2021 Annual Business Sessions

13 July 2021
Categories: Annual Sessions, Committees

Upcoming LEYM Business-related Sessions

Note: Zoom Meeting Access for most business sessions
will be available via https://bit.ly/leym2021business

See Agenda for Business Sessions (docx) or Agenda for Business Sessions (pdf)

  • LEYM Executive Committee Meeting – Wed July 28 3:00 PM
  • Business Session 1 – Thu July 29 11:00 AM
  • Business Session 2 – Fri July 30 11:00 AM
  • Committee Meetings & Free Time – Sat July 31 11:00 AM
    (Zoom Breakout Rooms will be Available via https://bit.ly/leym2021interestgroups)
  • Business Session 3 – Sun Aug 1 2:00 PM
  • Business Session 4 (as needed) – Sat Aug 7 10:00 AM

Documents Provided in Advance
(files often available in two formats…)

GPQM Annual Worship and Picnic, August 8, in Battle Creek

21 June 2021
Categories: Events and Opportunities, GPQM

Every year in early August Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting remembers the anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and celebrates peace in the historic Quaker Park in Battle Creek.

GPQM will hold an in-person worship planned for 11 a.m., August 8, outdoors at Quaker Park. Worship will be followed by a picnic, with Friends may bring a chair/blanket, food, and beverage. Friends who are able and comfortable sharing food are welcome to and those who are not are welcome to share others company during the picnic. We will remain attentive to public health advice from the State of Michigan and adjust our plans as necessary.

If you do plan to bring food to share, you can sign up and see others dishes here: http://tiny.cc/GPQMPicnic2021
Quaker Park, is at the northwest corner of Fremont and Groveland streets.

All are welcome.

Quaker Park, Battle Creek MI
Quaker Park, Battle Creek MI

Read Epistles from Friends around the globe

15 June 2021
Categories: Annual Sessions, News

As groups of Quakers gather in their annual sessions, they often write something known as an “Epistle” that is then shared with other Friends around the world. Back in the 17th century the Quaker movement revived the Gospel use of this word to mean an advisory or admonitory letter, sent to a group of people. In modern usage, you can think of an Epistle as a public letter of greeting and ministry. Such letters are sent from a Friends meeting or organization to other Friends groups, to supply information, spiritual insight, and encouragement.

The best way to read annual Epistles from across the globe is to visit the Friends World Committee on Consultation (FWCC) website where they collect and share Epistles from Friends Groups Around the World. Recent 2021 submissions include those from Netherlands Yearly Meeting, Switzerland Yearly Meeting, the General Meeting of Friends in Mexico, Aotearoa New Zealand Yearly Meeting, and Sweden Yearly Meeting, as well as South Central Yearly Meeting and Southeastern Yearly Meeting from the United States.

Lake Erie Yearly Meeting collects our own annual Epistles to other Friends here.

Image of first page of Epistle from Pennsylvania Quakers 1776 Yearly Meeting.
Epistle from 1776 Quakers in Pennsylvania

Exploring Hybrid Worship Models

11 May 2021
Categories: Committees, Monthly Mtgs, News

LEYM’s Ministry and Nurture Committee has been exploring the many ways that Quakers are adapting to a more virtual life of the spirit as groups adopt online meeting practices. Quakers are worshiping online across the globe, as these extensive lists of worship opportunities compiled by Western Friends and Friends World Committee on Consultation make clear.

As more and more people get vaccinated, attention has turned to how Friends are going to return to their meeting houses, and how we might continue to incorporate some of the gifts technology has given us even as some of us gather together in person.

Resources of Special Interest

Friends General Conference hosted an FGC Consultation: Spirit and Community Online Resources in April 2021 which featured a panel discussion entitled What Have We Learned? Spirit and Community-Building Online which is now available for viewing, as well as other related discussions, at fgcquaker.org. Topics include online and hybrid worship, Religious Education, clerking, reopening meetings to in-person, technology, and accessibility.

Kathleen Wooten, a Friend from New England Yearly Meeting, has developed a rich collection of resources on her page Being the Church Online. Her links to resources on Blended/Hybrid Meetings for Worship highlight the good thinking and open sharing that Friends are doing as they explore new models for gathering together.

Pendle Hill, the Quaker retreat center, has been successfully hosting a daily worship where they bring online visitors together with in-person worshipers in the Pendle Hill Barn. This write-up of Pendle Hill’s Hybrid Worship Experiment provides lots of interesting details for their approach. Building on their experience, Pendle Hill has teamed up with the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre in the UK to offer a Pendle Hill Workshop scheduled for June 11-13, 2021 that will explore the theme Becoming Blended Worshiping Communities: Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges. There is a fee for this workshop ($90).

With respect to different technical tools on offer, the Western Friend has developed a spreadsheet designed to help groups think through the advantages and disadvantages of different technical approaches to hybrid worship.

Friends interested in digging deeper into these topics may be interested in joining the Facebook Group Quaker Gatherings: Best Practices & Creative Exploration for on-going conversation with like-minded Friends.

FCNL 2021 Report to Yearly Meetings

7 May 2021
Categories: Action, Events and Opportunities, News

The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) has released their 2021 Report to Yearly Meetings. Many Friends within LEYM have been active on FCNL Advocacy Teams or via participation in some of FCNL’s ongoing events series. This report includes some of the highlights of this year’s work, made possible by the advocacy, engagement, and financial support of Friends. You can learn more about the legislative impact of FCNL’s work at www.fcnl.org/impact.

Spring Bulletin Submissions Due May 15

1 May 2021
Categories: Bulletin, News

MAY 15, 2021:  DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS TO LEYM SPRING BULLETIN 

Please send articles, essays, reports or artwork for Lake Erie Yearly Meeting’s Spring 2021Bulletin to the editors, Jeff Cooper and Peggy Daub, by Saturday, May 15, 2021 (send to bulletinleym@gmail.com)   

This issue will provide information about Annual Meeting – the program, schedule, workshops, etc.  Remember, those sessions will again be virtual, from Wednesday, July 28, through Sunday, August 1.   

We want to help disseminate items reflecting the business of the Yearly Meeting, as well as reports on activities in monthly meetings or worship groups.  Individual contributions such as essays, poetry, or artwork are also welcome.   

Query:  How has the last year affected the spiritual journey of you or your meeting? 

AFSC to Offer New Youth Opportunities

27 April 2021
Categories: Events and Opportunities, News, Young Adult Friends, Youth Programming

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is developing an exciting new program for young Quakers and Quaker college students and alumni, ages 18-25. To help them develop this program, AFSC is inviting young Quakers and current and former students from Quaker colleges to participate in an upcoming Zoom focus group on either May 11 or May 12 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

If you or someone you know is interested, please complete this brief questionnaire so AFSC can make sure they have a diversity of viewpoints. Participants will receive an honorarium for their time.

Spring Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting

22 April 2021
Categories: GPQM, News

Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting spring business meeting will be from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, May 15, 2021, via Zoom (see below for link). In addition to business items, Friends will hear updates from the Michigan Friends Center and the Michigan Quakers for Environmental Action. To add an item to the agenda, please contact one of our Co-Clerks, Deb Wickering (wickedeb@aquinas.edu) or Elliott Brannon (esbrannon@gmail.com). We hope to see you there.

Agenda

  1. Query related to Environment and Sustainability (Elliott Brannon)
  2. Roll call (Elliott Brannon)
  3. Previous Meeting’s Minutes (Elliott Brannon)
  4. Reflections on Mid-winter gathering (Deb Wickering)
  5. Report on Called Meeting for Friends School in Detroit (Joseph Mills)
  6. Treasurer Report and Budget
  7. Nominating Committee 
  8. Michigan Friends Center Update (Richard Tucker)
  9. Michigan Quakers for Environmental Action: (Peggy Daub, Phil Volk and/or Richard Tucker)
  10. GPQM moving forward

Zoom information: https://umich.zoom.us/j/91769618384 | Meeting ID: 917 6961 8384

GPQM Newsletter and Facebook group

You will notice that we have attached our Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting newsletter to this post. Please share it far and wide!

As we explore ways of keeping Friends connected throughout GPQM, we have begun a newsletter that is distributed in pdf format four times per year, as well as a Facebook group. Perhaps you have news to share with other Meetings and Worship Groups in GPQM, or you would like to invite Friends to an upcoming event. Send your news to April Allison at (gpqmcommunications@gmail.com) and we will spread the word though Facebook and/or this periodic newsletter. We hope to hear from you.

Quaker House at Chautauqua ready for 2021 Season

24 March 2021
Categories: Events and Opportunities, News

Sue Tannehill is sharing the good news that the new Quaker house at Chautauqua is ready for the 2021 Chautauqua Season. She writes:

Dear Quakers and other interested F/friends,

It is with great joy that we are now accepting requests to stay at Quaker House at Chautauqua for the 2021 season!!  Please note all visitors must be fully vaccinated and we will maintain a 50% occupancy to insure distancing guidelines. 

To register, please go to the new website  and click on the “staying” button.  Print the registration form and mail it to the address listed on the form. Be sure to read the House Guidelines first. 

ALL are welcome on Sunday for Meeting for worship at 9:30 There is no admission fee on Sunday, so please come and worship with us in our (almost ready) new home!

We can’t wait to meet you and share this  welcoming new space on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution.
Check out the website and our Facebook page for pictures and regular updates. 

Sue Tannehill
Communications
QHCHQ Steering committee

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