News from Western Quaker Newsletters
November 13 2008

News of Friends Meetings and Churches
The Ukiah Worship Group (CA) is now meeting on Sundays at 10:30 am at the Plowshares Peace and Justice Center at 1346 S. State Street in Ukiah, California.
The Clerk of Tempe Meeting (AZ) is convening an Ad Hoc Committee to assist the Meeting in discerning its general process for affiliation with organizations. A clip board was passed around to Friends to share their interest in serving on this committee.
Salt Lake Meeting (UT) is considering its policy on outsider use of Meeting House and kitchen facilities.It is suggested that a regular attender or member of the Meeting be present for the whole process of setting up and taking down of special outside occasions.
Ministry and Oversight Committee of Salem Meeting (OR) is meeting with Committee clerks to check with them and to find out how Ministry and Oversight can support committee work in the coming year.
Prior to a Threshing Session on Sacramento (CA) Meeting’s peace and social justice priorities, a poster board was set up on in the Meeting House foyer for Friends to note their thoughts for the two Sundays prior to the threshing session.
As Newburg Friends (OR) prepared to go to their church’s weekend retreat, they received notice that the main road to Twin Rocks Friends Camp is closed due to mud slides. Luckily there are alternatives.
Gila Meeting (NM) will hold a series of three post-worship discussions in November/December to focus attention and action on advanced life directives. The hope is to raise awareness and encourage Friends to make decisions in accord with their personal long-held values.
Eugene Meeting (OR) is holding its Annual Quaker Holiday Gift Sale on November 15th. Items are all created by EFM Friends, reasonably priced, and artists will donate to Food for Lane County.
Katherine Bragg of Eugene Meeting (OR) is joining Friends Peace Teams in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala doing facilitator training in Alternatives to Violence.
Eugene Meeting (OR) has changed the name of its Oversight Committee to the Nurturing Committee.
Eastside Meeting (Bellevue, WA) had a session called, “How is it with thee, Friend?” a time for sharing concerns about current circumstances.
The Oversight and Membership Committee of Boulder Meeting (CO) is encouraging long-term attenders to consider joining the Meeting. A series of short essays that describe Oversight and Membership members thoughts on their personal journeys to membership will appear in the Meeting newsletter.
Bellingham Meeting (WA) is seasoning the concern as to whether a committee can act on its own behalf, using its own name without representing the Meeting. The concern has been referred to Ministry and Counsel.
Albuquerque Meeting (NM) held a workshop in which the following query was considered: “What is our current and evolving collective identity in terms of presence, work, and witness in the world?”

More than one Meeting/Church is talking about:
Young people (especially young men) are affirming their conscientious objection to war and military service.
Sensing that our country’s economic downturn may affect Friends, Meetings/Churches are considering how to help members and attenders. Will they even need to house families? Let them camp on Meeting/Church grounds?

Deaths noted in Newsletters
Richard (Dick) Counihan, Boulder Meeting
Edie Barton Self, Eugene Meeting

Beyond the Monthly Meeting/Churches
Alaska Friends Conference Fall Quarterly Meeting will be held Nov, 28-30. Hosted by Chena Ridge Meeting, Fairbanks, Friends will consider Witness and Worship: Sacred Interconnections with All Beings. Inspired by the work of Joanna Macy and John Seed, the gathering is envisioned as a time to explore together what Friends can do as Friends to be faithful to Earth.
Barclay Press has published Through Flaming Sword, the life and legacy of George Fox, a spiritual biography of Fox and a closer look at Fox’s legacy, particularly his thoughts on Christian holiness and the nature of the church.
Casa de los Amigos (Mexico City) reports that the Migration Program and the Economic Justice Program are now firmly built into the fabric of the Casa. The Casa’s Volunteer Program has matured into an expression of the shared vision for the Casa. Volunteers now divide their work hours into three areas: the Hospitality Program, the other Casa Peace Programs, and Casa community life (which include cooking breakfast for guests, planning events and activities, furthering efforts to "green" the Casa, and more).
The Christian Friends Conference will meet Saturday, Dec. 6, 9:00AM - 4:30PM at the Santa Cruz Friends Meetinghouse. The gathering will include Christ-centered worship, Bible reading in the manner of Conservative Friends, and fellowship over a brown-bag lunch, with possibly an afternoon speaker on Early Friends.
Evangelical Friends Church Southwest will hold its Annual Conference and Serve Day in three locations. In Southern California the Representative Session and Equipping Community Dinner will be January 23, and the Serve Day, January 24, 2009. In Arizona/Nevada the Equipping Community Dinner will be February 6 and the Serve Day, February 7, 2009. In Northern California the Equipping Community Dinner will be February 20 and the Serve Day, February 21, 2009.
The Midwinter Gathering of Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns will take place February 14-16, 2009 at Camp Adams near Portland, Oregon with the theme “Faith Calls for Justice on the Same Terms.”
Harbor Villa (a ministry of Twin Rocks Friends Camp and Conference Center) offers its Center for Personal Growth in Christ during the month of January. Participants come to Harbor Villa for a week-long retreat.
Northwest Yearly Meeting is publishing Connections a printed Newsletter which is sent to Friends’ homes. Extended versions of the articles and dialogue about the subjects are available on the yearly meeting website, http://www.nwfriends.org/. The theme, with queries, for the November-December issue was Simplicity. Connections is also available in Spanish.
Northwest Yearly Meeting’s Midwinter High School Retreat will be held January 16-19, 2009 on the Oregon Coast at Twin Rocks Friends Camp with the emphasis on ministry through service.
The Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting Silent Retreat will be held January 30-February 1, 2009 at Camp Huston, Gold Bar, Washingon. This retreat offers an opportunity to reach more profound depths in the Silence of Quaker worship.
Utah Friends Fellowship will meet in Logan, UT, January 17-18, 2009.
The WalkwithEarth Pilgrimage, for the beauty of the earth down the watersheds of the Americas, started March 2nd at San Francisco Meeting. Led by Rolene Walker, this pilgrimage ends in Chile in 2.5 years.
Western Young Friends' New Year's Gathering will be held at Camp Myrtlewood, southern Oregon, December 28, 2008 - January 2, 2009. http://nyg.phoenixflight.net/nyg-flier-2008-2009.pdf
Willamette Quarterly Meeting will meet for Meeting for Worship for Business on February 7, 2009 at Corvallis Friends Meeting, Corvallis, OR.



PS. Personal note:

We had an incredible storm come into the Northwest this week with lots of rain and wind. Several communities, especially many towards to coast, have had to contend with major flooding.
I took the bus to Portland State University for a midweek worship. It was one of those days when the umbrella seemed relatively useless; it kept trying to blow inside out. It’s exhilarating to be in a storm like than and then just wet and damp on the bus, etc. But the calm of worship made it all worth-while.
Registered my “new” car with the state of Oregon today. Now she’s all mine.

In Friendship,
Nancy