Spark, September 2018 - Spirit-Led Structures
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Download a pdf file of the September 2018 Spark
Contents
Spirit-led Structures
- "God So Loved the World that He Didn't Send a Committee", by Herb Lape, Westbury Meeting
- Does Structure Equal Hierarchy? by Lori Heninger, Shrewsbury Meeting
- Spirit-led Structures for Quaker Meetings, by Steven Davison, Central Philadelphia Meeting
- What is “Clerking Consciousness”? by Jeffrey Aaron, New Brunswick Meeting
Other Articles
- End Draft Registration, by Bill Galvin
- Who's the New Clerk? by Jeffrey Aaron, New Brunswick Meeting
- NYYM’s ARCH Program: Aging is What We All Do, by Carl Blumenthal, Brooklyn Meeting
- Powell House Youth Reunion 2014-2017, by Andy Haag and Chris DeRoller
Around Our Yearly Meeting
Around Our Yearly Meeting
Editor's Note
Everyone is invited to write an article for Spark. Articles should be spirit-led and are considered a form of ministry. Aim for 400-600 words, please, and include your full name and meeting.
The theme for the November issue of Spark is: Cultivating Quakers. How do we increase our Quaker skills—both in practice and in faith? Can we “Quake” harder? How can we encourage the sharing of our (and others’) Quaker gifts?
Please send your submissions for Spark, including news from your monthly meeting, to communications@nyym.org by October 9, 2018.
In between issues of Spark we distribute InfoShare, NYYM’s emailed newsletter. Send your meeting’s news and events to communications@nyym.org. Sign up to receive InfoShare— or any of NYYM’s newsletters—at www.tinyurl.com/nyymconnect.
Keep up to date at facebook.com/newyorkyearlymeeting & at twitter.com/NYYMTweets.
Peace to all!
—Sarah Way
Upcoming Events
NYYM Fall Sessions
Holiday Inn, 70 State St., Rochester, NY
November 9–11, 2018
Fall Sessions will be held entirely in the Holiday Inn Rochester, 70 State Street, Rochester NY; 585-546-3450, or Google “Holiday Inn downtown Rochester NY”
REGISTRATION DUE DATE: MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2018.
For further details, please visit http://nyym.org/session/fall-sessions-2018
DrawDown: Comprehensive Plan to Reverse Global Warming
Monday, Sept. 24, 7:00–9:00 p.m. at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West. DRAWDOWN: THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE PLAN EVER PROPOSED TO REVERSE GLOBAL WARMING, presentations & panel discussion moderated by Bill McKibben. The DrawDown Project demonstrates conclusively that we do have the means at hand to reverse global warming. The evening gives participants an opportunity to sign up for action teams to begin planning to implement the Drawdown solutions. Tickets ($10) at: drawdown-ethicalnyc.eventbrite.com.
Obadiah & Friends Coffee House
Purchase Meeting will be holding an Obadiah & Friends Coffee House Friday, September 28, 2018. Doors will open at 7:00 pm; open mic at 7:30 pm; music by Je Domenick at 8:30 pm. Suggested donation: $15 Adults; $10 Students and Seniors. For more information, visit our website: www.purchasemeeting.org
Upcoming Powell House Conferences and Events
Powell House is NYYM’s retreat and conference center in Old Chatham, NY. Upcoming conferences include Rest for the Weary with John Calvi on October 5-7; that same weekend is Super Hero YOU! for 4-5th graders. The annual Fall Work Weekend (with contra dance and storytelling!) is Oct. 26–28. Visit powellhouse.org for more!
Opportunities
Funds Available for Friends’ Publications and Projects
The Mosher Committee announces that there are limited funds available to assist Friends in the publication/creation of pamphlets, books, recordings, films or any other media. Proposals that have been approved by monthly meetings, worship groups or yearly meeting committees should be submitted to Anita Paul (mosher@nyym.org) on behalf of the Mosher Fund Publications Working Group.
News
Peacemaker Awards
Veterans for Peace and the Binghamton Community Friends Meeting (Quaker) presented $350 Stu Naismith Peacemaker awards to four graduating high school seniors, two at Chenango Valley and two at Chenango Forks High Schools. Kelly Smith, Kelly Thompson, Alexander McRoberts and Kate Flynn received the awards, given annually in memory of Stu Naismith (1927-2011), who served in the Navy in World War II, taught in both school districts, and was a founder of the local chapter of Veterans for Peace. Tge students earned the awards by working for peace in everyday life, preparing for further education, and writing an essay on peacemaking.
New Peace Working Group Listserv!
The NYYM Peace Working Group invites Friends to join our new listserv! Its purpose is to share information among the NYYM community about potential peace witness, and to prompt discernment about peace witness that the working group might recommend the yearly meeting support as a body.
To join, visit this page: groups.google.com/forum/#!aboutgroup/nyym-peace-working-group and ask to be added as a member of the group.
World Quaker Day is October 7, 2018
Join the Quaker family around the world in worship and celebration for World Quaker Day, now in its 5th year. The theme is Crossing Cultures, Sharing Stories, celebrating the diversity of expression within our shared experience of worship. See www.worldquakerday.org for more info, ideas, and resources.
Notices
New Members
Suzanne Beaumont—Saranac Lake
Kevin John Buckley—Manasquan
Linda Griggs—Ithaca
Henry Hoffman—Purchase
Mareike Larsen—Farmington
Jill Marie—Ithaca
Michael Roberts—Montclair
Transfers
Phyllis Rantanen Bunker, to Poplar Ridge from Guatemala Friends Meeting.
Thomas Houghton, to Cornwall from Woodstown (PYM).
Elisa Stewart, to Poplar Ridge from Palm Beach Monthly Meeting
Deaths
Edna Aldrich, member of Farmington, on May 16, 2018
Joan Maude Beers, member of Rockland, on July 15, 2018
Anne Clyde Birdsall, member of Rahway-Plainfield, on April 11, 2018
Irene Neye Butler Briggs, member of Easton, on June 30, 2017
Shirley Collin, member of Adirondack, on November 2, 2017
Ruth DeVol, member of Adirondack, on June 2, 2018
Jean Dixon, member of Adirondack, on June 25, 2018
Lorraine Fezer, member of Ithaca, on August 10, 2018
Ella Gelling, member of Rahway-Plainfield, on October 6, 2017
Naomi Paz Greenberg, member of Flushing, on August 7, 2018.
Betty Hoffis, member of Adirondack, on April 10, 2018
F. Raymond Jenkins, member of Saranac Lake, on January 10, 2018
Mary Victoria Jenkins, member of Saranac Lake, on August 16, 2017
Joyce Kerr, member of Collins, on July 9, 2018
Susan Roberts, member of Old Chatham, on May 30, 2018
Margaret Smith, member of Albany, on July 11, 2018
Donald Van Blake, member of Rahway-Plainfield, on June 5, 2018
Richard Voigt, member of Rockland, on July 4, 2018