News from Western Quaker Newsletters

Social Concerns Committee of Agate Passage Meeting (Poulsbo, WA) is considering how it could follow up on the recent community panel and discussion about the detention and treatment of unregistered immigrants.
The Building Planning Committee of Albuquerque Meeting (NM) invited Friends to review the site program of the Meeting: what do Friends need and want from their site now and in the future along with practical ideas for addressing the amount and quality of space needed for those activities.
Berkeley Friends Church (CA) will hold its 2010 Quaker Heritage Day on Saturday April 10, 2010. Carol Spencer will speak on Holiness: The Soul of Quakerism.
Ministry and Oversight Committee of Boise Valley Meeting (ID) will be working on nominations to fill Meeting positions for the next year. Friends are encouraged to “let us know where your great talent will meet our great need!”
Bridge City Friends Meeting (Portland, OR) seasoned 16 revised job descriptions for a month.
Steve Smith of Claremont Meeting (CA) will lead two workshops at Pendle Hill:
February 7-11 – Eastern Light: Buddhist and Quaker Spirituality;
February 12-14 – The Joy of Quaker Communities: Clerking and Working with Spirit.
Davis Meeting (CA) invites Friends to save the date, Saturday March 13, for the Meeting's Quaker Quest workshop. Steve Chase, from the Friends General Conference Quaker Quest Travel Team, will lead the workshop, which is intended to help Friends develop "inreach and outreach".
The Worship and Ministry Committee of Davis Meeting (CA) considered dogs in the Meetinghouse. In discussion Friends noted a difference between service animal and companion animal and also, noted the distinction between dogs in the social room vs. dogs in worship room during a Meeting for Worship. The Meetinghouse Use Committee is discussing this and will take the lead in considering policy.
Due to poor weather Delta Meeting (Stockton, CA) cancelled December’s Livermore Peace Witness for the first time in history.
Fresno Meeting (CA) held a Meeting for Worship in the hospital room of a Friend who was hospitalized. Friends are considering doing it again.
It was suggested that Grass Valley Meeting (Nevada City, CA) consider changing the time of Meeting for Worship to a later time to encourage younger people to attend. A Friend noted that an FGC workshop on encouraging younger members suggested having Meeting at a time when young people are likely to attend.
Homedale Friends Community Church (ID) organized near downtown Homedale, Idaho in 1939 with the understanding that all denominations could participate. Six groups were initially represented. This tradition continues, with many of the most active members not being official “members.”
Kivalina Friends Church (AK) recently began a series on healing. Friends are learning more about healing in their own lives and ways to help others around them to heal.
Millie Stalker is co-pastor of Kivalina Friends Church (AK). She came from Kotzebue this winter where she served as Assistant Pastor. Millie Hawkins is working with youth in Kivalina.
Quaker Quest Training will be held at the Mountain View Meeting House (Denver, CO)
on Saturday, April 10, 2010.
Marge Abbot will lead a series on Quaker history and practice at Multnomah Meeting (Portland, OR) on three Sundays in February. Topics include: Quakers Over Time; Listening For The Still, Small Voice –in Meeting For Worship & In The Conduct Of Business; and Engaging With The World –Friends’ Witness –Equality, Peace, Truth, Simplicity, & Care for The Earth.
Noatak Friends Church (AK) welcomes Brent Hostetter as youth minister. A graduate of Bethel College, he worked for two years at Alaska Christian College in Soldotna.
Teens from Northwest Friends Church (Arvada, CO) and First Denver Friends (CO) traveled to Aquascalientes, Mexico last summer to help with Vacation Bible School.
Property Committee of Orange Grove Meeting (Pasadena, CA) presented its report. It was noted that expenditures from the reserve and maintenance accounts were markedly higher this year than in previous years. The reasons for this primarily stem from the fact that many tasks have been put off from year to year. Property Committee encourages members and attenders to donate extra funds this year to enable them to continue their work.
Orange Grove Meeting (Pasadena, CA) has a burial ground adjacent to Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena. The common plot where some Friends’ ashes are buried is unmarked. Friends asked if there should be some sort of identification on it as the Common Plot of Orange Grove Friends Meeting? Many Friends seemed to agree that recognition and simplicity are not in conflict and that there may be a way of marking that preserves the natural beauty of the place. Friends seem to agree in principle that they’d like to mark the cemetery and common plot.
March 19 -21 Palo Alto Meeting (CA) has scheduled a middle school retreat which
will be open to neighboring meetings.
The House Committee of Pima Meeting (AZ) has spent its budget for the year. They have hired a handyperson to do repairs in a timely fashion and are trying to fix the meetinghouse before small repairs become large projects. Friends are reminded the Meeting must bear the expense of a new roof, coolers, and a possible water heater.
The Center for Christian Education at Reedwood Friends Church (Portland, OR) is offering The Parables of Jesus: Stories that await your conclusion, half-hour videos by guest teacher Dr. Kenneth Bailey. Moderators of the class are John Wilkin and Kara Newell.
The Prayer Book Potluck Group of Reno Meeting (NV) is discussing Practical Mystic: Religion, Science, and A. S. Eddington by Mathew Stanley. Practical Mystic uses the figure of Eddington to show how religious and scientific values can interact and overlap without compromising the integrity of either. By examining this intersection between liberal religion and astrophysics, Practical Mystic questions many common assumptions about the relationship between science and spirituality.
Rose Drive Friends Church (Yorba Linda, CA) is hosting a Super Game Day Party on Sunday, February 7th in a family friendly environment. The gym will be open, and there will other games available as well. Admission is free; food will be sold during the game.
Teens from Rose Drive Friends Church (Yorba Linda, CA) will participate in a High School Red Eye “Night of Awesomeness” which will last until midnight. Teens are invited to hang out late night and enjoy a concert with twentyfour64, a Wii tournament, and delicious treats!
Sacramento Meeting (CA) will show Brother Outsider on Saturday Jan 23rd. This is the story of Bayard Rustin, Quaker, black and gay rights activist.
Sacramento Meeting (CA) sent a letter to the mosque in West Sacramento, and the two synagogues in the Sacramento area deploring the vandalism they had recently received, offering spiritual support and a donation to each congregation.
Rolene Walker of San Francisco Meeting (CA) has ended her Walk with the Earth with six months in Santiago, Chile where she did five workshops on how to make solar ovens, four on how to do wall gardening, made a zen garden at Conspirando, did Joana Macy’s work with three groups, gave talks to four classes, and 8 other groups.
A gathering at Santa Cruz Meeting (CA) will explore questions related to mid-life. Friends were to consider, “If you see yourself as in mid-life, and if you would like to explore what this means to you and to other Friends – and if you would like to consider ways in which mid-life Friends can seek greater clarity around their concerns and/or support each other, please come to this first exploratory meeting.”
Anthony Manousos of Santa Monica Meeting (CA) traveled among Friends in Australia in December 2009. He attended the Parliament of the World's Religion in Melbourne as a representative of American Friends who have a concern for interfaith peacemaking. Anthony serves on the Christian Interfaith Relations Committee of Friends General Conference. After the gathering, he visited Australian Friends in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, where he attended Yearly Meeting and gave a Report on Interfaith Work at Australia Yearly Meeting.
The church building of Selawik Friends Church (AK) was destroyed by fire in 2007. The new building is nearly complete with the structure enclosed; workers can continue in the sub-zero temperatures. Soon, electrical work, wall panels, and a porch will be completed.
Women of Spring Valley Friends Church (CA) heard about “Ornaments of Grace” at a tea. Ornaments were displayed to illustrate stories of Christmas’ past and family traditions. A big red broken ornament was displayed to remind the women that God can take the most broken person and make them beautiful.
Two Friends from Tacoma Meeting (WA) will have 90-something birthdays in January. Julius Jahn will be 96 years of age; George Kenny will be 91.
The Nominating Committee of Tacoma Meeting (WA) recommends not chosing anyone for the Peace and Social Concerns Committee until the meeting as a whole has had a chance to reflect on and discuss the roles of the committee and the potential relationship between the committee and the meeting as a whole.
Tacoma Meeting (WA) has scheduled a special discussion session for Second Hour around Friends’ sense of commitment to participation in peace and social concerns activities. The questions include: How do Friends see themselves, individually and as a group, with respect to peace and social concerns activism?
Tempe Friends (AZ) held a web site meeting at the meetinghouse. It was noted that the Meeting sign-in sheet data shows that 2/3s of those who come to meeting as new visitors and sign-in found the meeting through the Meeting’s web site.
Tempe Friends (AZ) asked an ad hoc committee to consider whether there are any Friends who might benefit from the Meeting raising the question of their intention for future relationship with, or membership in, Tempe Monthly Meeting.
Wyoming Friends Meeting Gathering will be in Jackson, WY on Jan. 22-24. jeanj@bresnan.net.
Wyoming Friends Meeting (WFM) has made a commitment to offer financial support to its members and attenders as they, consistent with the WFM Mission Statement, seek to “engage with the broader Society of Friends,” and “seek to show greater spiritual hospitality.”

Beyond the Monthly Meeting/Churches

The Alaska Friends Conference Ministry and Nurture Committee has been tending a leading to offer a Spiritually Nurturing Retreat, Spring 2010, a weekend residential retreat. The current theme is “Tending the Spiritual Taproot of our Yearly Meeting individually and collectively.” Possible venues are in the Talkeetna area or the Wasilla or Chugiak area.
Lowell Sage is the new Superintendent of Alaska Yearly Meeting. Lowell and his wife Mary live in Kivalina, AK where he co-pastors Kivalina Friends Church.
Alaska Yearly Meeting churches recognize the importance of ministering to youth in order to give them firm grounding in the faith and alternatives to drinking and suicide which are prevalent among native youth.
Arizona Half-Yearly Meeting will hold its Spring gathering March 27, 2010 at the Phoenix Meeting House.
Friends Center at Azusa Pacific is offering a course on Friends Theology, Worship, and Leadership, taught by Kent Walkemeyer, Friends Center Director. kwalkemeyer@apu.edu
Barclay Press will celebrate 50 years of publishing ministry among Evangelical Friends in May.
Ben Lomond Quaker Center and Western Friend announce their first collaborative program, Rightly-Ordered Financial Management for Friends' Meetings and Organizations. It will take place at Ben Lomond Quaker Center on March 5-7, 2010.
The Colorado Regional Meeting will be Sunday, April 18 at Fort Collins Meeting, CO with the theme, “How Quakers Have Fun.”
Evangelical Friends Church Southwest will hold Annual Conference and Serve Day:
• Southern California – Representative Session and Equipping Community Dinner, Friday January 29, 2010; Serve Day, Saturday, January 30, 2010.
• Arizona/Nevada – Serve Day and Celebration Banquet, Saturday February 13, 2010.
• Northern California - Serve Day and Celebration Banquet, Saturday February 20, 2010.
The second annual Quaker Lobby Day of Friends Committee on Washington Public Policy, which will focus on criminal justice issues, will be held in Olympia on Monday, February 15. Help express Quaker voices in Olympia.
On January 29-30, the Friends Center at George Fox Evangelical Seminary will host a one-credit seminar on the use of drama in ministry. Rich Swingle (GFU, '91) will share from his 15 years of experience in 18 nations as a full-time dramatist, highlighting a number of different forms of drama, including sketches, monologues, mime, sociodrama, enacted prayer, and others. After a summary, Rich will focus on sketch development, showing a hands-on approach to writing, casting, directing and acting.
Intermountain Yearly Meeting (IMYM) will be held June 9-13, 2010, at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, with early program days on June 6-9 The theme will be "Quaker Service in the 21st Century."
Montana Gathering of Friends (MGOF) will meet Feb. 19-21, 2010 in Great Falls, MT.
Neighbors East and West is planning a trip to Iran April-May 2010. N.E.W, a Citizen-Diplomacy Community Education Organization led by Sam and Ruth Neff, is based in Richmond, IN and Whitefish, MT. http://neighborseastandwest.org/
The North Pacific Yearly Meeting Junior Friends Ski Trip will be the weekend of February 13th.
The North Pacific Yearly Meeting Youth Committee asks if Meetings, Worship Groups, or individuals would be able to send a one-time donation (or to add a line item in annual budgets) to support the NPYM Youth Opportunity Fund.
Northwest Yearly Meeting Friends Men’s Retreat will be February 26-28 at Twin Rocks Friends Camp with the theme, Living Purely in a Sex-Driven World. Speakers include Gar Mickelson, Marshall Snider, Dr. Terry Riske, and Jason Minnix.
Northwest Yearly Meeting and George Fox University sponsored A New Abolitionists Conference (October 2009) to promote awareness and stimulate action to abolish sex trafficking and forced prostitution in the Portland area.
The 8th Pacific Northwest Quaker Women’s Theology Conference will take place June 16-20, 2010, at Seabeck Conference Center in Seabeck, Washington. The theme is Walk With Me: Mentors, Elders, and Friends. For more information and to register online, see www.pnwquakerwomen.org.
The Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting Silent Retreat will be January 29-31, 2010 at Camp Huston in Gold Bar, Washington.
Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting Spring Gathering is scheduled for April 23-25, 2010, at Lazy F Ranch near Ellensburg. The theme for the gathering is “Compassionate Listening: Finding God in the Midst of Fear.” For more information, see http://www.pnqm.org.
The Religious Education Committee for Children of Pacific Yearly Meeting will schedule a workshop day for First Day School teachers, hosted by Palo Alto Meeting.
Southern California Quarterly Meeting will gather at Orange Grove Meeting in Pasadena, CA on Saturday, April 24th.
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Willamette Quarterly Meeting will gather for its annual business meeting on February 6, 2010 at the Corvallis Meeting House.
The Willamette Quarterly Meeting Men’s Retreat will be February 26-28 at Camp Myrtlewood, near Myrtle Point, OR.
Willamette Quarterly Meeting Spring gathering will be April 23-25 at Sky Camp, east of Eugene, OR.