Fall 2017 Bulletin Available
Posted by leymworker in Bulletin on October 23, 2017
New editors Peggy Daub & Jeff Cooper, of Ann Arbor Meeting, have put out their first joint issue of Lake Erie Yearly Meeting’s newsletter, the Bulletin. You can access it here.
Beyond Diversity 101 Workshop Jan 14-18, 2018
Posted by leymworker in News on October 15, 2017
Pendle Hill
Beyond Diversity 101: A 5-day intensive with Niyonu Spann & Lisa Graustein
Jan 14-18, 2018
Beyond Diversity 101 intends the healing transformation of personal relationships, community living, and organizations based in power-over dynamics and systematic discrimination. Participants are offered ways to move beyond assigning blame and increasing guilt so they can take responsibility, shift mindsets, and build useful skills. Participants will:
- Rigorously examine the dynamics of difference and power;
- Move beyond the oppressor/victim framework toward a new model for transformation — real change within, real change without;
- Develop applications for continuing work at home;
- Become more honest about this work and see where we get stuck; and
- Recognize how our spiritual lives relate to our work toward social justice.
Invite a traveling Quaker minister
Posted by leymworker in News on October 12, 2017
Each year, Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) puts together a Traveling Ministry Corps made up of Friends who express concerns that are deeply rooted in the Spirit and who can transcend differences and division to seek broader unity in the Light. FWCC provides training, support, and accountability for those Friends who are chosen to travel in this ministry.
If your meeting is interested in having a Traveling Minister visit, please go to FWCC’s website for information. You can find the application for your meeting to fill out as well as information about each member of the 2017 Traveling Ministry Corps.
FWCC is also taking applications for 2018 corps members through Oct. 20.
Alternatives to Violence Project Basic Workshop Dec 8-10, 2017
Posted by leymworker in Events and Opportunities on October 10, 2017
Pendle Hill
Dec. 8-10, 2017
With .O, John Meyer, and Laurent Hahn
The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) enables participants to deal with potentially violent situations in new and creative ways. Workshops are facilitated by certified facilitators and are fully experiential. All AVP workshops draw on the shared experience of participants, using interactive exercises, discussions, games, and role-plays to examine the ways we respond to situations where injustice, prejudice, frustration, and anger can lead to violent behavior. The Basic Workshop explores the five pillars of AVP: affirmation, communication, cooperation, community building, and transforming power.
An AVP workshop can help you to:
- manage strong feelings such as anger and fear
- deal more effectively with risk and threatening situations
- build good relationships with other people
- communicate constructively in difficult situations
- recognize the conflict management skills you already have
- be true to yourself while respecting other people
- understand why conflict happens
- approach conflict in a more creative and less reactive manner
- consider your own relationship to systems of violence.
Workshop: Community Rights vs. Corporate Rights Dec 1-2, 2017
Posted by leymworker in Events and Opportunities on October 6, 2017
Right to Refuse: When Community Rights and Corporate Rights Conflict and What to Do Next
Pendle Hill
Dec 1-2, 2017
Leaders: Chad Nicholson, Malinda Harnish Clatterbuck, and Dianne Herrin
Whether it is a pipeline, a fracked gas well, or an incinerator, there are countless examples of corporations moving projects forward despite community resistance and environmental impact. Why? How has law evolved to protect corporate interests and what are a community’s options? What is a Home Rule campaign and why is it necessary? Explore these questions and more with a weekend with front-line organizers from across Pennsylvania. This is a workshop for those engaged in protecting their community from environmental threats for education and strategic planning.
Clerking Workshop with Arthur Larrabee Nov 17-19, 2017
Posted by leymworker in Events and Opportunities on October 5, 2017
This weekend workshop at Pendle Hill is an opportunity for both new and experienced clerks of Friends’ meetings and committees to meet and think together about the role of presiding clerk. It is expected that each person will leave the weekend with new energy and enthusiasm for being a clerk, feeling well grounded in both the theoretical and the practical. There will be handouts, exercises, and opportunities to share experiences, with most work being done in a whole group setting.
Arthur Larrabee is a lifelong Friend and member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. He has led many workshops on clerking, including annually at Pendle Hill. He has served as clerk of his meeting, the Committee in Charge of Westtown School, and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, which he also served as General Secretary for seven years.
Green Pastures Fall Meeting Oct. 14, 2017
Posted by leymworker in Events and Opportunities, GPQM on October 5, 2017
Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting is gathering Oct. 14 at the Ann Arbor Meetinghouse from 9:00 to 4:00. The day will include singing, food, worship, and meeting for business.
Please read Greg Woods’ plenary talk at this year’s LEYM Annual Meeting, “Reviving Quakerism in the New Millennium,” which will be the basis for worship sharing.
Invitation to Red Cedar Meeting’s 75th year celebration Oct. 15, 2017
Posted by leymworker in Events and Opportunities, News on September 19, 2017
Seventy-Five years of Quaker worship and service will be celebrated Sunday, October 15 in Lansing, Michigan. Red Cedar Friends’ celebration will be an Open House at their Meetinghouse in Old Town (1400 Turner Street), Lansing, Michigan. Memories will be shared with light refreshments from 1 to 3 pm.
The Lansing Group started in the fall of 1942 under the care of the Ann Arbor Monthly Meeting, eventually becoming the East Lansing Friends Meeting and then Red Cedar Friends Meeting.
The Lansing Friends Journal reported in 1955: “The beginning of the second world war stimulated a number of earnest church members in this area to search for religious means and motivations which would help the world to avoid violent, cruel, and costly conflicts. Thus the Lansing-East Lansing Meeting of Friends began . . .” Friends remain committed to peace and social justice.
The group changed meeting places many times over the years, worshiping on the campus of Michigan State University, at the former Grange Hall on Trowbridge, at space generously provided by All Saints Episcopal Church and Edgewood United Church, before constructing their own meetinghouse in Lansing.
Red Cedar Friends Meeting is a member of Lake Erie Yearly Meeting. The underlying principle of Friends belief and practice is that within every person there is that of God or Spirit leading us to respect the worth and dignity of all.
For over 350 years, Friends have based their worship on waiting in expectant silence. Quakers commit themselves to learning the practices needed for listening deeply, for speaking and living out truths, for respectful differing and for faithful risk-taking so that spirit can lead them to deeper and deeper truths and practice.
Further details about the Open House may also be obtained by calling (517) 347-7925 or via e-mail at shawbr@comcast.net
World Quaker Day Oct. 1, 2017
Posted by leymworker in News on September 19, 2017
Every year, the first Sunday in October is celebrated by Friends around the globe as World Quaker Day. Organized by Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), all branches of Quakers are encouraged to mark the day in some fashion. From sunrise worship to Quaker Scavenger hunts, there are fun, simple, and spiritual ways to honor the connections between Quakers around the world.
Go to FWCC’s World Quaker Day web page for ideas and more information.
Open yourself for transformation via e-retreat
Posted by leymworker in Events and Opportunities on August 31, 2017
How do we enrich each other’s spiritual journey in the digital age? The Spiritual Deepening Silence & Light eRetreat is a unique online opportunity that brings together seasoned Friends and those interested in learning about the Quaker Way. Over the course of 8 weeks, you and your online spiritual community will explore Quaker thought and practice as you develop a strong connection with the Inner Light.
The Spiritual Deepening Silence & Light eRetreat will begin on Sunday, September 24th, 2017.
The Silence & Light eRetreat invites you to explore and practice the experience of Quaker worship and silent waiting, for an inward encounter with the Inner Teacher who leads, guides, and transforms us every day.
Begin your journey of growth and light. Visit our website to learn more and reserve your spot for this eRetreat!
In the Spirit,
Rachel Ernst Stahlhut
Program Coordinator
FGC Spiritual Deepening Program
