Weekly Announcements as of 03.12.2023

Weekly Announcements

Reminder:

If you know of an event that you would like to see in the Weekly Announcements, please send the information to communications@annapolisfriends.org.

Coming Up:

The list of events below can also be viewed on the AFM website’s homepage or on the AFM Calendar.

Note: Titles link to the AFM Calendar for greater detail and the word Zoom contains the link to the online meeting. 

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Uphold Ukraine Daily Meeting for Worship

Friends House Moscow supporters in the U.S.A. host a daily international online Meeting for Worship, to join other Friends holding in the Light all the people affected by the current crisis in Ukraine.

This meeting will run EVERY DAY. The start time depends on your time zone. It starts at 9:00 am PDT (12:00 pm EDT). Click on THIS LINK, which is the Friends House Moscow Cloud Meeting. Or use Meeting ID: 416 500 5614; Passcode: 182805

Contact Ann R. at ministry@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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Quakers in Kyiv Sunday MfW

The Quakers in Kyiv meet on Sundays at 1:00 pm EDT in silence. For Zoom information, go to their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/QuakersKyivUkraine/. 

On Zoom: Meeting ID: 852 8396 7313; Passcode: 2022

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Discussion and Simple meal: Black History

Come join Karen C. and the Clerk’s Support Committee on March 16th (Thursday) at the meetinghouse. All will gather at 5:30 pm and enjoy a lively discussion during a simple meal of soup and bread starting at 6 pm. 

During the Black History Month (February), many resources of podcasts, books, and articles were circulated on the AFM-Discuss email list. Based on our readings, viewings and listenings, we will come together to discuss what we learned and will likely learn more through our sharing.

A simple meal will be provided. If you want, you can bring some food to share. You can also arrive at whatever time you can and not bring food. There will be enough food. The focus will be on the discussions.

Click here on Black History Discussion to learn more.

For more information, contact Karen C. at clerk@annapolisfriends.org.

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Friendly 8s – The Friendlies

Quakers get together for a variety of reasons and getting to know each other a little better is the purpose of Friendly 8 Groups. Typically, there are 8 people who share a meal, stories and have a relaxed, informal opportunity to socialize. It is great fun and there have been stimulating conversations. 

On Friday, March 17 at 6 pm, the current Friendly 8s group is called “The Friendlies” because we have more than 8 participants. We will be enjoying our  meals wherever we happen to be and socialize with each other on Zoom.

For more information, contact Ellen M. at info@annapolisfriends.org.

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Adult Education Committee

The Adult Education Committee will be meeting on March 17 (Friday) at 7:30 pm on Zoom. As a subcommittee under Ministry and Worship (a clickable link to the AFM webpage for M&W), the Adult Religious Education plans activities and provides orientation for members, attenders, and interested persons to Quaker faith and practice.

Contact Ann R. at infoministry@annapolisfriends.org to learn more.

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Spiritual State of the Meeting – March 19

On March 19 (Sunday) during Worship at 8 am, 11 am and during the First Day School session, we will engage in worship sharing on the Spiritual State of the Meeting (SSoM) as of December 31, 2022. This is an annual tradition that began in the beginnings of Quakerism where Monthly Meetings reported on how they were doing with regards to what is going well to enrich our spirits, what is not going so well and any other inspirations. The format is “worship sharing” where we listen deeply to what Spirit (a.k.a., the Light, God, Love, the Divine, etc.) is providing us based on specific queries, sharing our sense of Spirit’s leadings aloud.

Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM), the larger Quaker group that AFM is a part of, provides queries each year that are meant to be read thoughtfully in the Light without any self-criticism or judgment, but to answer from within based on an open heart and with integrity. This practice helps us recognize the movement of Spirit within us and our Monthly Meeting. 

THE QUERIES for reflecting on 2022 in your Meeting:

  1. How has your meeting addressed the issue of racism as a spiritual concern?
     
  2. How does your meeting strengthen the sense of worship during your Meeting for Business?
     
  3. What tests the unity of your meeting community? How does it fare? What’s building the community up and what is stressing it?
     
  4. If you could put a sign out in the front of your Meeting House, what would it say?

Friends will take notes on March 19, so that a draft report can be developed. After AFM approves the 2022 SSoM, the final 2022 AFM SSoM Report will be sent to BYM where the AFM report will be included with all the other Monthly Meetings within BYM, as well as a collective report for BYM. To view past SSoM reports from AFM and other Monthly Meetings, The Spiritual State of the Yearly Meeting.

For more information, please contact Ann R. at ministry@annapolisfriends.org.

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Afghan Women’s Fund – Potluck

On March 19 (Sunday) at about 12:45 am in person, everyone is invited to an informal fundraising potluck. In light of the Taliban’s recent decision to ban women from attending universities and working at domestic and foreign NGO’s, two AFM committees, Quaker Market and Peace and Social Concerns, will co-host a special fundraiser for the Afghan Women’s Fund. The fundraiser will consist of a cooking class on Saturday, March 18, and an informational potluck on Sunday, March 19. Funds will be collected by Cairn K. through April 2, with checks made out directly to the Afghan Women’s Fund.

For more information, please contact Cairn K. at market@annapolisfriends.org. 

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Committee Meetings – March 19

On March 19 (Sunday) at 9:15 am, most committees meet, either in person or on Zoom. Check with the clerk of the committee that you intend to meet with to understand the particulars. 

Committees are important places where most of our Meeting work is done.  They form at the beginning of the calendar year, and are composed of Committee Clerks/co-Clerks/Assistant Clerks and other volunteer committee members.  Committees typically meet each month.

The spirit-led deliberations and decisions arrived at during these meetings comprise the necessary leavening that informs the agenda of the monthly Business Meetings.

To review a list of the clerks for each of the committees, please click on the following link: Our Committees.

For more information, please contact Ellen M. at info@annapolisfriends.org. 

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Winter Relief 

Next week, there will be AFM Friends who will be helping people who would otherwise be exposed during the coldest months by providing temporary housing in the multi-purpose room at the Magothy United Methodist Church (UMC). “Winter Relief” is an annual AFM effort alongside friends from Magothy United Methodist Church (UMC) in Pasadena and is an opportunity to provide assistance to people who need a warm place to stay. AFM volunteers are onsite  evenings of Monday (3/20) through the morning of Monday (3/27) and AFM will provide dinner on Sunday (3/26) evening. We are holding the volunteers and the homeless people in the Light.

Contact Phil C. to sign-up and help out at pcaroom@gmail.com.

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CREC Meeting – March 26, 12:30 pm

On March 26 (Sunday) at 12:30 pm, the Children’s Religious Education Committee (CREC) will meet in person. They are the planners for the weekly religious education called First Day School (Sunday School) where lessons are provided by volunteers to school aged children. The theme for 2023 is “Earth as Our Home” and there is a rich lesson plan. Check out the AFM news article about the curriculum and come to the classroom to see what they are doing. You can join the pool of volunteer teachers by Signing Up. Use the same link to learn about the topics that are scheduled. 

Contact Nancy Jo S. at children@annapolisfriends.org. 

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Communications Committee Meeting

On March 27 (Monday) at 5:30 pm, the Communications Committee will be meeting on Zoom. Click on the name above to check out the AFM webpage and find additional description of the committee. 

Contact communications@annapolisfriends.org to learn more.

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Quaker Market Committee Meeting

On March 22 (Wednesday) at 7 pm, the Quaker Market Committee (QMC) will meet on Zoom. The QMC helps Annapolis Friends and the larger community practice being spiritual in our material world. 

Contact Cairn K. at market@annapolisfriends.org to learn more.

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Wednesday Meditation Group

Starting at 7 pm every Wednesday, the Meditation Group will meet on Zoom and we will sit silently for the first 40-minutes followed by a book discussion based on a selected book.

For more information, contact Patty R. at info@annapolisfriends.org.

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5th Night Light – Every Thursday evening

From 7:00 pm until 8:00 pm every Thursday, the AFM community engages in a spiritual practice that acknowledges the Light of God within each person and that to be in community is to actively care for one another. During that time, Friends hold people and situations who need additional spiritual support in the Light. Friends will pause wherever they may be, read the list of names, and hold each person or situation in our hearts and in the Light. On Wednesday, the list of names or situations are sent out to the AFM-Announce list.

For more information, contact Pastoral Care at pastoral-care@annapolisfriends.org.

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Meeting For Learning: Easter – March 26 

The Adult Education Committee will be providing a Meeting for Learning (MfL) on March 26 at 9:15 am about Easter. Ann R. will be presenting a content heavy, informational, reflective sermon with photographs and poetry on the subject of Easter. A question and answer period is planned into the presentation. All are welcome.

Contact Ann R. at ministry@annapolisfriends.org if you would like additional information.

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Earth Day – April 22 

The Outreach Committee is planning on hosting a table at the Earth Day celebration that will be held at Quiet Waters Park on April 22 and will need AFM volunteers to help out. A banner will be provided by Bonnie P. and volunteers will be needed to organize materials and staff the table during the event.  Outreach will be collecting paper cups, seeds to plant in pots (paper cups), soil, coloring books, and reading materials for the event.

Contact Joan or Cecile at outreach-team@annapolisfriends.org if you are interested in helping or for more information.

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Meetings for Worship

There are two options for Sunday worship with Annapolis Friends Meeting:

  1.     Weekly at 8:00 am. This Meeting for Worship is in person (no technology) and held outdoors in good weather. Masks and social distancing are optional inside the meetinghouse.
  2.     Weekly at 11:00 am. This Meeting for Worship can be attended in person at the Meetinghouse, or remotely on Zoom (Phone: 301-715-8592, Meeting ID: 650 269 455, Passcode: 241727). Nursery care is available; please email us at children@annapolisfriends.org if you would like to bring your child/children to our nursery. First Day School (a.k.a., Sunday School) is available for school age children in person.

Other options that you can attend for Meetings for Worship include: 1) a gathering in spirit only, physically apart and without technology, in communion with friends at the Meeting House at 8:00 a.m. This option was created to link Friends in worship in the early days of the pandemic, and often Friends are at their own homes.  2) In North County, on the First Tuesday of each month, at 7 pm (please see North County Meeting on the calendar). 

For more information, send an email to info@annapolisfriends.org.

For additional information about Annapolis Friends Meeting go to the homepage or for events click here for the calendar.