Weekly Announcements as of 12.17.2023

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 information down below for  greater detail and the word “Zoom” in the Coming Up section contains the link to the online meeting. 

Additional Topics:

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What’s News, Joys and Life Happenings

Friends are invited to share their News, Joys and Life 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 news, joys and life happenings section. It should be noted that inaccuracies may exist in the information given due to sound quality or receiving is not always precise. The recent joys and happenings we’ve learned of are:

  • Joy to have visitors at the 11 am MfW.
  • Jo Anna S. shared that the Afghan refugee family was granted asylum last week!!
  • Alison B. was joy-filled that the Kiwanis club breakfast with Santa was finally over and was a success.
  • Pat S. was pleased to report that Friends House has a new resident for a little over a week, Will C., and that she and Ted R. have shared dinner with Will most nights. Also, Will looks like he is enjoying getting to know people and to use the amenities, like the library. Margaret C. is still in the hospital which continues to be a concern.
  • Tom W. shared two joys:
    • Patrick N. has agreed to write the forward for Tom’s next book which is about the Quaker faith.
    • Tom’s son Jason joined us for MfW.
  • The Meeting for Learning this morning about Christmas that Ann R. presented was meaningful, deep, beautiful and enlightening.  Sylvia O. said that it gave her a deeper Christmas spirit.
  • Good to hear an update about Mike S.
  • Bonnie P. is glad to have her brother temporarily living with her and is enjoying their relationship.

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Welcome Light Wednesday

Starting at 7 pm every Wednesday, the Welcome Light Wednesday group will meet via Zoom with 20 minutes of silence to start followed by spiritual readings and then listening to our spiritual journeys. Time will be given to hold friends in healing Light. In the past, this group was called the Wednesday Meditation Group.

Contact Patty R. at info@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.

Friends are invited to share their request for a person or situations to be held in the Light by contacting the Pastoral Care Committee.

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

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Communications Committee

The Communications Committee will hold their monthly meeting on December 19 (Tuesday) at 6 pm via Zoom. The Communications Committee manages the Annapolis Friends Meeting website. Our goal is to use online communication to build and maintain a strong community. Meeting recognizes it takes a whole community to listen and speak to one another in an inclusive spirit. 

The website is one of the tools for accomplishing our goal. The community includes members, attenders, committees, officers, seekers, newcomers and other people who are interested in the work of the Meeting. The Communications Committee coordinates the Meeting’s efforts by compiling relevant, accurate information. On an ongoing basis, the committee seeks to evaluate and improve our means for effectively sharing our information

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

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Christmas Holiday Sharing

We are pleased to be able to re-connect with the 3 local families. with whom we shared Thanksgiving meals to provide groceries for Christmas dinner and gifts for the children in each family. We invite you to be part of this sharing!!

Big Thanks!!! All slots are filled for contributions of food and gifts. If you need a reminder for what you signed up for click on the links below:

  • CHRISTMAS DINNER contributions, by clicking HERE
  • GIFTS FOR CHILDREN, by clicking HERE   [Note: desired gift item is listed below the child’s sex and age]

Gifts and contributions should be dropped at the Meetinghouse by Thursday, December 21, if possible.  We will have boxes near the end of the hallway by the nursery and shelves marked in the refrigerator for perishable items. 

See Martha B.’s email (title: Christmas Holiday Sharing Program) dated December 5 to AFM-Announce for more information and details.

 

Contact Kathy T. at info@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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Christmas Eve Worship

On December 24 (Sunday) at 7:00 pm, Friends are invited to gather for Meeting for Worship. There will be two family friendly gatherings, one in person at the meetinghouse and one online via Zoom. 

  • In-person version: Friends will gather to enjoy 30-minutes of worship followed by singing and holiday snacks. Coloring pages will be available for little ones.
  • Online version: Friends who are at a distance or unable to attend in person will have the opportunity to gather for worship online in community on this special night with music. 

Contact Martha B. at ministry@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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Christmas Day Potluck

On December 25 (Sunday) at 5:30 pm, the Pastoral Care Committee will be sponsoring a Christmas Day Potluck at a Friend’s house. 

Contact Jo Anna S. at pastoral-care@annapolisfriends.org for more information or to sign-up. 

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Worship Sharing on Living Your Truth

On December 31 (Sunday) at 9:15 am, the Outreach Committee will provide this Worship Sharing on Living your Truth-Part 3 presented by Fran P. via Zoom and at the Meetinghouse.  Everyone is invited. No need to have participated in parts 1 & 2, each are stand alone sessions.

Contact Outreach at outreach@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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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 they 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 during the school year (September through May). In the summer (June through August), AFM offers supervision and reading/drawing supplies for school age children.

There is an opportunity to worship on the First Tuesday each month at 7 pm in person on a Friend’s porch in northern Anne Arundel County (Glen Burnie). Please see North County 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. There is a Committee Schedule for Care of Meeting indicating when the committee takes a turn to be responsible for cleaning up the meetinghouse and they may ask for help from others, as needed. The Care of Meeting Checklist helps to ensure that everyone knows what needs to be done. For the month of December, the Outreach Committee has responsibility for the care of the meetinghouse. All are welcome to help out at any time!

  • Outreach Committee members greet all attenders and encourage newcomers to feel welcome. Outreach also provides information about Quakers to the larger community. Everyone is invited to  help the committee to care for the meetinghouse.

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