AFSC Quaker Engagement Tour Comes to Michigan

1 May 2024
Categories: Events and Opportunities, Monthly Mtgs, News

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) hired a new director for Quaker Engagement a year ago, and he (Brian Blackmore) has undertaken a Monthly Meeting visitation tour. This month that tour travels through Michigan.

LEYM Friends are invited to join AFSC presentations that are being hosted by Red Cedar Friends Meeting (May 4th) and Ann Arbor Friends Meeting (May 5th). Brian Blackmore, AFSC’s Quaker Engagement Director, will provide an overview of AFSC’s work to build peace around the globe, and share opportunities for Friends to engage with our work and programs.

As the Director of Quaker Engagement, Brian’s work concentrates on leading AFSC’s efforts to build nurturing, trusting, and engaged relationships with Quaker faith communities, schools, and organizations in the U.S. and around the world.

Friends from LEYM who are feeling led are welcome to join in learning and connecting at either of the below events. Please feel free to share this invitation with members of your Meeting and community.

May 4: Red Cedar Friends Meeting
10 a.m. ET
1400 Turner Rd, Lansing, MI 48906
Hybrid: Join on Zoom
https://afsc-org.zoom.us/j/3400744372?pwd=S0xwK1kxWmJDYXp0eWVmR2lnRDNKUT09

May 5: Ann Arbor Friends Meeting
12:45 p.m. ET
1420 Hill St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Hybrid: Join on Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81870214329

May 16 Quakerism 101 Session Explores Quaker Service Orgs

30 April 2024
Categories: Events and Opportunities, News, Peace and Justice

LEYM’s Quakerism 101 Series continues in May. Join Friends online on Thursday May 16 (7pm) as members of Red Cedar Meeting present a session on “Quakers in Service to the Wider World.” This session will be focused on how Quakers extend the practice of our testimonies — particularly those of peace, equality, community, and stewardship — to society at large, both within the US and internationally. Jamie Archer, Pat Grauer, and Susan Waltz will talk about their experiences working with three Quaker organizations carrying out such work: the American Friends Service Committee, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, and the Quaker United Nations Office. Each Friend will speak briefly about the mission and past and current work done by the organization and how and why they personally got involved. Finally, they’ll tell you how you too can get involved and answer any questions. Get the event flyer here.

Join us on Zoom on Thursday May 16 at 7:00 PM.
Zoom link (easy share link): https://tinyurl.com/quaker101
Meeting ID: 876 3794 4768
Passcode: 84448

Upcoming Young Adult Friends Gathering

23 April 2024
Categories: Events and Opportunities, News, Young Adult Friends

An exciting international Young Adult Friends gathering is being planned by Matt Rosen and the Oxford Young Friends (18-35) based in the UK. It will be held at Jordans Meetinghouse and Center (outside of London) this August 21-25. According to the organizers, accommodation will be at a Friendly budget rate, and we will be preparing our own meals. Kitchen access and eating areas are available at the Jordans Quaker Centre. The Centre is easily accessible by train or underground (just half an hour) from London. It’s surrounded by beautiful open areas for hikes and country walks. Registration is via this link.

Friends with questions about this opportunity can use the contact information listed on the attached flyer, or here in the U.S. you can contact Chris Stern at Middletown Friends Meeting, Lima Pennsylvania via sternc858@gmail.com

Young Adult Friends Gathering UKDownload

Shared Quaker Vision for Peace in Israel and Palestine

17 April 2024
Categories: Action, News, Peace and Justice

On April 12th, eight Quaker organizations released a new statement entitled “A Different Future is Possible: Shared Quaker Vision for Peace in Israel and Palestine.” The organizations are the American Friends Service Committee, Canadian Friends Service Committee, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Friends World Committee for Consultation, Quakers in Britain, Quaker Council on European Affairs, Quaker Peace and Social Witness, and the Quaker United Nations Office.

The statement provides background on Quaker involvement in these issues and includes calls to action for the Israeli government, to Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups, to Western leaders and the US and UK governments, and to individual Friends and Friends Meetings.

You can download it here.

For Friends interested in drafting your own statement, know that Friends Committee on National Legislation has been compiling a collection of Minutes related to this concern written by Quaker Monthly Meetings. It can be reviewed here.

April Quakerism 101 Session Details

3 April 2024
Categories: Events and Opportunities, Monthly Mtgs, News

The LEYM Advancement and Outreach Committee will be offering two more sessions of the Quakerism 101 series this spring. The sessions are offered via Zoom.

  • We are looking forward to Wednesday, April 17 (7-8:30 pm), when Susan Loucks of the Pittsburgh Friends Meeting presents a session on “Meeting for Worship with Attention to…What???” Any casual attender can see that Meetings for Business are run differently than most meetings in the rest of the world – but the why behind those differences can be much more murky. No matter how long you’ve been going to Meetings for Business,we invite you to join us in exploring those why’s, and seeing what we can do to set the stage for our business meetings to live up to their amazing potential. (Hot tip: if “amazing” and “meeting for business” don’t always show up in the same sentence for you, there’s something for you here!)
  • Our last session for this year will be an Introduction to Quaker Service Organizations from Red Cedar Meeting on Thursday, May 16.

All sessions are open to anyone—seasoned Friends, newcomers, seekers, young and old. Time for reflection and interaction is included in all sessions. Contact Joe Mills, Clerk of the LEYM Advancement & Outreach Committee for more information. (millrae@juno.com. Use subject line “Quakerism 101”).

The Wednesday, April 17 session will be from 7-8:30 pm on Zoom.

Zoom address (easy share link) for all sessions: https://tinyurl.com/quaker101
Meeting ID: 876 3794 4768
Passcode: 84448
One tap mobile: +13052241968,,87637944768#,,,,*84448#
Dial in: +1 312 626 6799 Passcode: 84448

Registration Now Open for Annual Meeting

2 April 2024
Categories: Annual Sessions, Events and Opportunities, News

LEYM is returning to Ashland University June 13-16, 2024 for our wonderful Annual Meeting. Our theme is Friends Together: Outpourings of the Spirit. You can read all about our plans and see the full workshop descriptions in the Spring Issue of the LEYM Bulletin.

Registration, using our new online registration system, is now open. See the welcome video, learn more and get registered via leym.org/annual . As a special feature this year, registrants will have access to a mobile app so that they can keep track of the schedule and have quick access to helpful information.

We’d love to have you join us!

Spring 2024 Bulletin now available

27 March 2024
Categories: Annual Sessions, Bulletin, News

The Spring issue of the LEYM Bulletin has been released. In it you’ll find the Clerk’s message, a report on Representative Meeting, information on small LEYM worship groups and how you can visit them, and lots of material on the 2024 Annual Meeting. The issue provides a broad overview of the coming Annual Meeting, registration instructions, and full descriptions on the dozen wonderful workshops on offer this year. Registration opens April 1st.

You can always find the most current issue of the Bulletin and back issues at the LEYM Bulletins page.

Paper copies of the Bulletin will be mailed as soon as they get back from the printer.

Representative Meeting Brainstorm Notes Now Available

21 March 2024
Categories: Committees, News

Friends from across the LEYM region gathered together online for our March 9 LEYM Representative Meeting. In the morning we heard reports on what is happening at various meetings, learned about what committees have been working on, reviewed our finances, heard about progress in setting up this year’s Annual Meeting at Ashland University (June 13-16, 2024) and got a preview of the new online registration form.

In the afternoon, Friends engaged in some shared brainstorming and small group work, thinking about what LEYM could look like if we started from scratch, with particular attention paid to the role of Clerk. As we learned from the nominating committee, we are still seeking a clerk and assistant clerk to begin service when Susan Loucks ends her term in June. As part of our brainstorming process, we used an online “Jamboard” that enabled small groups to post their ideas and share them out with the larger group.

The jamboard brainstorm document can be accessed as a pdf here. If anyone who participated had their appetite whetted and is moved to consider LEYM structures with a small group in between now and our annual meeting, please let the clerk know via LEYMclerk@gmail.com.

Minutes from the Business Session are being prepared, and will be added to this post and the Minutes section of the LEYM website when available.

2024 Business Sessions

14 March 2024

This is where you can access relevant materials for the Business Sessions scheduled for LEYM 2024 in Ashland Ohio. The Documents in Advance can be viewed here.

Meeting for Worship With Attention to Business
Agendas, Yearly Meeting 2024
Subject to Revision and Divine Intervention

Thursday Evening – 6/13/2024 7:30pm – 9:00pm

  • Welcome
  • Announcements – Site Committee
  • Who’s here? Roll call, absent and deceased Friends, Visitors
  • Establishing an Epistle Committee (decision)
  • Report from the Naming Committee
  • Memorial Minute- Akron

Friday AM – 6/14/2024 10:30am – 12:00pm

  • Committee Sharing Session
  • Treasurer’s Report
  • Finance Committee- 2024-5 Budget (first reading)
  • Finance Committee – Proposed Changes to Travel Policy (decision)
  • Nominating Committee – Slate (first reading)
  • Memorial Minutes- Wooster

Friday PM – 6/14/2024 1:15pm – 3:15pm

  • Clerk’s Report
  • Worshipful Discernment – God’s purpose for LEYM this year  

Saturday 6/15/2024 1:15pm – 3:15pm

  • Finance Committee – Proposed Revisions to Funds (decision)
  • Finance Committee – Budget (decision)
  • Publications and Archives – Proposed Revision to Digital Access for Annual Records (decision)
  • Executive Committee – Proposed amendments to P&P on structure (first reading)
  • Memorial Minute – Cleveland
  • Organizational Representatives Panel

Sunday 6/16/2024 8:45am – 9:30am

  • Naming Committee (decision)
  • Nominating Committee (decision)
  • Executive Committee – Proposed Amendments to P&P on Structure (decision
  • One Breath Reports

Site Search

See Fuller Menu

Give to LEYMDonate online or via check or other charitable instrument

Learn More & Give Now

Related Organizations