News of Friends Churches and Monthly Meetings

October 2008

During Meeting for Worship for Business at Bellingham Meeting (WA), Friends are invited to speak to a vision or hope for the Meeting.
The Long Range Planning Committee of Berkeley Meeting (CA) has established a timeline for its Meeting House renovation with design and zoning approvals by September 2009; completion of the Meeting House Construction by January 2010; and completion of the New Social Hall and Quaker House renovations by August 2011.
Boise Friends Church (ID) recently hosted the NWYM Bible Quiz Meet. Boise Friends provided, housing, food, and judging for youth from all over the Northwest.
Bridge City Friends Meeting (Portland, OR) held a Newcomer’s Gathering with potluck and the sharing of personal spiritual histories.
Caldwell Friends Church (ID) is now a distributor of the War is Not the Answer yard signs from Friends Committee on National Legislation
Caryl Menkhus, pastor, Camas Friends Church (WA) is leaving the church and has accepted a position with Godly Play.
Chico Meeting (CA) is considering a proposed minute which begins, “We of Chico Friends Meeting minute our intention to purchase the Hemlock Street building if we are able to find resources to do so.. .. .” If the minute is approved, the to-be-named ad hoc Resources Exploration Committee would report to the July 2009 Business Meeting.
Corvallis Meeting (OR) is considering the time for Meeting for Worship with the question: Should Adult Religious Education start at 11:00 a.m. and Meeting for Worship at 9:30 a.m?
The Corvallis Meeting (OR) Newsletter notes that grapes are ripe behind the Meeting House and all are welcome to benefit from the harvest.
Eastside Meeting (Bellevue, WA) took a marriage under its care a year ago. The Clearness Committee for that couple has met with the couple again after a year. The Meeting plans to hold annual check-ups for marriages under its care.
Knitters from Eastside Meeting (Bellevue, WA) are creating gifts for the homeless with their hands and time. Last year Eastside Meeting donated about 30 handmade hats and scarves.
Glendora Friends Church (CA) will hold a Pre-Election Prayer Service. During this season in which political issues can come to the fore as matters of division and contention, Glendora Friends seek an opportunity to together enter a time of prayer for covering by God’s Spirit.
Grass Valley Meeting (Nevada City, CA) is considering that Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business might take place on first Sundays of the month immediately after 45 minutes of unprogrammed worship (without a break), to be followed by a potluck and fellowship.
Grass Valley Meeting (Nevada City, CA) approved asking Sierra Friends Center (where GVFM meets) about the possibility of providing an electric vehicle charging station at the Center.
La Jolla Meeting (CA) is serious about its “News of Friends” in the Meeting Newsletter, Just Among Friends. There were 28 items of a personal nature in the latest Newsletter.
La Jolla Meeting (CA) has business cards which Friends can give to others who show an interest in the Meeting.
Northwest Yearly Meeting’s newest Friends church, Mision Amigos de Christo with Gerardo Ibarra, pastor, held a kick-off event in Salem, Oregon. including a meal, volleyball, soccer, softball, face painting, ping-pong, and a yard sale. It concluded with a message from Gerardo about issues related to Latino families. Friends will worship weekly on Saturday afternoons.
School of the Spirit, “Owning our Impact on the Earth—A Spiritual and Ethical Matter for Friends,” will take place on November 21-22 at Mountain View Friends (Denver, CO). Hollister Knowlton, of Quaker Earthcare Witness, will help Friends understand the degree to which we are using and emitting more than our fair share of resources and to see that change is possible and individual efforts can be measurable and substantial.
Mountain View Friends (Denver, CO) have set up an ad-hoc committee on Short & Long-term Meetinghouse Needs. Friends understand that loving and careful attention to each other will be necessary, as there is a lot of emotion about the meetinghouse, its use, the possibility of moving, and how resources and priorities are managed.
Oversight Committee of Multnomah Meeting (Portland, OR) is collecting stories from Friends concerning their emotional experiences and attitudes toward money and classism. Friends are being asked, “How has money, the lack, sufficiency or abundance of it, affected your life?”
Multnomah Meeting (Portland, OR) held a threshing session on supporting its same sex couples in reaching full legal recognition.
Spring Break 2009, Friends from Newberg Friends Church (OR) plan to travel to San Luis, Mexico to build three homes for single mothers and their children and to conduct Vacation Bible School for the children of the neighborhood. Friends from North Valley and West Chehalem Friends Churches (Newberg, OR) will join them.
Listening Life Groups at Newberg Friends Church (OR) give Friends a chance to journey with a small group as they together consider the lives of those who have gone before as a springboard for their own lives with God.
Palo Alto Meeting (CA) is laboring with how best to support attender Randy Mont-Reynaud’s work in Haiti and whether or not to continue to serve as fiscal agent for her work.
Reedwood Friends Church (Portland, OR) recently held its annual dessert auction – a fun-filled frenzy of bidding on desserts that are home-baked, store-baked, or kid-baked. All proceeds help send kids to camp next summer.
Sacramento Meeting (CA) is reviewing its policy regarding scholarship funds, including that discussions and decisions are to be confidential; the applicant is to fully explain the need; more weight is to be given to requests that directly or indirectly benefit the Meeting; and the scholarships are intended for Friends who would have difficulty in accomplishing the experience without financial help.
Sacramento Meeting (CA) has paid off its mortgage and is considering how it will celebrate.
Salt Lake Friends (UT) are considering adding a second Bible study group. Those who participate are asked to offer a six-week commitment of one hour per week. They are using the Friendly Bible Study Program.
Salt Lake Friends (UT) are considering whether to have a paid babysitter, a First-Day School program, Friends just go downstairs with the kids, or ? Friends are asking how the Meeting shows its commitment to its children?
San Francisco Meeting (CA) held the first of three evening Adult Education sessions on the Light. What is it? How do we experience it and what have Friends had to say about it?
Friends from San Francisco Meeting (CA) raised concerns about the police being called because of the behavior of people- often homeless- who congregate in front of the building. The Meeting is considering holding a threshing session on the issue.
San Jose Meeting (CA) is considering holding Meeting for Business on odd-numbered months, even though there is concern about special items, such as the State of Meeting report, their Association’s Annual Meeting, or other important items “falling through the cracks.”
Santa Cruz Meeting (CA) has asked Oversight Committee to continue in its temporary role as Nominating Committee and that Oversight name a new Nominating Committee as soon as possible.
Santa Fe Meeting (NM) allocated funds for use by the Future Planning Committee to cover legal and other expenses associated with accepting the gift of land for a new meetinghouse. This will be called the New Meetinghouse Fund.
Second Street Community Church (Newberg, OR) sponsored its Annual Feed the Needy Food Drive. Door hangers were distributed throughout the community one day, then food was collected, sorted, and boxed the next day.
Friends Community Church, Spring Valley (CA) recently hosted four Friends from La Jolla Meeting at Worship and Potluck.
South Seattle Preparative Meeting (Seattle, WA) will hold a Meeting for Remembering and Potluck on November 1.
The Caretaker of Tacoma Meeting (WA) has included in his duties watching Friends’ cars during Worship and after on Sundays.
Tacoma Meeting (WA) held a Threshing Session to examine the Meeting’s relationship with its meetinghouse caretaker, not specifically to do a review of the caretaker’s performance but to bring up concerns about the relationship between the meeting and whoever is in the caretaker role.
Friends from Tempe Meeting (AZ) help serve a meal to those in the homeless community at a nearby church; Friends bring food, serve, and/or clean up.
University Meeting (Seattle, WA) will hold a crafts fair on Sunday Nov 30 for Meeting attenders and friends.
University Meeting (Seattle, WA) includes its Nominating Committee Roster in its Newsletter. Each committee has a specific Nominating Committee representative named as liaison for that committee.
First Friends, Vancouver (WA) has an interim pastor, Becky Ankeny, who is a George Fox University professor on sabbatical.
The Thursday Evening Spiritual Formation Bible Study Group of First Friends, Vancouver (WA) is supporting Vancouver’s Open House Ministry for the homeless by supplying the furnishings for one of its apartments.
Friends received a report on the result of changes in the Vancouver Island Monthly Meeting (BC) structure. The committee noted positive changes as well as areas of concern. Friends expressed special concern regarding isolated Friends and will seek further input from isolated Friends as to how their needs for community can be met with the new structure.
Vashon Friends Worship Group (WA) is considering “What would support look like?”
Victoria Meeting (BC) urges Friends to bring their voices, songs (favorites – old and new), and instruments and to come early to Worship on the Fourth Sunday of the month.
Visalia Meeting (CA) is seasoning a letter of support for Friends General Conference.
First Friends, Whittier (CA) has called William Peterson as a Transitional (interim) Pastor. He is an Intentional Transitional Pastor with the United Church of Christ.
Friends from First Friends, Whittier (CA) went to Ben Lomond Quaker Center in the Redwoods to participate in a service project to maintain the hiking trails; help at the Homeless Garden Project, visit the Boardwalk; experience a labyrinth walk; worship, and play together.
Friends at First Friends, Whittier (CA) were visited by Classic Clowns, a group who entertain children in hospitals and elderly people in nursing homes. The spokesperson for Classic Clowns was “Twink” with gaudy Day-Glo Raspberry hair, a.k.a Dottie Andersen of First Friends.

More than one Meeting
Friends often talk about the Announcement time at the end of Meeting for Worship. How to conduct it so that it doesn’t take too much time, yet be informative for all? If all announcements are read by one person, do Friends then lose their individual voices? If Announcements go on too long, do Meetings lose attenders and what about the children during Announcement time?

Deaths noted in Newsletters
Pat Stewart, Berkeley Meeting
Edie Barton Self, Eugene Meeting
Randall Dicus, Newberg Friends Church
Ruth Allen, Redwood Forest Meeting
Liz Draper, Redwood Forest Meeting
Jean Carr, Vancouver Island Meeting
Chrystal Kleiman, Vancouver Island Meeting
John McDonald, Vancouver Island Meeting
Elizabeth Anderson, Vancouver Island Meeting
Olive Clift, First Friends, Whittier

FWCC Website
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