Weekly Announcements from 06.25.2023

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 25, we heard:

  • Joy that the rain cleaned the air and fed the plants, trees and brought nourishment to the natural environment.
  • The video for the Meeting for Learning (MfL) on reparations was powerful this morning, as was the discussion. Much appreciated.
  • Stephen P. was pleased with how many frogs were in his yard. Also, he announced that he baked a cake to share that could be found in the kitchen.
  • Tom W. was happy that he was able to drum quite well with his right hand yesterday.
  • Nan and Sky enjoyed a musical at the Anne Arundel Community Concert Association in Severna Park and highly recommend the series.
  • Jack H. shared his excitement about seeing the bicyclists from the Race Across America group arriving at City Dock, the finish line for the 3,000-mile race. Jack is an avid bicyclist and often rides solo. Ask him how many miles he bikes each year!!!

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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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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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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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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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Potluck – Social Time

Following the 11 am Meeting for Worship (MfW) on July 2 (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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North County Meeting for Worship

We will meet outside wearing masks at 7 pm on July 4 (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 on a Friend’s porch in Glen Burnie. Come sit with us.

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

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Meetinghouse & Land – Work Day

On July 9 (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 some indoor and outdoor maintenance and beautification chores.

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

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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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BYM and AFM Presentations about Reparations 

Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) held a session to celebrate Juneteenth and to explain reparations. On June 25, AFM held a Meeting for Learning (MfL) based on the BYM session. Learning about why reparations and restorative justice matters and what we can do about it was enlightening for many of the participants. The BYM session was recorded and we are all encouraged to watch the recording where Lucy Duncan and Rob Peagler presented  “Reparations: Alchemical Agent for Healing and Repair“. Click on the title and use passcode: R.q9Lki!

Contact info@annapolisfriends.org for more information.

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Meeting For Learning on Meeting for Worship: Entering the Eternal Stream

On Sunday, July 9, at 9:30 am, the Adult Education Subcommittee of the Ministry and Worship (M&W) committee will provide a Meeting for Learning on Meeting for Worship with reflections on William Taber’s Pendle Hill pamphlet “Four Doors to Meeting for Worship” and sharing of Friends’ experiences of meeting for worship. Jean C. will be the convener.

  1. The Door Before – moments we find ourselves in a worshipful state of mind, practicing the presence
  2. The Door Inward – focus on the meeting for worship to come
  3. The Door Within – experience of settled or gathered meeting
  4. The Door Beyond – potential for transforming the grace of gathered communion into the grace of transformed life.

Materials will be available in the AFM Library in advance of the session.

For more information, 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 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 option for 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. 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 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 am 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. 

Photo credit: Ellen M.