. With the Israeli military restrictions on the entry of international and regional visitors, participants had to be limited to those from the West Bank. Students from Gaza were also denied entry to Ramallah. One hundred and thirty students from various schools participated in a three-day conference. Each student was assigned a country and the issues to be discussed were shared well in advance. They therefore came prepared to defend their assigned countries’ position on many issues ranging from demilitarization, the famine in Somalia and the UN bid for Palestinian statehood. Most ironic was that one of our students was assigned to represent the State of Israel. With that came an incredible yet very enlightening experiment in role playing and conflict resolution. International press quickly caught on to this timely activity and several covered the event demonstrating the potential of youth to go against all odds to voice their opinion about the legitimacy of their demand for statehood and their inalienable rights for independence and freedom. Their voice was heard loud and clear. You can watch a short video online.
2011
Highlights and 2012 Hopes for Belize Friends School
By Sam Barber, Belize Friends School co-principal
Let’s first review a few highlights from 2011. In March we had a group visit from College Avenue Friends, Iowa. They painted the fence, built new stairs and a landing and held an optometric clinic at the school. Later in March a group came from Bethel Friends, Indiana. They painted the upstairs classroom, the outside of the building and held an after-school program. In September we found out that 95 percent of our 2011 graduates made it to high school. For three years in a row, over 90 percent of our graduates have been enrolled in high school. October was the month we hosted AVP (Alternatives to Violence Project).The first week was the basic course for our students. The next week was the basic and advanced course held at the University of Belize. There was such an overwhelming response to this. Many different people want AVP back to learn how to be facilitators. November brought a team from Iowa Yearly Meeting. They scraped and painted the lower classroom that has been chipping and peeling since Hurricane Richard. These teams are an integral part of our ministry. We invite each one of you to come to Belize and see firsthand the work you are doing at the Friends School and in the Belize City community.
As I look forward to 2012, there are a few things that I would like to see happen. First is the success of our students. My hope and prayer is that they all do well on the PSE (Primary School Examination). I also pray that they will not be afraid of the hard work this will require. Second is the expansion of the school. I would love to see the school filled with so many students that we have to start a waiting list. Finally is that Jesus would be glorified. God’s Word tells us, “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” (Matthew 9:37) In 2012 I want to be a worker in the harvest and I invite you to join me in the field.
Computer
Department at Friends Theological College, Kaimosi
By Oscar Lugusa and Esau Ewalan, FTC students
We appreciate the gift of computers donated by USFW Cedar Square and Hopewell Friends, North Carolina. This has introduced us to the brighter part of the world. We can now access more quickly information for studying and communicating. We are very much enjoying word-processing software which automatically corrects spellings and grammar mistakes, copying and pasting features instead of rewriting the entire contents of a document, printing out documents and making several copies as it is easier to read word-processed documents than a handwritten one.
We now browse information on the Internet. Through e-mails we can communicate with people who are far away. Computers also provide software that enables us to chat with other people. Audio/video composition and editing have been made much easier by computers. With desktop publishing, we can create page layouts for an entire book.
A student in the Diploma in Theology program said: “Learning to use a computer is interesting and enjoyable; I’m able to communicate through e-mail, access the Internet, download notes from my flash drive and so many other good things.”
Many pastors are taking computer lessons and many more are waiting for the next class. Pastors are interested in knowing how to open e-mail accounts, do research online, type and edit their work. We believe computers will spearhead our pastors’ quest of eradicating social problems such as illiteracy and poverty.
It is difficult to imagine a college without computers. This revolutionary technology is indeed a boon to the Friends Theological College family. We appreciate the gift of computers. May God continue blessing our donors.
2012 Chain of Prayer, January 1-May 27
The theme for the 2011-14 Triennium of Friends United Meeting is: A Great People to Be Gathered. Friends United Meeting spans the world and is the people of North America, Cuba, Jamaica, Belize, Ramallah, Kenya and Uganda. One way Friends United Meeting can be gathered from all corners of the globe is through prayer.
In 1652, the founder of Quakerism, George Fox, “came near a very great hill, called Pendle Hill, and I was moved of the Lord to go up to the top of it [where] the Lord let me see in what places he had a great people to be gathered.”
Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
This year we challenge you to think about how you can be part of this great people called Friends United Meeting. When your meeting signs up for the Chain of Prayer you are assigned a day to pray and a partner meeting for whom to pray. Make A Great People to Be Gathered a theme in your meeting and consider these options for your day in the Chain of Prayer:
- Make it a priority to gather into fellowship with God and Friends around the world to pray for the ministries of your own meeting, a partner meeting and those of Friends United Meeting.
- Invite Friends to sign up for individual or small group prayer times or organize a special prayer meeting on your day in the Chain of Prayer.
- Consider inviting an FUM staff member to come to your meeting and share what A Great People to Be Gathered means to him/her.
- Learn more about how your support of the ministries of Friends United Meeting helps gather people into fellowships around the globe (use Quaker Life magazine as a guide or call the FUM-Richmond office for PowerPoint presentations and more information).
- Take up a special collection to help continue this good work.
Friends are challenged to prayerfully envision the members, ministries and resources of Friends United Meeting as part of a fresh movement of God’s Spirit in which we are gathered together, generously open to the Holy Spirit, to do the Lord’s work. Join us for the 2012 Chain of Prayer!
Pennies for Postage, Bikes for Boys in Belize, Water of Life, Kids for
Kids … these have been FUM’s Summer Mission Projects for the past four
years and you have made each project a success! Nearly 2,000 pounds of
books were shipped internationally with the $7,000 you raised for Pennies
for Postage. With the $17,000 you raised for Bikes for Boys in Belize,
each student received a bicycle, helmet, chain and lock, and we still
had enough to buy computers for the school! Over $26,000 came in for the
Water of Life project, which purchased bio-sand water filters and dug
wells for Friends communities in Kenya. In October 2011 we passed the
$20,000 mark of funds you raised for Kids for Kids, enabling Friends Theological
College to buy dairy goats, build pens and purchase food for the animals
in order to kick-start a student-initiative project that will assist students
in raising their own tuition funds. What is the 2012 Summer Mission Project?
Stay tuned to find out!
Adopt-a-Nurse — $2,000
Africa Ministries Office — $3,125
Eden Grace (includes all ministry expenses) — $9,381
Samburu Friends Mission — $2,000
Turkana Friends Mission — $2,000
Christian
Leadership
By Judith Ngoya
Great leadership is about building positive, strong and cooperative relationships. This includes having a mentoring relationship, knowing the principles of great leadership and cultivating a strong inner life.
Mentoring
Leadership is a complex issue in the 21st century. The Christian leader faces constant challenges at home, work and in the church. An increasing number of Christian leaders, business owners and pastors are turning to mentors and coaches for development and assistance. And they are wise to do so, because the advantages are many.
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a mentor as “a wise, loyal, advisor or coach.” Practically speaking, a mentor is an individual with special gifts or knowledge that helps and guides another individual’s development. Mentoring is used in many settings. One of the most valuable assets the ministry can have is a good mentor. Why? Because Christian leaders are besieged with challenges. Who then do they turn to for counsel, verification and guidance?
Quite often confidentiality is a problem among peers. Many leaders and pastors do not have a wise or seasoned elder pastor or confidential authority figure to turn to in a time of discernment. Finding solace among peers or elected leaders can prove disappointing. A seasoned and professional mentor or coach is invaluable in helping guide and validate a leader’s choices and decisions with confidentiality.
Many have spent fortunes attending conferences and seminars that seldom have long-term results and lasting impact. Most offer inspiration that quickly fades away as reality rears its head again. I hope you are even now considering who should be your mentor, and who you can mentor.
Mentoring is a mutual relationship spurred by a shared element in which mentor and protégé jointly progress toward developing the protégé’s abilities in a field. This one-to-one relationship must be non-evaluative in order to provide the protégé with confidence to pursue his or her development. The mentor stands as an unbiased resource offering knowledge, insight and time to support the protégé in a noncritical manner.
The mentoring relationship often begins with the understanding that the mentor possesses attributes the protégé desires to acquire. From this initial understanding, the two can assess further goals and the strategies to achieve them. The mentor must allow the protégé to develop at his or her own pace while providing assistance when solicited. Providing guidance without commanding direction or action is a key in maintaining the mutual relationship. Mentors impart valuable knowledge based on their past successes and failures pertinent to the field.
Seven Principles of a Great Leader
There are seven principles that make good Christian leaders great. Knowing what they are and how to cultivate them is essential for success.
- Listen. It is imperative to be able to listen to not only what is being said, but also to what is not being said. This includes the general mood of your employees and peers.
- Trust yourself. Self-doubt is readily perceived by others and undermines their confidence in a leader. It can spread throughout an organization or church and lead to loss of focus, enthusiasm and trust in the overall mission. The ability to trust one’s self, feel and be perceived as exhibiting an internal, unwavering, confident steadiness, inspires confidence and optimism in and from others.
- Empower others. With power comes a feeling of responsibility that often makes leaders feel like they must do everything themselves. Unfortunately this often overwhelms them and under-powers the church. It also neglects the valuable resources and strengths that exist in the powerful synergy of individuals working together as a high performance team. A great leader knows and trusts the strengths of their members and how to nurture self-confidence in them so that everyone is able to fully express their creative potential.
- Be resilient. Resilience is the ability to ward off negativity. This involves cultivating inner emotional strengths and vitality to help weather any storm. Like the captain of a ship, a great leader must be able to steer the organization both in good and bad times, effortlessly and confidently without wavering emotionally.
- Make difficult emotional decisions. A leader’s decisions ultimately affect many other people as well as the vitality and integrity of the church or organization. A good leader knows how to make decisions that take into consideration the livelihood of all concerned.
- Take responsibility. Good leaders realize they have been charged with significant responsibility for the vitality of the group and ultimately for the lives of the members that are part of it. Too often the bottom line takes precedence over the fact that the members are the life-blood of the church and neglecting their welfare will severely cripple the church.
- Communicate effectively. Relationships that leave out the ability to communicate effectively are doomed to fail. Communication skills, however, start with the ability to be open and receptive to the attitudes, ideas and opinions of others, as well as the ability to empathize and understand another’s circumstances.
When these fundamental building blocks are in place the probability of conflicts, misunderstandings and lowered performance are significantly reduced. These seven principles of great leadership can be cultivated only by leaders who recognize that a strong and successful group depends on their courage and ability to develop themselves emotionally first. This means being able to perceive and appreciate the consequences of one’s decisions on the lives of others while at the same time having the inner strength, confidence and courage to move ahead for the good of all.
Five Principles of a Strong Inner Life
One of the key ways of building a strong inner life within you is to have a set of principles. These principles are what will keep you heading in the right direction and standing on solid ground. You can find some of the best principles in the Scriptures and other inspired writings. Make these principles part of your daily thinking process to ensure that they stay fresh in your mind.
There are five principles for building a strong inner life:
- Integrity. Integrity includes maintaining a personal vision beyond the need to be understood. Even if no one believes in the vision God has given you, integrity means staying true to what you know is right.
- Self-confidence. Self-confidence goes hand-in-hand with integrity and means being faithful to your truth; your truth is your message and your life is the channel that displays it. Not only do you need to be faithful to what you believe, but also to living out those beliefs. Each decision, each choice you make is a moment of self-definition.
- Clarity. Clarity means giving voice to your heart. Whereas the mind may, at times, seem blurry and confused, the heart always knows. A great leader is someone who has connected with the voice within and is willing to listen to it.
- Inner strength. Inner strength means to be strong in your vulnerability. The humanity part of us is the vulnerable one. Once you are willing to let others see you the way you truly are, there is nothing to hide anymore and strength emerges.
- Detachment/attachment. Finally, be detached from expectations, yet attached to the journey. While a vision propels you into the future, a great leader knows that nothing happens in the future that doesn’t begin in the now. The journey is made one step at a time.
Always remember to keep your inner life pure even when the outer life is not treating you kindly. You must remember that a major principle to having a strong inner life is not allowing the actions of others to affect your peace. Love your fellow man, but remember you are not responsible for his attitudes or actions. Keep your mind strong and firm. Maintain a gentle spirit. See everyone as equals and have compassion for others.
These are the fundamentals of success; they are the essential stones
to growth and expansion. I encourage you, as a Christian leader, to let
your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become
more!
Each month through December 2012, we will focus on a different ministry
of Friends United Meeting. This "Ministry of the Month" corresponds with
the FUM wall calendar that is available for $15 from the Friends
United Press Shopping Center.
January 2012
Quaker Life magazine
At the same time (1960) the Five Years Meeting was deciding to meet every three years (and ultimately changing its name to Friends United Meeting), The American Friend and Quaker Action — two publications of the Five Years Meeting — were joined to create Quaker Life magazine. Quaker Life was originally published monthly and was gradually reduced to our current six issues a year. A commemorative edition for our 50th anniversary was published in 2011 and is available from www.fum.org/shop.
From its inception, the purpose of Quaker Life has been to provide inspiration and encouragement to Friends as well as be a source of FUM news. Quaker Life is an integral part of the mission of Friends United Meeting and thus in 2012 the FUM General Board has committed to a six-month promotion to encourage new and returning subscriptions. We hope you will join us in praying for God’s favor upon Quaker Life and encouraging your Friends to subscribe.
More information will be available on each month’s ministry focus at www.fum.org, on Facebook and in your monthly donor receipts. February’s ministry focus will be on Friends Theological College.
Quaker Life began a promotion on our Facebook page in October called “Meetinghouse Monday.” Each Monday we feature a different FUM meetinghouse, including photos and interesting tidbits about a monthly meeting that is a member of FUM so we can get to know our family of Friends. But there is one catch — we don’t tell our Facebook fans what meeting is being featured; they have to guess! The first person to name the meeting featured is signed up for a subscription to Quaker Life. Not on Facebook? That’s okay! You can participate by naming the meeting that worships in the meetinghouse pictured above. Here are your hints: This grand Victorian building served as a doctor’s office, home and college dorm before becoming a meetinghouse. It is located in a former Dutch colony — the new world home of tulips. A huge backyard is known for its grapevines. If you have an idea what meeting worships in this beautiful building, e-mail Quaker Life. The first person to respond correctly will have the opportunity to subscribe to Quaker Life for themselves, their meeting or a friend.
Fun
Ways to Fund-raise!
By Sylvia Graves
- In January, after the rush of the holidays is over, in your Sunday school class or youth group or USFW, draw names for “Secret Valentines.” Besides doing other little sweet and “sneaky” deeds to encourage that person, select a ministry project according to what you think the other person’s interest might be (for example, medicines for Kaimosi Hospital or goats for Friends Theological College). Raise funds between now and Valentine’s Day so you can send a gift in the name of your Secret Valentine. Plan a party to reveal your Secret Valentines and the gifts you chose for them.
- With a grandchild, choose a ministry project the two of you would like to support together (for example, tuition for students in Belize, Ramallah or Kenya). Make a covenant to contribute money for each other’s birthdays and other special days until you reach the goal of sending your gift. When your check is ready to send, decorate an envelope, take a special trip to the post office together, then go out for ice cream or some other way to celebrate your success.
- Find a partner and commit to praying for and contributing regular amounts to a project you can agree to send from both of you (for example, pray for and support the implementation of the peace curriculum in secondary schools in Kenya).
- Supporting FUM ministry projects can be a great Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift. Talk to your children about how they can honor you by raising funds for a project such as supporting an outreach clinic for maternal/child health in a remote, underserved area through Lugulu Hospital, and maybe even promise to match the amount they raise.
- With your spouse, combine your resources for an anniversary gift that suits you both — support a pastor’s salary at Samburu or Turkana Friends Missions or buy lunch for the students at Lindi Friends School in the Kibera slum.
If you’d like to do a more extensive program for your group to support FUM ministries, please call the FUM office at: (765)962-7573, or e-mail a request. Additional resources, photographs, PowerPoint presentations and staff members to visit your group are all available. I hope you enjoy the giving experience!
The annual FUM-sponsored work team to Cuba will take place January 23-February 3. Linda Garrison of Iowa Yearly Meeting will be leading the team of 12 members.
On January 27-28, Max and Jane Carter of North Carolina Yearly Meeting-FUM will be leading a retreat at Quaker Hill Conference Center, Richmond, Indiana, on the topic: “One Land, Many Perspectives: Exploring the Narratives of Israel/Palestine.” The Carters have led 13 FUM-sponsored work/study trips to Israel and Palestine since 1979.
Berkeley, California, Friends Church’s annual Quaker Heritage Day will be held March 10. This year’s scheduled speaker is Quaker author, photographer and retreat leader, J. Brent Bill.
The World Conference of Friends, sponsored by FWCC, is to be held in Kenya, April 17-25. Consider supporting the travel fund to bring Friends to Kenya from such places as Bolivia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ghana, Hungary, India, Rwanda, Uganda, Myanmar and Nepal. Local Friends will also be hosting pre- and post-conference opportunities for you, whether you are attending the World Conference or not, including service projects and safaris. Find out more online.
The theme for the 2012 camping season at Quaker Haven Camp (Indiana and Western yearly meetings) in Syracuse, Indiana, is “More Awesome” (loose translation of John 10:10). The goal is to help campers of all ages realize there are spiritual traits and actions that take us from an ordinary follower to what Christ truly wants us to be — a more awesome Christian who loves more, forgives more and trusts more.
FUM Friends Celebrate the Holidays
Forty people attended the annual family “carve-in” at First Friends Church of Whittier, California, in October, transforming pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, enjoying homemade goodies, entertaining one another with improvised dramas and building a 300-piece jigsaw puzzle.
Sam and Becky Barber treated students at the Belize Friends School to a Thanksgiving dinner. They were joined by a work team from Iowa who painted the downstairs classroom while Sam and Becky and Miss Candi were administering end-of-term tests to the students.
Friends Memorial Church has its own food pantry for the people of Muncie, Indiana, but during the holidays they like to do something extra for their clients. At Thanksgiving the women of the meeting came together and baked over 300 loaves of pumpkin bread in the church’s kitchen, and at Christmas each family that came to the pantry received a dozen cookies.
John Muhanji visited Eloise Hockett and family at her home in Oregon for the Thanksgiving holiday. John and Eloise have collaborated on the peace curriculum for secondary schools in Kenya. Eloise introduced John to such North American customs as making snow angels, driving along the coast, a traditional Thanksgiving meal and rising early for Black Friday shopping.
Joyce Ajlouny, students and staff at the Ramallah Friends Schools also celebrated with a traditional American Thanksgiving feast, though they had to “improvise” on the stuffing.
A bounteous Thanksgiving feast followed worship at Hominy Friends, Oklahoma, on November 13. The children barely fit on the edge of the stage as they sat with Friends minister, David Nagle, as he shared a children’s sermon. The singing of “Happy Birthday” in Osage to several members, and the closing song “Blessed Be the Tie that Binds” also in Osage, contributed a special flavor to the worship. The meal followed and Friends lingered, enjoying the opportunity to visit with one another. The beautiful weather was icing on the cake!
Adirondack Friends Meeting, New York, supported their community by collecting hats, mittens and gloves to be distributed by the local community center.
Little Blue River Friends, Indiana, collected 146 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, as well as $7 for each box to ship them!
First Friends Meeting, Greensboro, North Carolina, celebrated New Year’s Eve by holding their 10th annual “24 Hours of Prayer for Peace” from 12 noon, December 31, through 12 noon, January 1. The intention of the 24 Hours of Prayer for Peace is to be open and inviting to all people in search of peace, without prejudice to their particular path, and to provide a time and a place where peace seekers may come together in prayer and worship, including times of waiting worship, Scripture reading, music, prepared messages and time for prayer.
2011 Bestselling Friends United Press Ttiles
- Disciplines of the Spirit, by Howard Thurman
- Deep River and the Negro Spiritual Speaks of Life and Death, by Howard Thurman
- The Inward Journey, by Howard Thurman
- Encounter with Silence, by John Punshon
- A Living Faith, by Wilmer Cooper
- The Search for Common Ground, by Howard Thurman
- The Journal and Major Essays of John Woolman, edited by Phillips P. Moulton
- The Eternal Promise, by Thomas Kelly
- Autobiography of Allen Jay, edited by Joshua Brown
- Deep is the Hunger, by Howard Thurman
Friends Untied Press titles can be purchased online.
For the first time since its formation in 1955 from the union of Canada Yearly Meeting (Orthodox), Canada Yearly Meeting (Conservative) and Genesee Yearly Meeting (Hicksite), Canadian Yearly Meeting has produced a uniquely Canadian Faith and Practice, expressing the Canadian Quaker experience.
What is it that makes Canadian Yearly Meeting’s Quaker experience distinctive? This book of Faith and Practice reflects who the Canadian Quakers are and where they came from — that is, their roots — in both a geographical and a theological sense. The writings collected in this Canadian Faith and Practice express different ways of understanding the Quaker faith and, in particular, different points along the Christian-Universalist continuum. Canadian Friends urge others to read the extracts in the same way we listen to vocal ministry — even when it does not match your own beliefs, welcome rather than reject a message as a means of testing the strength and validity of your own conviction and as a way of enlarging your vision.
From its inception, the creation of their own Faith and Practice book was conceived as a project of the whole yearly meeting and all Canadian Friends were called on to work, either as a group or individually, to identify appropriate writings. It is this process of participation by Friends that, more than geography or history or any other factor, makes this book distinctively a Canadian Quaker Faith and Practice— the sense of a yearly meeting attempting to express its deepest life.
Copies are available from Quaker Book Service.
Books
- Awaken Your Senses: Exercises for Exploring the Wonder of God, by J. Brent Bill and Beth Booram
- Encounter with Silence, by John Punshon*
- Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World, by Richard Foster
- Growing Up Plain, by Wilmer Cooper*
- Inner Tenderings, by Louise Wilson*
- Integrity, Ecology, and Community: The Motion of Love, Pendle Hill Pamphlet 403, by Jennie Ratcliffe
- The Journal and Major Essays of John Woolman, edited by Phillips P. Moulton*
- Plain Living: A Quaker Path to Simplicity, by Catherine Whitmire
- Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy, by Peter Brown and Geoffrey Garver
- Simplicity: The Freedom of Letting Go, by Richard Rohr
Websites
- www.emagazine.com
- www.myfootprint.org
- www.quakerearthcare.org
- www.rswr.org
- www.simplelivingforum.net
- www.storyofstuff.org
- www.transitionus.org
*Can be purchased online from Friends United Press or by calling (800)537-8839.
West Richmond Friends Minute
The decision in Indiana Yearly Meeting to undertake a deliberate and collaborative reconfiguration (creating two yearly meetings out of the current one) was sparked by the different understandings meetings have about same sex relationships, which has brought to light the different views Friends have on the purpose of the yearly meeting (whether or not it has or should have authority over its monthly meetings). The yearly meeting’s official position on homosexual practices is that they are contrary to the will of God. However, a welcoming and affirming minute was approved by West Richmond Friends Meeting in 2008 that reads:
We welcome all who come as religious seekers or as fellow Christians to share in worship with West Richmond Friends Meeting, to participate in the activities of our common life together, and to apply for membership. The same standards and expectations for membership will be applied to all persons.
We affirm and welcome all persons whatever their race, religious affiliation, age, socio-economic status, nationality, ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation or mental/physical ability. … In an effort to be clear as to the meaning of “affirming” and “welcoming,” we offer the following examples. Members and attenders of West Richmond Friends Meeting are welcomed and encouraged to:
Neither the State of Indiana nor the Faith and Practice of Indiana Yearly Meeting currently makes provision for the marriage or civil union of same sex couples. In the absence of such legal or denominational provisions, we regard same sex couples who are in committed relationships as families.
We are willing to engage in open discussion on these issues with others, and we respect the Christian beliefs and spiritual integrity of those who may not fully agree with us. Approved: June 15, 2008.
Western Yearly Meeting
It was approved at the October meeting of the Indiana Yearly Meeting Representative Council to invite Western and Wilmington yearly meetings to join in the process of discernment, with the potential for reconfiguring the three yearly meetings into two bodies. At the November meeting of Western Yearly Meeting’s Administrative Council it was approved to decline this invitation, but to request that WYM be allowed to provide observers to the process.
Reconfiguration Task Force
A spirit of cooperation was evident as the 10 members of the Reconfiguration Task Force held their initial meeting on December 6. Facilitating an outcome that is life-giving for every meeting and person in the current Indiana Yearly Meeting, and discerning a result that energizes Friends and pleases God, emerged as common goals when members introduced themselves and shared their hopes. The group understands its charge to be to discern how to implement the decision IYM has made to undertake a deliberate and collaborative reconfiguration.
A healthy discussion centered on identifying and understanding questions and concerns about this process that exist across the yearly meeting. Among the issues are the diverse feelings present in various Friends, from those experiencing grief and anger to those feeling relief and hope. The task force aims to be sensitive to this range of feelings and helpful to Friends however they are experiencing the decision to form two bodies out of the current IYM.
As a starting point, sub-groups are drafting beginning descriptions of what two resulting yearly meetings might look like: “Yearly Meeting A,” a collaborative association of monthly meetings having more doctrinal freedom, and “Yearly Meeting B,” one which sets bounds and exercises authority over monthly meetings. These drafts will be working documents for consultation and input from across the yearly meeting, because the task force’s role is not to determine the shape of the resulting entities but rather to facilitate the discussion. As well as working with Friends to formulate these descriptions, the task force will be developing a later process for meetings to identify with which body they are led to affiliate. This process will begin after the descriptions of the two future bodies are approved. The task force is scheduled to meet again on January 21.
Right Sharing of World Resources Project Report
Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) is a Quaker organization which supports grassroots income-generating projects in the developing world and encourages economic discipleship in the United States. RSWR currently has 57 project partners. Following is a report from one of those projects.
Nangili Friends Church Women Group, Kenya
The groups which RSWR fund in Kenya are almost exclusively USFW groups. These groups apply for funding for themselves and are, therefore, self-monitoring. The USFW grant recipients appoint a steering committee, usually comprised of the clerk of the group, another officer and one or two members of the group. This steering committee oversees the distribution and collection of repaid funds and maintains the group records. This process is quite different from our partners in Sierra Leone and India, where a local NGO has organized the women into self-help groups, and the NGO, often with a committee of group members, oversees the project.
The Kenyan women’s groups have made great strides in establishing transparent, accountable groups which jointly make decisions about their group functioning. One forerunner of the RSWR revolving funds for the Kenyan women is a system called “merry-go-round” in which the women each contribute a small amount of money each month and revolve the collected money to one woman per month to use for her family’s needs.
Nangili Friends Church Women Group (NFCWG) is a member of Lugari Yearly Meeting (a member yearly meeting of Friends United Meeting since 2002). NFCWG was founded in 2007 and has been actively engaged in merry-go-round. The women have their own small businesses which RSWR funds help to expand so that they can make a more sustainable income. The manner in which this group (and many Kenyan partners) distributes the RSWR funds is in small initial loans. In this manner the women have opportunity to slowly build their business, manage a small loan and establish a repayment record.
For the RSWR grant received in 2009, NFCWG women divided into three sub-groups with each group participating in either poultry, buying grains at wholesale and reselling or selling firewood and kerosene (cooking fuels). The following report was received from NFCWG:
The group was formed for the purpose of promoting the welfare of women in the church. In 2009, we received a grant of $3,500. The 30 group members sat and started with the necessary preparations. It was decided that the money would be loaned at an interest rate of 20 percent. The first loans taken totaled $2,175. Repayment of the loan was good except for one member whose health was not good, but has improved and she is now servicing the loan as agreed by the members. A second loan was taken by 25 members. At this stage Kenya has been experiencing economic hardship so we lowered the interest rate to 10 percent. Most members have repaid all the money, but five members are experiencing difficulties. We optimistically expect that they will repay it. Currently we have given a third loan to 10 members. With the support from the loans, members have been able to assist one another in times of difficulties. The group faces a lot of challenges, for example, the lack of a ready market, economic hardships that affect the price of commodities and slow repayments. However, with the benefit of the RSWR loans there has been a great change in members’ lives.
To find out more about Right Sharing of World Resources, visit online or e-mail.
Service
— Stillness: Providing the Balance
A Lesson from USFWI Blueprints
By Ann Davidson
United Society of Friends Women International (USFWI) women are known for their service. In fact, that is how I explain what USFWI is to a group of Friends unfamiliar with USFWI. “It’s a service organization. We strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world.”
Many of us find ourselves caring for our families and working outside the home too. We see so much that needs to be done and there are not a lot of “extra” hours. There are the everyday chores of providing food and shelter for our families in this difficult economic time. It seems we have to squeeze in time to actively minister in our communities through USFW and our meetings/churches. In many meetings, USFW groups no longer meet. There is no time. I’m concerned about that.
Remember the story found in the Gospel of Luke about the two sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)? I’ve always identified with Martha. Martha was the host of the home, perhaps the eldest of the sisters. Hospitality was and is a very important gift to offer guests in the Middle East, as in other countries. Martha knew her task and she wasn’t happy that her sister was shirking her job. Martha wanted help in serving tea or a meal to Jesus and her other guests. And here was Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus. Martha complains to Jesus, but he tells her that Mary has made the better choice.
It is a choice, right, in our lives? There are several ways I see Martha. She was doing her job. One could also say that she saw a need and responded to it. We all do that, don’t we?
When I think of USFWI, I think of Martha. The good news for me is that it was Martha who was the first one to say these words found in John 11:27: “‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’” It wasn’t that Martha didn’t have a relationship with Jesus; she did. How else would she know that he was the Messiah? Jesus was, instead, telling her that there is a time to serve tea and a time to listen to him!
It is easy to imagine that if we were guests in the home, we could sit at the feet of Jesus without guilt. I could. But I believe it took a lot of courage for Mary to ignore the pull of hospitality that I’m sure she was trained to do. What I have come to live into is that there is a time and place to be Mary, listening to the words and Spirit of Jesus — being still. And there are times to be Martha. The challenge for us is to live in that balance between service and stillness. To be whole as Jesus wants us to be whole we need both — the inward and the outward life.
You’d think I’d remember this, right? But it’s so easy to tip the balance. I find myself spending too many hours ministering with and for Friends, forgetting to spend the quiet time I need to refresh and nourish my Spirit as well as to listen to Jesus for further discernment. Just as I need physical food, I need spiritual food. Each of us will have favorite ways of “sitting at the feet of Jesus” (Luke 10:39) and being still. Meeting for Worship is obvious. I can be still in the group, listening for the voice of Jesus directly or through another person’s ministry, the Scripture reading or the choir. The important point is that I am still internally. Being still, at least for me, does not always mean being quiet.
The reality of “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) can also happen when I am walking the labyrinth or walking in the woods, the mountains, the meadows or by the sea. Being still is quieting my mind and letting go of what I need to do, was going to do and must do. Being still is being present — right this moment. I’ve found it is worth it — being still. I am renewed, refocused and empowered. By being a Mary I am ready to go out into the world and be a Martha.
This article is an abbreviated lesson from the curriculum, Blueprints, published annually by the USFWI, and is reprinted with permission.
Ann Davidson is a member of Farmington Friends in New York Yearly Meeting. A recorded minister, she has served as a pastor in Western Yearly Meeting as well as presiding clerk of USFWI and clerk of the John Sarrin Scholarship Committee. Ann serves as the executive director of NYYM’s retreat and conference center, Powell House.