News from Friends World Committee for Consultation

Friends World Committee for Consultation Section of the Americas has begun its search for a new Executive Secretary. Margaret Fraser, Executive Secretary of FWCC Section of the Americas, has announced that after more than 8 years, she will be moving on to other work next spring. We will miss her enthusiasm, energy and Spirit-led creativity. Are YOU called to this amazing opportunity for service? Check out the position announcement at www.fwccamericas.org. Do you think of others who should be considered? Talk to them! Have them check out the website and contact us! The Search Committee needs your prayers and your help. Lon Fendall of NWYM is on the committee and Ann Stever of NPYM is clerking it. Please be in touch with the committee at fwccsearch@aol.com. Application deadline December 1, 2010; position to start in Philadelphia, May 1, 2011.

FWCC Cluster Gathering on Global Change Sunday October 24

Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) is asking Friends around the world to share how their lives have been touched by global change—environmental, climate, economic, and social. In order to hear and record our voices, FWCC has organized cluster gatherings for Friends to discuss ―how we have been affected by change, how our faith sustains us, and how our lives may be contributing to the causes of positive and adverse changes in the world today.‖ Following snacks on the fourth Sunday in October, the 24th, Robin Mohr from San Francisco Meeting and Ann Boone (Redwood Forest Meeting) (both PYM reps to FWCC) will conduct a cluster gathering at the Redwood Forest Meetinghouse, Santa Rosa, CA. Friends are invited to join together as we seek spiritual guidance in discerning our response to global change.

The Friends World Committee for Consultation welcomes the news that the people of Kenya have approved their new Constitution. We pray that it will help Kenya to move forward in peace and harmony. One of the provisions of the new Constitution is that national elections could now be held as early as August 2012 rather than in December.

It had originally been envisaged that the Sixth World Conference of Friends would be held in Kenya in August 2012. Since Kenyan Friends, who are hosting the World Conference, will naturally want to focus on the campaign if it is being conducted at that time, it has been decided that it would not be appropriate to plan to hold the World Conference in August.

However, we are pleased to announce that our proposed venue, Kabarak University, near Nakuru, is able to accommodate the World Conference in April 2012. Therefore, we are announcing new dates for the World Conference. It will be held from 17 to 25 April 2012.

News of Friends Meetings and Churches

The responsibilities of the soup wranglers at Missoula Meeting (MT) include (1) making sure that two people have signed up for soup each week and (2) checking the status of kitchen staples.

Friends at Mountain View Meeting (Denver, CO) are gathering on Saturdays to consider “Racism and White Privilege: Turning to One Another.” Topics include: What's power got to do with it? White Privilege; Experiencing the Other; and Spiritual Discernment, Becoming Allies.

Marge Abbott will lead a workshop on October 23rd at Multnomah Meeting (Portland, OR) on “Supporting & Grounding One Another in Our Ministries - Committees for Clearness and Support, Peer Groups, and Spiritual Friendship.” Friends today have several different ways of accompanying one another in our spiritual journeys and in the particular ministries that grow out of leadings of the Spirit.

Worship and Ministry Committee of Multnomah Meeting (Portland, OR) encourages visits to the worship groups under its care. In 2010-2011, the Meeting hopes to arrange a formal visit to each worship group at least once a quarter.

10-10-10 Is The Date - The Global Coolers of Multnomah Meeting (Portland, OR) are joining the worldwide effort led by 350.org (www.350oregon.org to increase concern and stimulate action against global warming.

Newberg Friends Church (OR) invites Friends to explore their views of God and life using the book The Good and Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith, an excellent tool for intentional spiritual growth.

The Finance Committee of Pima Meeting (Tucson, AZ) included an important message in the Meeting’s newsletter. Roses are red/Violets are blue/Pima Meeeting's income/Is depending on you.

The Adult Spiritual Development (ASD) Committee of Pima Meeting (Tucson, AZ) will replace the Adult Education Com­mittee and bring about greater consistency in programs. This new focus on spirituality will empha­size connecting with other members and attenders in new relationships through sharing of spiritual experiences in safe contexts for sharing.

Everyone in Redwood Forest Meeting (Santa Rosa, CA) and the Worship Groups under the care of the Meeting (Friends House WG, Lake County WG, and Ukiah WG) is invited to worship together at 1647 Guerneville Road at 10 AM on the Fifth Sunday, October 31. Worship will be followed by a substantial snack or light meal together Friends from both the Meeting and the Worship Groups are invited to participate in a discussion, in the spirit of loving dialogue, on the relationship between Redwood Forest Meeting and the Worship Groups under its care. What does it mean for a Worship Group to be under the care of the Meeting?

The last Omelet Breakfast of the year at Redwood Forest Meeting (Santa Rosa, CA) will be on Sunday October 10, to benefit the Internado, a student residence in Bolivia that gives rural indigenous students access to high school and support in preparing for college. Friends recognize that life flows on and so will give a 6-month furlough to the breakfasts while examining whether the breakfasts should continue, or whether it may be time to lay them aside and move on.

The new Sermons Series for the Fall at Rose Drive Friends Church (Yorba Linda, CA) is titled “REAL: Real Christianity, Real Problems, Real Comfort, Real Hope” with Jim Le Shana speaking

UPWARD BASKETBALL at Rose Drive Friends Church (Yorba Linda, CA) is a developmental league for boys and girls in grades 1-6 where biblical principles are taught alongside basketball fundamentals.

Oversight Committee of Sacramento Meeting (CA) has discussed the legalities and practicalities of scattering cremated remains on the grounds of the Meetinghouse. Oversight has decided to only consider the scattering of ashes, and not the burial of ashes.

Salem Meeting (OR) will host an Alternatives to Violence Project, Basic Community Workshop. on November 5-7.

To show what a difference a small, dedicated local Quaker meeting can make on an
international scale, Shannon Frediani and Betty Devalcourt spoke to Santa Cruz Meeting (CA) about their visit to Jos, Nigeria.

North Pacific Quarterly Meeting approved South Seattle Friends Meeting (WA) for full monthly meeting status. Members of University Friends Meeting who would like to transfer their membership to South Seattle will be part of a one-time mass transfer of membership.

David Zarembka, Friends Peace Teams, will present “Healing And Rebuilding Community After Genocide And Violence: Lessons from Rwanda , Burundi , Kenya , Congo and Uganda with Friends Peace Teams and trauma healing in East Africa” at University Meeting (Seattle, WA) on October 15^th.

Junior Friends of University Meeting (Seattle, WA) are collecting books to send to Jamaica this winter. The youth were part of the North Pacific Yearly Meeting Junior Friends team who went to Petersfield, Jamaica last summer.

Visalia Meeting (CA) will host Fresno Meeting for the next 5^th Sunday on November 28^th.

At West Hills Friends Church (Portland, OR), a Friend reflected on an exercise that helped her overcome feelings of resentment with feelings of gratitude. Queries included:

1. Think of someone you judge and/or harbor resentment towards. Now write down at least 10 things that you genuinely like, appreciate or value about this person. Think about this person again. What differences do you notice?
2. Think of a situation or an area in which you judge yourself and/or dislike yourself. Now write down at least 10 things that you genuinely like, appreciate or value about yourself. Think about yourself again. What changes do you notice?

West Hills Friends (Portland, OR) are invited to enjoy one another’s company as they work on craft projects on Saturday, Oct. 9

Agate Passage Meeting (Poulsbo, WA) considered how the Meeting should be using email communication on its attender list. Friends were of one mind that emails addressing substantive topics (such as assistance to immigrants, future directions for the Meeting, or visits from other Quakers, etc.) are not a respectful way to listen to each other and be gathered in the spirit of Quaker dialogue. Business meeting and other venues such as threshing sessions offer the spiritual space where Friends can speak their minds, listen to others doing the same and work toward resolution.

The fall program for the Albuquerque Meeting (NM) Children’s Program Committee has begun with younger children working on a puppet show “Elmer the Elephant,” and older young friends working on “What is Meeting for Worship?” Friends may receive requests to be interviewed.

John Calvi will lead a workshop at Albuquerque Meeting (NM) on Saturday October 9^th. John says “This workshop will be a relaxing exploration of our lives to see where a sense of our goodness is increased or obstructed. Not much will be asked of you and sharing any life stories will be only by choice. Mostly there will be some laughing and some deep quiet.”

For quite a number of years Albuquerque Meeting (NM) has hoped to have a Quaker presence at the University of Northern Mexico. It appears that Friends now have a group ready to make that a reality.

At Appleseed Meeting (Sebastapol, CA) a Friend will coordinate the collection of photos demonstrating what individual Friends are doing for the environment.

Bellingham Friends (WA) are asked to bring clean, good quality winter coats, hats, gloves and mittens to the worship services this month. Children’s coats are especially needed.

The Children’s Program committee of Bellingham Meeting (WA) will ask parents to commit by Thursday if they plan to stay for second hour the following Sunday.

Ann Stever and Dorsey Green will lead a workshop concerning Quaker process with attention to conflict resolution at Boise Valley Meeting (ID).

Camas Friends Church (WA) is hosting a Spiritual Storytelling Workshop led by Kathy Hyzy on Saturday, October 9^th. Multnomah and West Hills Friends are also invited. This is a wonderful opportunity to practice deep listening, to learn how to share pieces of your spiritual life, and to make new friends!

The Reach team of Canyon Hills Friends Church (Yorba Linda, CA) heads to Long Beach Friends Church the 2nd Sunday of every other month to feed homeless and under resourced people.

October 30 to 31 Friends Southwest Center in McNeal, AZ is hosting a 35th anniversary gathering. In addition to feasting and visiting, Friends hope to collect stories and history for the last 35 yrs of this ongoing experiment in intentional community. FSC and members of Cochise Worship Group (McNeal, AZ) will offer hospitality for as many as possible.

Religious Education Committee of Davis Meeting (CA) has planned monthly themes for children for the school year based on the testimonies. Friends are asked to thinks about their lives and what they might have to contribute based on the testimonies..

The Right Sharing group of Chico Meeting (CA), offering support to those trying to alter lifestyles to reduce their ecological footprints, is working through the book Radical Simplicity.

The discussion group, Quakers Reflect on Aging and Dying, of Chico Meeting (CA) will be meeting in the fall.

Delta Meeting (Stockton, CA) continued the discussion of the Minute from Claremont Meeting on the signing of marriage licenses. Friends agreed to continue to hold this issue in the Light and continue examination in the future.

After deliberating for several months, Durango Meeting (CO) has approved the following Minute. (Durango Meeting is indebted to Wilmington Friends Meeting of Wilmington, North Carolina, for much of the language of this minute.)

Recognizing that of God in every person, we condemn the use of torture for every purpose. War and terrorism inspire fear, but retaliation and torture do not prevent war or fear, accomplish a positive end or yield accurate information. Torture, by any means, whether direct or by proxy, is immoral. Torture demeans the humanity of the tortured, the torturer and those who have knowledge of it. It offends the sanctity of life.

Ministry and Worship Committee of Eastside Meeting (Bellevue, WA) is helping to form Worship-Sharing and Worship-Discussion Groups. F/friends are asked to write a proposal, appoint a leader, and post a signup sheet on the EFM website and at the Meetinghouse

Grass Valley Meeting (Nevada City, CA) notes that in regard to the ending FY 2009-10 budget, it seems likely for at least the second year in a row, income will not meet the goals set by the Meeting last year. It will again require dipping into past reserves to fully fund the current year’s commitments. The Finance Committee feels this cannot be done indefinitely, and ultimately the Meeting will have to reduce the size of the budget (probably in the area of “Outbound Donations”).

Honolulu Meeting (HI) will send out a press release to announce the sessions on the three testimonies that have been scheduled so far: Simplicity, Equality and Peace. The purpose of the release is to invite members of the public who may be interested in knowing about Friends. The Meeting has done this before for Quakerism 101 sessions.

Deaths noted in Newsletters:

• Will Tranquilli , Fresno Meeting
• Karen Peacock, Honolulu Meeting
• Leona Lee, Mountainview Meeting
• Roscoe Knight, Newberg Friends Church
• Rusty North, Port Townsend Meeting
• Dick Votaw, West Chehalem Friends Church

Beyond the Monthly Meeting/Churches

The Alternatives to Violence Project will present a Basic Community Workshop on November 5-7 at Salem Meeting.

The American Friends Service Committee will close its Hawaii office after 42 years of program work. The AFSC Pacific Southwest Region will continue to staff offices in Arizona, Los Angeles, New Mexico, and San Diego

Amigas del Señor Monastery for Women is a monastery practicing in the forms of Methodists and Quakers, located in the foothills near the Caribbean Sea in Limón, Colón, Honduras. They seek other women to join them in a life of prayer and service. Sister Alegría, formerly known as Beth Blodgett , is a pediatrician who founded the monastery in 2006. She has been connected with Multnomah Meeting for twelve years. Read letters from Amigas del Señor online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amigasdelsenor/. They are also on Facebook.

The Ben Lomond Quaker Center announces an internship opportunity beginning in early 2011 for an individual who is led to service with the Religious Society of Friends and who hopes tolearn about nonprofit management and social justice work.

The Casa de Los Amigos in Mexico City now hosting daily Spanish classes for recently arrived refugees in Mexico City. The classes began in response to the June 2nd arrival of 198 additional Haitian earthquake refugees. Learning basic Spanish quickly is absolutely critical for refugee families to begin to rebuild their lives in Mexico City. The free classes currently serve mostly Haitians but also Iranians, Nepalis, and people from several African nations (most of whom are current or former Casa guests).

College Park Quarterly Meeting will gather for its Fall Session, October 15-17, at Sierra Friends Center, Nevada City, CA. The theme will be: The Inner Light—Finding It, Following It. What do Friends mean when they talk about the Inner Light, Guide or Seed? How can we find it? Once we’ve found it, how do we follow it?

Colorado Regional Meeting will gather October 22-24 in Estes Park. This year’s featured speaker is Mary Lord. Mary Lord worked professionally in the field of peace and security for thirty years, including as Assistant General Secretary for Peace and Conflict Resolution for AFSC and with the program on peaceful prevention of armed conflict for FCNL. She is the Henry J. Cadbury scholar at Pendle Hill for 2009-2010.

This weekend's Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting at Lazy F near Ellensburg was an opportunity for Friends interested in Friends Committee on Washington Public Policy's Local Response to Global Challenges working group to meet face-to-face to discuss potential legislative issues for the 2011 session, as well as initiatives among Friends in the region and in local communities. At an Interest Group, Friends also had the opportunity to focus on the question: "What can Friends in the Pacific Northwest do to prepare our states and local communities for the challenges of peak oil, climate change, overpopulation, and environmental sustainability?”

October 30 to 31 Friends Southwest Center in McNeal, AZ will host a 35th anniversary gathering. In addition to feasting and visiting, Friends hope to collect stories and history for the last 35 yrs of this ongoing experiment in intentional community. FSC and members of Cochise Worship Group will offer hospitality for as many as possible.

Intermountain Yearly Meeting approved two minutes that concerns about conditions in our world and nation. The first was on Immigration, spurred by the passage of Arizona SB 1070. The second was on the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Both minutes have been distributed to the Congressional delegations and governors from Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico and to the President of the United States, Barack Obama.

The Intermountain Yearly Meeting Clerk is forming a task group to advise the Yearly Meeting about the direction it should take in assisting meetings with Quaker service. Each monthly meeting is asked to appoint a representative to the task group.

The summer gathering of the Montana Gathering of Friends (MGOF) was designed to be theme-less and simple because of the energy devoted to hosting North Pacific Yearly Meeting in Missoula. The MGOF gathering took place in Luccock Park, near Livingston, MT.

The Fall women's healing weekend of the Montana Gathering of Friends (MGOF), which will be on the weekend of October.22-24, Friday evening through Sunday noon, and held at Flathead Lake at the Methodist Church camp.

This is a year of evaluation of the new North Pacific Yearly Meeting structure, replacing the old Steering Committee with a Coordinating Committee. The major effect of the change is that more business is now handled at Annual Session.

There are two openings for pastoral positions in Northwest Yearly Meeting. Crossroads Community Church in Astoria, Oregon, is looking for a bi-vocational lead pastor. Homedale Friends Church in Homedale, Idaho, is looking for a full-time lead pastor. Information:csaxton@nwfriends.org

There is a proposal to change the name of our Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting to Cascade Regional.

For the first time, the eight Woolman Community Interns at Sierra Friends Center arrived during the summer to help with the bountiful garden, and in turn, with feeding Sierra Friends Campers with vegetables straight from the garden. If Friends would like to get their hands in the garden, they are invited to the Harvest Day Work and Celebration on Saturday, October 23^rd.

The Fall gathering of Southern California Quarterly Meeting will be at Temescal Canyon Conference Grounds, Pacific Palisades, CA. Nov 6-7. The theme for this Fall Gathering, “Speaking Truth with Love: Transforming Conflict in Our Quaker Communities,” has two points of origin. One is the prevalence of unresolved conflicts of various sorts within our monthly meetings as reflected in the 2010 State of the Meeting reports. In some cases, these conflicts have resulted in lingering resentments and polarization within Meetings. The other point of origin for our theme is the idea, explored by George Lakey at Pacific Yearly Meeting, that Friends suffer from a pervading disposition toward conflict avoidance. Lakey sees the unwillingness to bring disagreements out into the open as a recipe for ongoing disunity, and he believes that Friends need to be open to the constructive potential of conflict.

Twin Rocks Friends Camp is offering a Couples Conference, October 15-17. Any couple married in 2009 or 2010 should register via email to access a half-price discount!e married i

Lisa Graham McMinn, author of Walking Gently on the Earth, will lead the Seminar by the sea at Twin Rocks Friends Camp on October 29-31.

Berkeley Friends Church will host the annual meeting of the Western Association of the Religious Society of Friends (WARSF) on February 11-12, 2011. The Board of Oversight will meet on Friday evening, and then the general meeting of members the following afternoon.

Western Half Yearly Meeting of Canadian Yearly Meeting will meet this October at Camp Valaqua which is located an hour outside of Calgary, Alberta. At WHYM Friends will be reflecting on Global Change and have distributed queries as part of preparation for FWCC Kenya 2012.