Weekly Announcements for 06.04.2023

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 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 June 4, we heard:

  • Joan M. thanked Bonnie P. and her team for the very successful gay pride day in Annapolis last Friday. Bonnie’s idea of providing lemonade was successful with about 600 servings provided. Many people who came by our booth expressed interest in Quakers. One person mentioned the underground railroad. It was a colorful, warm, happy, and remarkable day. Patty R. added that she noted it was a very diverse group including many families. Alison B. also was impressed by the numbers of people who attended the event. There were a tremendous number of individuals and families who came out in support of this LGBTQ+ event. Sylvia O. and Martha L. expressed much joy about the event.
  • Patty R. was pleased to see at Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business that Annapolis friends are creating a large list of projects to work on, including the donation of $1,000 to Sudan refugees.
  • Tom W. expressed that he used to have an issue with displaying his pronouns on Zoom until his wife, Susan, shared that oppressed people feel more comfortable sharing their pronouns if others are sharing theirs. Tom said that he listened to his wife and better understood.
  • Nancy Jo S. shared her joy that she was able to participate in Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business and to watch the gentle care and balance people give when considering issues.

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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 that takes place on a Friend’s porch every 2nd Tuesday of the month in northern Anne Arundel County (Glen Burnie). Come sit with us.

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

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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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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. For the June 8 meeting, the AFM Spiritual Friends Group has planned something special to see if we can encourage others to join us or return after a hiatus. 

Below is the pre-retreat exercise from BYM’s Spiritual Formation Retreat from last month.  On Thursday at 4:00 pm, our AFM Spiritual Friends Group will review the “Words of Wisdom” in order to center down and then, from the silence, invite those who wish to share on the “Queries for Reflection and Response” to do so.   Take a look to see if you would like to spend a little time sharing the idea of the “seed” within us that is ours to nurture.  There are more topics from the retreat we may delve into in future sessions. Everyone is welcome. Quakers and non-Quakers!

Contact Barb T. at pastoral-care@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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Ministry & Worship Committee Meeting

The Ministry & Worship Committee will meet on June 9 (Friday) at 7:30 pm on Zoom. Ministry and Worship oversees Meeting for Worship by counseling and supporting those who are led to speak from the silence, giving encouragement and advice to inexperienced speakers and eldering individuals in a positive manner. It organizes members to greet worshipers, break Meeting for Worship, and welcome new attenders. It also arranges worship opportunities for mid-week and shut-ins. In addition, M&W coordinates Adult Religious Education activities and provides orientation for members, attenders, and interested persons to Quaker faith and practice. It provides clearness committees for attenders considering membership, considers requests for travel minutes, prepares an annual Spiritual State of the Meeting Report, and appoints a correspondent to submit information on Meeting activities, new members, transfers, and deaths to the Baltimore Yearly Meeting office for publication in the Interchange.

Contact Ann R. at ministry@annapolisfriends.org.

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Meetinghouse & Land – Work Day

On June 10 (Saturday) starting at 9 am, the Meetinghouse and Land Committee will be hosting a work day at the meetinghouse. Please join us for our monthly workday to complete indoor and outdoor maintenance and beautification chores.

For more information, contact Kim F. at meetinghouse@annapolisfriends.org.

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ACT Leadership Team

On June 10 (Saturday) starting at 10 am to 2 pm with lunch, Annapolis Friends will be hosting Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT) at our meetinghouse.  AFM is a member of ACT, but has not had much representation in the last several years.  This is a chance for Friends who are interested in working on one of the areas ACT has identified–Mental Health, Affordable Housing, concern for kids in schools, and Gun Violence–to stick your toe in to work with this vibrant and diverse community.

The new leader, Katie Zinler, gives details below.  She told me she is eager to have every member of the Faith group represented.  So if you wish to represent AFM, please sign up and register: 

Please RSVP here

Contact Phil C. or Barb T. for more information: info@annapolisfriends.org. You can also get details in Barb T.’s email dated June 1.

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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. First Day School will resume on September 10.

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

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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.

Contact Sylvia O. at info@annapolisfriends.org for more information, please.

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Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting

On June 11 starting at 10:30 am Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting will be held at Gunpowder Friends Meeting in Sparks, MD. Phil C. will be representing AFM and providing a report of our activities. 

For more information, contact Phil C. at info@annapolisfriends.org.

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Friendly Bible Studies

The Education Committee will be providing another series of Bible study using the Friendly Bible Study model (https://www.read-the-bible.org/friendlybiblestudy.htm).  There will be a morning group starting on June 13 (Tuesday) at 9 am that will be led by Francis W. (evening in Kenya where he lives) focused on the Old Testament stories and relating them to present time realities. The evening group will be led by Nancy Jo S. and will start at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, June 14. Each group will continue for six sessions.

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

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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. 

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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Other News

  • Jo Anna S. provided an update about the Afghan Refugee family that AFM and the Unitarians are supporting. She said that the main wage earner in the family had to quit his job because of an injury and needed surgery on his leg. The family is in need of donations and diapers. We are also considering sending the family to Las Vegas to visit their family and we ask if anyone has frequent flier miles on Southwest Airlines they can donate to get the family there and back.
  • Cairn K. thanked the community for their wonderful participation in the last Quaker market. We raised $5,750 for Quaker causes. The unsold items provided us with opportunities to connect with our partners through in-kind donations.
  • Barb T. noted that we have some great new renters using the meetinghouse. On Sunday afternoons a support group for people with Parkinson’s disease meets.
  • Karl R. is in a rehabilitation center with an infected gallbladder. Pastoral Care encourages Friends to send cards and to call Karl. He is at Hillhaven Rehab Center, 3210 Powder Mill Road, Room 129, Adelphi, MD 20783 and his phone is 443-454-5018. 
  • Meeting for Worship (MfW) with Attention to Business (wAtB) decisions on June 4 included: 
    • Upgrade and replace the meetinghouse roof after 30-years with the help of the insurance company providing funds because of hail damage.
    • Tech Support, the hired person who assists with MfW, was expanded to include other events, such as MfW wAtB, Meeting for Learning (MfL) and Worship Sharing, so that the facilitators can concentrate and not have to manage the technology.
    • To move the $4,000 that was approved at the April MfW wAtB for Tech Support from the Committee’s Contingency Fund to be under the Communications Committee budget.
    • AFM will sign a letter in support of H. Res. 77, a Resolution Embracing the Goals and Provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
    • AFM to support a letter to Mayor Buckley, the Mayor of Annapolis, requesting that he follow through with declaring Annapolis as an anti-nuclear zone
  • Peace and Social Concerns (P&SC) Committee reported that the committee agreed and used the emergent social concerns fund to donate to Sudan (African) refugees with $500 to the U.N. food program and $500 to the U.N. refugee support program. 
  • P&SC ordered the new Racial Reconciliation Collaborative banner and it is not known when it will arrive. There is a seminar on extremisms that will be held June 8 at St. Philip’s at 7 pm. Andrew Hanover will be the speaker. Zoom will be available to those who register on the Racial Reconciliation Collaborative website.
  • The process for moving forward with the Retrospective and Restorative Justice Fund was discussed and how important it will be to include as many Friends as possible. Matha B. shared her perspective. She said that there is an excellent article in Friends Journal by Harold D. Weaver, Jr. titled “A Proposed Plan for Retrospective Justice” as a resource for getting a clearer understanding. It was said to be well worth the read.

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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.

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.