Weekly Announcements for 06.18.2023

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. It should be noted that inaccuracies may exist in the information given that sound quality or receiving is not always precise. On June 18, we heard:

  • Tom W. shared a few joys, including the phrase: “The beauty of the father is from the Father.” Also, his joy  is drumming with Kofi for the first time after the stroke that he suffered in 2021. Tom feels that drumming is very healing and that his right hand is recovering with drumming.
  •  Phil C. said that it was a joy to spend time with his son who is also a father with a son. Phil remembered the day he became a father feeling that it brought with it a lot of responsibility and that in that one day his life had been changed. 
  • Christina F. expressed joy about the Juneteenth celebration in Annapolis this weekend and especially the enthusiasm and joy of people celebrating this holiday together. The participants seemed to understand the intention of this momentous day.
  •  Nancy Jo S. said that her joy is being with new friends and old friends. 
  •  Francis W. shared that he has been volunteering at a local prison in Kenya and told us a story about arriving early to an appointment, only to be told by the prison guards that he was not allowed to go inside because things were “chaotic.” While he was outside he experienced joy when he was talking with the guards. A woman arrived carrying a 15 pound bucket of steamed corn on the cob on her head. Francis said that he enjoyed eating and talking with the woman. The corn was perfect.
  • In addition, Francis expressed that he was very thankful for the money Annapolis Friends sent him as a beneficiary of Quaker Spring Market because he was able to start buying booklets to benefit workers.  
  • Al B. expressed his gratitude to AFM’s Quaker Spring Market as a  beneficiary for Slade Child Foundation that is supporting children and families in Ukraine. 

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Friendly Bible Studies

The Adult Religious Education Committee is providing another series of Bible studies using the Friendly Bible Study model (https://www.read-the-bible.org/friendlybiblestudy.htm).  The morning group meets on Tuesdays at 11 am and is led by Francis W. (evening in Kenya where he lives). The study is focused on the Old Testament stories and relating the stories to present time realities. The evening group meets on Wednesday at 7:30 pm and is led by Nancy Jo S. and starts at 7:30 pm on Wednesdays. Each group will continue for six sessions and will be finished by the end of July.

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

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Clerk’s Support Committee

On June 20, 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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Welcome Light Wednesday

Starting at 7 pm every Wednesday, the Welcome Light Wednesday group will meet on 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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Communications Committee

The Communications Committee will hold their monthly meeting on June 22 (Thursday) 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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Summer Break for First Day School

AFM First Day School is on Summer Break through the summer; however, nursery care is offered. Advance notice if possible is much appreciated for nursery care. For school-age children, AFM is offering 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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Friends Writing Together

On Sunday, June 25, at 12:30 pm, Friends Writing Together will write from prompts for 8-minutes and then share (or not). Comments include encouragement and impressions. Only if a writer asks for critique is that offered. These are fresh new writings and are treated as gently as a delicate flower. Everyone is a writer and has a deep well of experiences to dip into. Come join us for the fun and exhilaration of expression and enjoyable conversations. All are invited. 

Contact Mary B. 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 and concerns. 

Contact info@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

Please participate in the July 2 (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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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.

Another in-person Meeting for Worship is held on a Friend’s porch in North County (Glen Burnie) 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 hallway and update with photos of regular attenders,
    • Ensure that Quaker literature is available in the 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. 

 

AFM Neighbor
Photo credit: Ellen M.