Spark, May 2022 - Messages from NYYM Friends

Start Spreading The News!

Share your meeting’s news, announcements, and upcoming events with the rest of the yearly meeting by sending them to communications@nyym.org. News items will appear in Spark, our printed newsletter, and our weekly email newsletter. Don’t get Spark or our Weekly Updates? Email office@nyym.org or call 212-673-5750 to get yourself added to our mailing list.

Welcome to Spark Online

The online edition of New York Yearly Meeting's print newsletter.

Download a pdf file of the May 2022 Spark

 

Messages from NYYM Friends

 

Contents

Articles on the Theme: Messages from NYYM Friends

 

Around Our Yearly Meeting

 

 

 

Editor's Note

As I'm writing these words the sun is shining and the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Many thanks for Todd Drake for lending us his linocuts to illustrate this issue, and to all the Friends who wrote articles and poetry. You are encouraged to share your reactions by writing a letter to the editor. The next NYYM event is our largest annual gathering: Summer Sessions, being held in person for the first time since 2019. This will be NYYM's first big hybrid event; please be patient and hold all participants in the Light. With humor and centering we will make it through.

 

Upcoming Spark themes:

September: The Life Cycle of Meetings, guest-edited by Emily Provance. What is the natural life cycle of a meeting, and what happens when it’s time to lay a meeting down? The September issue of Spark will focus on these and related questions. Articles should be 400-600 words. Before writing your article, please send a brief proposal (3-4 sentences) to guest editor Emily Provance (guest-editor@nyym.org), explaining your intended topic. The final submission deadline is July 25, but we’d be delighted to receive articles sooner. Visual submissions (photos, drawings, comics, etc.) are also warmly welcomed.

Please also send shorter news and announcements to share with the rest of NYYM. Email those submissions to communications@nyym.org.

You can also email your meeting’s news for inclusion in the NYYM weekly update email. If you'd like to join NYYM's weekly email list, email walter@nyym.org or visit nyym.org/subscribe.

NYYM is on Facebook (NewYorkYearlyMeeting), Twitter (NYYMTweets), and Insta (newyorkyearlymeeting).

—
Sarah Way, NYYM
Communications Director
communications@nyym.org

 

 

 

Notices

New Members

  • Jean-Daniel Bourgeacq—Manhasset
  • Julia Buregeacq—Manhasset
  • Jim Pierson—Saratoga

Transfers

  • Eliza Brown, from Arch Street (PYM) to Cornwall
  • Armen Godwin Fisher, from Poughkeepsie  to New Paltz
  • Cynthia Jackson Fisher, from Poughkeepsie to New Paltz 
  • Margaret Jenkins, from Rahway-Plainfield to Sandy Spring Friends Meeting (BYM)
  • Hans-Jürgen Lehmann, from Ridgewood to Member At Large
  • Mike Schatzki, from Brooklyn to Chatham Summit

Deaths

  • Joyce Marshall, member of Rahway-Plainfield, on April 25, 2022.
  • Anne Wauhope Smith, member of Jericho, on March 7, 2022.
  • Morley Lyford Smith, member of Jericho, on March 3, 2022.
     

 

News

Annual Reports Due

Each year, NYYM committee clerks and other role-holders are asked to write a report on their work and the current status of their committee. This year's reports are due by May 31, 2022. Please email them to your coordinating committee clerk or to communications@nyym.org.

 

NYYM Anti-Racism Statement

A draft NYYM Statement on Becoming an Anti-Racist Faith Community, written by a multi-racial and multi-generational task group, was presented at Summer Sessions 2021 for Friends' reflection and the initiation of an extended period of discernment. You can find the statement and related queries and resources at nyym.org/anti-racism-statement, or by requesting a copy from the office at 212-673-5750.

 

Do You Receive the Weekly NYYM Email Update?

Each Friday an email newsletter from NYYM is sent out to over 1600 people. Past editions are available at nyym.org/weekly-updates. To subscribe, email your name and email address to walter@nyym.org. If you think you're on the list but haven't received any emails, please check your spam folder.

 

 

Upcoming Events

Summer Sessions

Online and in-person July 24-30, 2022.

Please see nyym.org/session/summer-sessions-2022 for details.

 

Fall Sessions

December 2-4, 2022, Online.

 

Powell House Workshops

Powell House is the retreat and conference center for NYYM. Visit poho.org to see the full list of upcoming events and to register.

Second Thirds: Connections for Friends Ages 35-59ish

a partnership between Powell House and NYYM’s ARCH program

The culminating in-person gathering will take place May 20-22. Let's get together in real time and space, to talk, share, laugh, eat, DANCE! Visit www.powellhouse.org/second-thirds

Where the Words Come From: a Workshop on Vocal Ministry

A Virtual Powell House Workshop with Christopher Sammond

May 27, 7 p.m. to May 29, 11 a.m.

Vocal Ministry—making ourselves available for the Divine to speak through us—is a key element of our distinctive form of worship. Yet many of us feel uncertain about this part of our practice, feeling our way by trial and error, with little, if any, feedback. As vocal ministry led by the Divine almost always happens in the context of a gathered meeting, we will begin by creating a community of depth and trust, learning to open to that place where deep worship, discernment, and vocal ministry all originate. From that place we will explore practices which make us more available to the promptings of the Divine for us to speak out of worship. Our work will be immediate and experiential, and grounded in love and affirmation.

Water of Life Retreat: A Refreshing Dip Into Practices for Spiritual Renewal

June 17, 6 p.m.-June 19, 2 p.m.

This in‐person retreat includes Quaker and other time‐tested ways to deepen our spiritual lives. There will be times of prayer, of learning, of healing, and of silence. The daily rhythm also includes times of solitude for individual reflection, work (if each participant welcomes it), and rest. In creating a retreat environment, Barbara Shulamith Clearbridge builds an atmosphere of stillness, spaciousness, acceptance, prayer, healing, and love.
 

YAY!
An in-person FGC gathering for Young Adults & Youth

July 6-10, 2022, Radford, VA

FGC’s Junior Gathering, High School, and Adult Young Friend Committees have joined together for a new adventure this summer: YAY! This in-person event for Young Adults & Youth will take place Wednesday, July 6 through Sunday, July 10 at Radford University in Radford, Virginia. The committees have discerned a leading to center the needs of families, children, youth & young adults to be in community in-person.

YAY will have separate sessions for each of these communities: Junior Gathering (birth-rising 9th grade); High School (rising 10th-graduating seniors); Adult Young Friends (ages 18-37); and Parents & Sponsors (parents & sponsors of youth & children ages 0-18 at the event.) The Young Adult and Youth Committees will open registration in May for this event: visit www.fgcquaker.org/fgcprograms/the-gathering/yay/ for more information.

 

 

The 2022 Friends General Conference (FGC) Gathering

"...and follow me."  The week-long 2022 FGC Gathering will be held online from July 3-9, 2022. Registration will open in late May. For more details, visit www.fgcquaker.org/connect/gathering

 

Friends United Meeting's Stoking the Fire Retreat: Your Life a Candle, This Day a Match

June 3-5, 2022

At Quaker Hill Conference Center, Richmond, IN, and Online

This annual retreat is for those afire with the Holy Spirit, who seek deeper faith and bolder witness. Through worship, learning, and fellowship, we will open ourselves to Christ’s presence, and allow the Spirit to work within us as we seek God’s power. This year's Stoking the Fire will be a hybrid event, with in-person and virtual options. Visit www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/connect/stoking-the-fire.

 

Quaker Institute for the Future’s 2022 Summer Research Seminar

August 8-12, online via Zoom.

QIF Summer Research Seminars create a venue for spirit-led research using Quaker methods of discernment and reflection. More information is available at quakerinstitute.org, including videos of past presentations.  

QIF is offering $300 stipends to applicants aged 18 to 35 years old to make a presentation on research that resonates with the QIF mission of advancing a global future of inclusion, social justice, and ecological integrity For further details and to register for the SRS or apply for a stipend contact Gray Cox at gray@coa.edu or 207-460-1163.

 

Quaker Religious Education Collaborative (QREC) 2022 Annual Conference: Finding Our Footing on the Path Ahead

August 12-14, 2022, Online and In-person at Catholic Conference Center, Hickory, NC

Topics will explore the shapes of ministry and the new kinds of programming and resources for home and meeting/church that connect with Friends of all ages and open faith and faithful living to them. Registration opens soon; visit quakerrecollaborative.org/.

 

For Young Adults

"YAY!" an FGC Gathering — see details above.

 

Powell House Conference: Gonna Make This Garden Grow

Young Adult Event
July 8, 6 p.m. - July 10, 1 p.m.

Inch by inch, row by row. A garden is a beautiful thing. At this conference we'll get our hands dirty planting and weeding in the Powell House garden. We will also think about the ways our community is like a garden. How do we want this garden to grow? Expect joy, connection, and maybe some food projects at this nourishing weekend. Register at poho.org.

 

For Children & Teens

Upcoming Powell House Youth Conference:

CAMPING IN THE MAZE for 6th-8th Grade
June 10-12, 2022

The night sky is like a beautiful work of art with the moon and stars projecting light from a deep, dark canvas. You are like a work of art, too! Creative and joyful light shines through the mysterious depth you hold within you. At this conference, we will explore our inner light and notice how we are like the wondrous world around us. Expect games and laughter at this interesting and exciting conference. Register by clicking on the conference name at poho.org or call 518-794-8811.

 

"YAY!" an FGC Gathering — see details above.

 

Albany Friends Young Peacemakers Week

Albany Friends Meeting is again planning to have our annual Young Peacemakers Week, from August 22-26, 2022, at the AFM Meetinghouse. We welcome children in grades 2-8, from 1:30-5:30, followed by a simple meal shared with our families. Our daily activities will reflect our witness to the Quaker Peace Testimony, i.e., a commitment to nonviolence and reconciliation in all spheres of life. The theme will be addressed in typical camp activities such as arts and crafts, music, drama, non-competitive games, and nature-centered projects. There is no specific charge; instead we ask that people contribute whatever they feel is fair. We are looking for volunteers and paid staff, and welcome any applicants! For more information please contact Anita Stanley. 

 

Online Worship

Many of the local meetings in New York Yearly Meeting are holding online or hybrid online-and-in-person meetings for worship every week. Visit nyym.org/online-worship-opportunities for the most up-to-date information.

 

 

Opportunities

Many Quaker organizations have multiple job openings. Visit these websites for current listings:

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has several job openings in Philadelphia, including Director of Quaker Engagement, Regional Controller, and Grants Manager; visit www.afsc.org/job-center
Pendle Hill, outside of Philadelphia, is seeking Housekeeping and Guest Services Associates, a Cook, an Annual Fund Officer, a Director of Operations, and a Director of Finance: pendlehill.org/explore/employment
Friends Committee on National Legislation, in DC, is in search of an Associate General Secretary for Policy and Advocacy: www.fcnl.org/about/work-fcnl 

     

More NYYM News

Planting Day at Sohagpur Friends School

A big planting program was held at the campus of the Friends Girls School, Sohagpur, in the beginning of March 2022. The program was organized as part of the "Ankur Abhiyan " (Sprout Campaign) of the Madhya Pradesh State Government. Between March 1st to 5th, a total of 51 Indian Teak plants were planted by guests, teaching staff, and children. A photo of the event was uploaded to the local government portal. Photos of the growing plants will be uploaded 30 and 180 days after being planted. School Principal Dr. Sanjeev Shukla stated that within 20 years these plants will become big trees and great assets for the school.

News from Sohagpur Friends School in India comes to us via Jayant Singh, Associate Clerk of Bethpage Preparative Meeting; his mother and sister attended the school.