Weekly Announcements as of 05.28.2023

Weekly Announcements

Reminder:

If you know of an event or a joy 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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What’s “News” and Life Happenings

Friends are invited to share their Joys and Life’s Happenings with each other during Meeting for Worship, through the Weekly Announcements email, and on the AFM-Discuss. If you have joys to share, please contact Ellen M. at communications@annapolisfriends.org and the sharings will be added to our joys and life’s happenings section. On May 28, we heard:

  • Gravestones for Lee L. and Bob B. have arrived and are now in the memorial garden where we can reflect on those we miss.
  • Phil expressed joy for the great job of cleaning on Saturday of the West River Quaker Burial Ground by Tim M.’s Boy Scout  Troop 81.  The site looks great!
  • Tom W. shared the joy of freedom of the press, especially since about 2,721 books have been banned in 2022 from libraries.
  • Tom also shared that the National Gathering of African drummers teach to drum and to celebrate drumming in Quaker Meetings.  Kofi is part of them.
  • There was joy expressed at hearing that Phil was providing chocolate and cherries from his garden. The treats were in the kitchen at the meeting house for all to enjoy and to honor Friends.

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Clerk’s Support Committee

On May 30, 2023 (Tuesday) at 5:30 pm, the support committee for Clerk of Meeting, Karen C., will meet in the Library. 

Contact Karen C. at clerk@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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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. 

Contact Patty R. at info@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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Friendly Bible Studies – Planning 

The Education Committee is planning another series of Bible study using the Friendly Bible Study model (https://www.read-the-bible.org/friendlybiblestudy.htm).  A morning group will be led by Francis W. (evening in Kenya where he lives) and an evening group will be led by Nancy Jo S.  We hope to begin the week of June 11.  Each group will continue for six sessions. See Pat S.’s email dated May 20 on the AFM-Announce list.

Feedback is needed to determine the dates. For those who are interested, please contact Pat S. by June 1 with your preferences. Possible times: 

Nancy Jo S. – parables of Jesus:

7:30 Wednesday evenings

7:30 Thursday evenings

Francis W. – stories from the Old Testament:

11:00 Monday mornings

11:00 Tuesday mornings

11:00 Wednesday mornings

Contact Pat S. at info@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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Communications Committee

The Communications Committee will hold their monthly meeting on June 1 (Tuesday) at 5:30 pm on Zoom. 

Contact Ellen M. at communications@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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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.

Contact Pastoral Care at pastoral-care@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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Annapolis Pride – Parade & Festival 

The Outreach Committee will be sponsoring a booth at the Annapolis Pride – Parade and Festival that will take place on June 3. AFM will need volunteers to participate at the booth. The plan is to have a tent, table and chairs.  A bowl of water for thirsty dogs and rainbow kerchiefs.  We will also offer free Lemonade.  More information will be distributed.

Contact Bonnie P. at peregoyb@yahoo.com.

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Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

Please participate in the June 4 (Sunday) Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business at 9:00 am. This is an opportunity to practice several of our testimonies as we carry out the practical work of maintaining our faith community. We seek to be Spirit-led in our work, with as much efficiency as possible, achieving a sense of what Friends call “right order.” This will be a blended meeting where there will be participants in person at the meetinghouse and on Zoom.

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

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Potluck – Social Time

Following the 11 am Meeting for Worship (MfW) on June 4 (Sunday) about 12:15 pm, there will be an occasion for everyone to have an opportunity to socialize. There will be both an in-person Potluck and a virtual potluck. Please get or bring some food (or not)! There will be plenty of food) and join us for one or the other..  The Zoom link for 11:00 am Worship will stay open for this informal gathering. 

For more information, contact info@annapolisfriends.org.

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Summer Break for First Day School

Starting June 11 and through the summer, AFM will continue to offer nursery care, same as during the year. Advance notice if possible is much appreciated for nursery care. For school-age children, AFM will offer supervision and reading/drawing supplies during the summer.

For more information, contact Martha L. at children@annapolisfriends.org.

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North County Meeting for Worship

We will meet outside wearing masks at 7 pm on June 6 (Tuesday). All are welcome! The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) call worship events Meetings for Worship (MfW) rather than services. This is a one-hour silent, centering Quaker meeting for worship. Come sit with us.

For more information, contact Diane E. at info@annapolisfriends.org.

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Spiritual Friends Group

On June 8 (Thursday) at 4 pm, the Spiritual Friends Group will meet on Zoom. The group meets online on the 2nd Thurs. of each month to nurture our spiritual lives and, if requested, to ask the group to hold us accountable to our individual intentions. Everyone is welcome. Quakers and non-Quakers!

Contact Barb T. at pastoral-care@annapolisfriends.org  for more information.

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Sacred Chant and Dance

On June 11 (Sunday) at 9:30 am in person, everyone is warmly welcome to join, in person at our meetinghouse, our sacred circle of chant and dance. Circle dance, for me, is a spiritual practice that is also fun, deeply encouraging, healing, and community-building. In the simple, repetitive movements, the words and rhythms can sink deeply into us, and we find ourselves gently connecting with one another and with our Creator, or Ground of Being. After each dance we pause for a moment to become more aware of this Divine Presence flowing from within us and outward to all creation. There will be no Zoom connection.

For more information, please contact Sylvia O. at info@annapolisfriends.org.

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BYM Invitation for a Gathering 

On June 22, Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) will host a session to discuss how hybrid (a.k.a., blended) meetings are progressing. As we move from peak pandemic to a new normal, many Monthly Meetings are beginning to re-examine their hybrid meeting technologies and practices. What AV setups are worth a longer-term investment? How are Friends balancing differing practical and spiritual needs? On June 22nd we’ll gather from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm by Zoom and split into breakout rooms to share skills, information, and joys & concerns. More details will be available in the BYM Weekly Announcements on Friday, May 19th – but please put out the word and save the date!

Contact info@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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Dayspring Silent Retreat

Register today! There will be a Dayspring Silent Retreat on June 23  (Friday) to 25 (Sunday). Be one of the eighteen (18) registrants who will enjoy Dayspring’s natural beauty, God’s creation, precious solitude, spiritual companionship, reading, walking, resting, finding our own rhythms, and listening for the Still Small Voice. Registrations will be accepted up until June 16 (Friday). Please mail your registration information and check to Jean C. See Registration Form for details.

Contact Jean C. at info@annapolisfriends.org..

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Uphold Ukraine Daily Meeting for Worship

  • Daily Meeting for Worship: EVERY DAY, Friends House Moscow supporters in the U.S.A. host a daily international online Meeting for Worship while joining other Friends who are holding in the Light all the people affected by the current crisis in Ukraine. For Eastern Standard Time, the meeting starts at 12:00 pm. Click on this Zoom link, which is the Friends House Moscow Cloud Meeting. Or use Meeting ID: 416 500 5614; Passcode: 182805
  • 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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AFM Meetings for Worship

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

8:00 am weekly: This Meeting for Worship is in person (no technology) and, in good weather, is held outdoors, but will be indoors when the weather is not as kind. Masks and social distancing are optional inside the meetinghouse. Also at 8:00 am, Friends can worship in communion with the friends at the Meetinghouse from wherever the are and without technology. This option to gather in spirit only while being physically apart was created to link Friends in worship in the early days of the pandemic, and often Friends are at their own homes

11:00 am weekly: 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.

Another in person Meeting for Worship is held in North County, at 7 pm on the First Tuesday of each month. Please see North County Meeting for Worship on the calendar. 

Contact info@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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Care of Meeting 

The AFM meetinghouse is a precious place and the AFM Community cares for the building and property in many ways, including weekly care of the meeting that includes accomplishing certain tasks. Each committee takes a turn to be responsible and will ask for help from others, as needed. The Care of Meeting Checklist helps to ensure that everyone knows what needs to be done. The Committee Schedule for Care of Meeting provides the annual committee assignments. For the Month of June, the Outreach Committee has responsibility for the care of the meeting. All are welcome to help out at any time!

  • The Outreach Committee The Outreach Committee members greet all attenders and encourage newcomers to feel welcome. Outreach also provides information about Quakers to the larger community. They …
    • Greet all who attend the 11:00 meeting for worship whether on Zoom or in person,
    • Provide the visitor information form to new attenders,
    • Post on a white board each Sunday the events that day or the upcoming week,
    • Forward new attender emails to the Announce / Discuss list manager,
    • Ensure that new attenders have the opportunity to be listed in the directory
    • Maintain the picture board in the front hallway and update with photos of regular attenders,
    • Ensure that Quaker literature is available in the front lobby, and
    • Participate in local festivals and events to share information about Annapolis Friends.

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

 

Photo credit: Ellen M.