Develop your ability to follow leadings with the School of the Spirit
Posted by leymworker in Events and Opportunities on November 30, 2018
For several years, the School of the Spirit board has wrestled with our emerging sense of additional call – that God has more work for us, in addition to our baseline programs of On Being a Spiritual Nurturer and our growing calendar of Contemplative Retreats. We are now excited to announce Participating in God’s Power, a one-year program under the leadership of Angi York Crane and Christopher Sammond as its core teaching team.
Angi and Christopher will invite us even deeper into the question of what keeps us from following God’s leadings fully and courageously in ways that challenge and transform our lives. They model a resilient and thoughtful set of tools for exploring the places in which we let our own brokenness get in the way of a robust trust in the Inner Teacher.
Students and teachers will gather in weekend residencies over a twelve-month period. The new program is designed to take place primarily on holiday weekends, to enable working people to participate with a minimum of time-off. And it will alternate between Pennsylvania and New Hampshire locations in hopes of being more accessible to Friends from New England, Philadelphia, and Baltimore YMs, and beyond.
Many grads of the Spiritual Nurturer program who have settled into the contemplative rhythms of living (and nurturing others to live) as God’s beloved, may find this opportunity a compelling next step. If you are intrigued, please send your contact information to GodPower@schoolofthespirit.org.
The School of the Spirit is a ministry of prayer and learning from a Quaker perspective.
Apply to Quaker UN Office summer school for young adults
Posted by leymworker in Events and Opportunities on November 15, 2018
The Quaker United Nations Summer School provides the opportunity for a group of 25 young adults, ages 20-26, to come together to learn more about Quaker work at the international level and to witness the United Nations in action, as part of a dynamic 12-day residential program. The program is grounded in QUNO Geneva’s work, with a focus on Peace, Disarmament, Human Rights, Migration, and Climate Change. Participants will be able to observe sessions within the United Nations, meet and hear from Civil Society leaders, and engage in facilitated dialogue with like-minded peers about the issues that are most pertinent for our global community today.
Would you or someone you know be interested? Applications are open until January 2, 2019. More information available here!
QUNO, the Quaker United Nations Office, is affiliated with the Friends World Committee for Consultation.
Opequon Quaker Camp Seeks Director
Posted by leymworker in Job Openings on November 14, 2018
Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) is seeking a Director (or Co-Directors) for the 2019 camp season for Opequon Quaker Camp, a residential camp for children ages 9-14. This is a part-time year round position, with full time responsibilities during the summer camping season, June 19 – August 15th.
This applicant will be responsible for every aspect of making sure Opequon Quaker Camp is a continued success. The applicant should be spiritually grounded and familiar with how children can be transformed by experiencing the wilderness, creative workshops, and community. The director should be able to teach skills that will lead counselors in creating opportunities for spiritual growth among their campers. He or she must be familiar with safe and appropriate low-impact wilderness practices and be able to teach them and evaluate their implementation by others. He or she should also be organized, possess good social skills and be able to prevent and manage crises effectively. Applicants with experience in the BYM Camping Program are especially encouraged to apply.
To apply please send a resume and letter of interest along with three references to jane@bymcamps.org
If you have questions please contact Jane at 717-481-4870
Please apply by December 31, 2018. We hope to have a new director in place by the end of January
Copies of the complete job description are available at: https://bymcamps.org/about-us/employment
BYM is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring based on race, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, age, or national origin.
Letter from Pittsburgh Friends Meeting
Posted by leymworker in Anti-Racism, News on November 13, 2018
Posted 11/13/18
Dear Friends,
We are so grateful for your words of support as well as your prayers for our community and our nation. It makes a significant difference in these moments to be reminded of the connections we have with each other.
Recognizing the unique role of guns in this violence, we approved the attached minute at our November Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business.
Like you, we want this and all similar events to translate into Spirit-led action. Right now there are immediate needs – if you’re led to make financial contributions, THIS link supports families of the victims. The roots of this violence are deep, however, and we pray that the tragedy also renews our vigor, dedication, and perseverance in addressing those. A sampling of ideas that have surfaced for us so far include:
- Reassuring immigrants in our communities that they are welcome and have our support – they know their presence in this country was a motivation for the violence.
- Establishing relationships, or deeper relationships, with any group that feels outside of our normal circle (potentially the Orthodox community, people of other political persuasions, or any number of other groups)
- Increased pressure on technology companies and elected officials to take responsibility for the social effects of their platforms
There are many other potential actions on individual, group, and institutional levels. Hillel the Elder’s words sound the clarion call more than ever – “If not now, when?” We pray that all of us will find ways to let our lives speak powerfully to these times.
In the Light,
Kathie Hollingshead, Susan Loucks, and Richard Shaw
Clerks, Pittsburgh Friends Meeting
Pittsburgh Meeting: Minute Responding to Gun Violence in our Society
Baltimore Yearly Meeting Seeks a Development Director
Posted by leymworker in Job Openings on November 13, 2018
Posted 11/13/18
FGC is looking for a development director, and Baltimore Yearly Meeting is as well. Here are the details of the BYM position:
The Development Director is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting and securing new and ongoing gifts from individuals and foundations in support of Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s (BYM) ministries and programs. The Development Director builds relationships and affinity for BYM and for the future of the Religious Society of Friends throughout the Yearly Meeting. Candidates must have a minimum of five years of relevant and successful fundraising experience.
The Organization: BYM is a vibrant organization comprised of more than 50 worshipping communities and 6,500 members across the mid-Atlantic region. Since the first great gathering of Friends in Maryland in 1672, BYM has had a long, rich history of worship and social witness. This vibrancy is demonstrated today in an array of programs, the largest of which is a residential summer camping program serving approximately 550-600 campers each year, complemented by a year-round youth activities program. Friends of all ages are invited to attend our weeklong residential Annual Session in August. Adult programs through the year include a Spiritual Formation Program and an annual Women’s Retreat. Other programs support local Meetings, helping to develop leadership and spiritual nurture. BYM staff, along with numerous volunteer committees and working groups, support a wide range of activities, including peace and social justice. BYM is dedicated to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout the Yearly Meeting.
The Development Program: This BYM program focuses on developing a more explicit sense of stewardship, a shared culture of giving, and intentional planning for the future. The Development Committee guides, supports, and assists the Development Director in advancing the Committee’s priorities. The next steps for the program include increasing the number of donors and the average size of gifts, developing major gifts, increasing planned giving, and developing the camp alumni network.
The Development Director reports directly to the General Secretary and works closely with the Development Committee, other committees, and staff to carry out a comprehensive development plan. The Director communicates the importance and value of BYM to its membership, to Local Meetings, and to the many non-Quakers who participate in BYM’s camping program. This work is carried out by nurturing an understanding of the interconnectedness between members, Local Meetings, and BYM and of the spirituality of giving.
For more details and a complete job description: Please visit the BYM web site at www.bym-rsf.org/what_we_do/committees/development/directorsearch.html.
To apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, and list of three references to: Development Director Search at applications@bym-rsf.org.
News on anti-racism steps in FGC
Posted by leymworker in Anti-Racism, FGC, News on November 6, 2018
Posted 11/6/18
A few weeks ago, a detailed report and recommendations on steps we can take to move Friends General Conference toward being an anti-racist organization were brought to FGC’s governing body, Central Committee, by an FGC task force that includes three LEYM Friends. Central Committee, which includes a number of additional LEYM Friends, endorsed these steps and is moving forward with the work. You can read the October Progress Report for FGC’s Institutional Assessment on Systemic Racism within FGC on FGC’s website at the following link:
In short, the approved Central Committee minute reads as follows:
Central Committee approves the establishment of a group to implement the work of the Institutional Assessment on Systemic Racism within Friends General Conference. Its charge shall be to guide the transformation of Friends General Conference into an anti-racist organization.
Consistent with the decision of Central Committee in 2017 to prioritize the work of anti-racism, FGC commits to work to eliminate white supremacy within the Religious Society of Friends and to model anti-racism as we support the work of this implementation group.
Central Committee authorizes the Institutional Assessment Working Group (IAWG) to serve as a naming committee to bring forward the names of eight Friends to serve on this implementation group. The names for the implementation group shall be brought forward for approval to Executive Committee at its winter 2019 meeting. The individuals to be recommended shall constitute at least 50 percent Friends of Color and consideration shall be given to include Young Adult Friends and broad geographic representation.
The Implementation Group will use the information and recommendations from the Institutional Assessment on Systemic Racism within Friends General Conference 2018 report to begin their work and its work shall not be limited to the scope of the report and its recommendations. The implementation group shall be accountable to Central Committee and will report its progress to each Executive Committee Meeting and annually to Central Committee. Central Committee authorizes the IAWG to propose an appropriate budget to support the work of the implementation group and authorizes the Executive Committee to approve that budget at its winter 2019 meeting.
You can also read the Executive Summary and the the full Institutional Assessment Report to FGC’s Central Committee.
“The Love that Overcomes”
Posted by leymworker in News on November 3, 2018
Here’s a beautiful letter in response to the massacre of Jews at worship in Pittsburgh and other recent happenings in the U.S. from New England Yearly Meeting.
Fall 2018 Bulletin Available
Posted by leymworker in Bulletin, News on November 3, 2018
Editors Peggy Daub & Jeff Cooper of Ann Arbor Meeting have put out the Fall 2018 issue of Lake Erie Yearly Meeting’s newsletter, the Bulletin. You can access it here. Paper copies will be going out to meetings and individuals shortly.
Sign up for monthly e-mails on Quaker books
Posted by leymworker in News on October 30, 2018
Friends General Conference’s bookstore, QuakerBooks, sends out an e-mail each month about books that Friends might be interested in. You can sign up for these e-mails if you’d like to keep up-to-date on what books of interest to Friends are available.
Update on FGC’s Institutional Assessment on Racism Oct 2018
Posted by leymworker in FGC, News on October 5, 2018
Posted 10/5/18
Lake Erie Yearly Meeting strongly supports FGC’s Institutional Assessment on Racism with both donations and participation. The Assessment is looking at where FGC Friends currently stand in being complicit with the institutionalized racism that permeates North American culture and how Quakers can move toward being anti-racist in our culture and institutions.
Three Lake Erie Yearly Meeting Friends serve on the Institutional Assessment Task Force: Marvin Barnes (Birmingham Meeting), Carolyn Lejuste (Red Cedar), and Dwight Wilson (Ann Arbor). The Task Force has just provided an update on the progress of their work as they prepare to bring recommendations for change to FGC’s governing body, Central Committee, later in October.
The report and links to background on the Assessment
More recent news as of 11/10/18
