abington aq newsletter - quaker.orgquaker.org/legacy/abington/aqm/nwsltr0915.pdf · september 2015...
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QUARTER
ABINGTON AQ NEWSLETTER
www.abingtonquarter.org
Religious Society of Friends
September 2015
Reflections on Business at Abington Quarter’s Picnic 8/9/2015
After early morning fellowship and a season of worship, Karen Shanoski (Norrisown) reported
that PYM was having a workshop on child safety procedures to comply with the new state laws. Karen agreed to do research and be prepared for the Quarter’s Junior Friends Conference by at-tending the PYM’s workshop, and then to report back at this meeting with her findings. She passed out the summary of the workshop and PYM’s Handbook for Monthly Meetings on devel-oping a Child Abuse Prevention Policy.
She described how the new guidelines worked in preparation and practice at JFC. Each of us is called to report any signs of suspected abuse to the state. This may call for specific training. She also highlighted the probable need for a pastoral aspect to consider how we can care for the ac-cused and the presumed victim. We need to have the Quarter as a whole consider how to imple-ment the guidelines at our Quarterly Meeting activities. Karen volunteered to be the contact for members of the Quarter who would like to join the process. She will report back at our next meet-ing for business. Karen Gallagher of Norristown volunteered to work on this group. Others who would like to participate should contact Karen at [email protected] Monthly meetings need to look at how the requirements in the law and make appropriate changes.
Tom Rie (Gwynedd) reported that some of the Abington Quarterly Meeting Fund grant to the Jun-ior Friends Conference was used to obtain securing clearances for staff, a usage that was not spec-ified in the grant request. The meeting approved this use of a portion of the funds.
Reports from Yearly Meeting sessions: Tom Rie (Gwynedd) noted that standing committees are being laid down. Concerns and proposals are to be taken to the Administrative Council and the Quaker Life Council that replace Interim Meeting. Subgroups may be appointed by those councils. He reported that in the new Yearly Meeting structure, each Quarter has one representative to the PYM Nominating Committee; he is our representative. There will be seven at large members. Other Abington Quarter members, Tom Peterson (Richland/Unami) and Joyce Moore (Unami) are mem-bers of the Administrative Council. Monthly meetings no longer have the communications afforded by Interim Meeting; he suggests thread gatherings and possibly the Connect feature on the PYM website as alternatives. Christie Duncan Tessmer, General Secretary, asks that 25% of each meet-ing’s members attend Continuing Sessions — the next is on 11/7 at Westtown School.
A Friend reminded us that, even in our conduct of business, our grounding should be in worship, and that business arises through worship.
At the end of business, those present joined the Pottstown Worship Group for worship.
Although not many children were present at the picnic this year, the adults seemed to enjoy food and fellowship.
Minutes from our sessions will be gathered and sent out to those in attendance soon after the session so that
comments on substance may be forwarded back to the Clerk and Recorders for inclusion in a draft to be presented
at the next session for approval by the body.
AQ NEWSLETTER September 2015 www.abingtonquarter.org Page 2
Christine Greenland, AQM newsletter editor: [email protected]; 215-322-4105
— Coming Events in Abington Quarter —
News from around Abington Quarter
COMING SOON
Quarterly Meeting at Norristown
10/4/2015
Agenda
AQM Trustees and Treasurer's Reports - semi annual AQM Home & Care Report - semi annual report Abington MM report on Heeding God’s Call display. Worship with Norristown Friends JFC/MSFC Conferences Report - annual report
PA Child Safety Updates - follow-up report, and discussion.
Lunch with Norristown Friends. Bring something to share.
Abington Meeting: Deaths Frederick Bartlett, Jr. d 5/11/2015; Edith Sullivan Silvers, d. 5/13/2015; Carol Wolf,
Ana Maria Garcia & Lucas Wolf Garcia are grieving Carol’s father, Robert, who died 8/12/2015 in Florida. Health concerns: John McCann, Tom Walker, Tom Dwyer, and Dan Turner have had recent health concerns or surgery.
Marriages: Jim Fitzgerald and Kay Sackett 6/13/2015 under the care of Abington Meeting.
Casseroles for the needy, Donations needed for Inter-faith food cupboard.
Byberry Meeting: Helen File is at home and regaining her strength.
Open Meeting
Abington Quarter’s Worship and Ministry Committee
10/17/2015
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Horsham Friends Meeting
Easton Road at Meetinghouse Road, Horsham PA
Because our meetings are most often during week-day business hours, we offer this opportunity for Friends to come together for worship, sharing, and fellowship at an unhurried pace which
characterizes our meetings.
Contact: Christine Greenland [email protected]; 215-322-4105
AQ NEWSLETTER September 2015 www.abingtonquarter.org Page 3
Christine Greenland, AQM newsletter editor: [email protected]; 215-322-4105
United Friends School. 9/19/2015 9:00AM - Noon Estate Planning Workshop (1018 W Broad Street, Quakertown, PA). As a service to Friends, there is no fee for this workshop or accompanying materials. Co-sponsored by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and is being offered by the Stewardship Services Program of Friends General Conference in partnership with Everence Financial Advisors. Provides good overview of the financial considerations involved in the financial and estate planning process: how best to use various annuities, trusts and other vehicles to help reduce your tax exposure and maximize your gifts to family and charity, and how to create a plan that reflects your values and supports the causes you believe in as well as life insurance and long-term care insurance, as well as wills and advance directives. Light bever-ages and snacks to be provided. For childcare, please contact Natalie Marasco at 215.538.1733 or [email protected] . 9/26/2015 Abington MM, with Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence, an interfaith group dedicated to eliminating illegal guns, and consequently gun violence, from our streets, will install the first Memorial to the Lost in Montgomery County. Fifty tee-shirts with names, ages, and death dates (all caused by firearms) will be placed at the corner of Jenkintown and Meetinghouse Roads by members and attenders of Abington Monthly Meeting as well as by members of neighboring religious institutions. Later that day, we will have a special Quaker Meeting for Worship to remember those whom we memorialize and all of those who have been killed by illegal guns during the past five years. More specific details will be shared on our website during the week of September 20. The memorial will be open to the public for approxi-mately 3 weeks, and we hope that Friends will visit. www.abingtonmeeting.org 9/27/2015 Plymouth MM 9.27/2015 after Friendly Fourth. The Worship & Ministry Committee of Plym-outh Monthly Meeting invites you to attend an important presentation about a topic of global and local concern. Modern Slavery in the form of Human Trafficking is an affront to Quaker Testimonies and hu-man dignity. Through violence and threats of violence to their families, vulnerable people, some as young as 14, are enslaved throughout the world, and here in the United States as well. In the southeast-ern Pennsylvania region they are most commonly found in the agriculture/food processing industry and the forced sex trade. Join us as we come together to learn about the depth and scope of this problem right here in our own society, from Margaret Anderson of Richland Friends Meeting. She will share information about ways in we can act to raise awareness and support local, state, and national policy to curb this illegal activity in our midst. BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER, CHILDREN UNDER 12 ARE DISCOURAGED FROM ATTENDING. Childcare will be provided in another room or outside, weather permitting, if you need to bring younger children. Teenagers and adolescents may be able to gain important insights and information from the presentation, and may have questions and ideas to share with all of us. In order to plan for hospitality, a short reply to this email would help us to know if you plan to attend or not. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at: [email protected], or call: 215-542-8738. 10/11/2015 Richland MM; This year’s CROP walk will be held on Sunday, The purpose of this walk is to raise awareness of the problems associated with hunger in our society and to raise money to help support the work of our local food pantries. A full 25% of the proceeds from the Quakertown CROP walk go di-rectly to the Quakertown Food Pantry, so this event directly aids those in our own neighborhood who are in need of assistance providing food for themselves and their families. 10/25/2015. Joint Meeting of United Friends school and Supporting Meetings at United Friends School 9:30 - 10:30 am: Marietta and Randy Quinby (Unami) will talk about the organization with which they volunteer and their most recent trip with them to Cuba. 10:30-11:30 Worship. Potluck will follow.
— Coming Events within Abington Quarter —
Meetings in Abington Quarter Meeting
Addresses, web URLs
Abington MM: 520 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046;
http://www.abingtonmeeting.org/
Byberry MM: 3001 Byberry/Southampton Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154
Gwynedd MM: 1101 DeKalb Pike, Gwynedd, PA 19454. www.gwyneddmeeting.org/
Foulkeways WG: Foulkeways at Gwynedd 1120 Meetinghouse Road, Gwynedd PA
Pottstown WG: 2488 Sanatoga Road, Pottstown PA 19464 Horsham MM: 611 and Meetinghouse Road, Horsham PA 19044
Norristown MM: 20 E Jacoby Street (at Swede Street), Norristown PA 19401
Upper Providence Meetinghouse 807 Black Rock Rd Oaks PA 19426
www.quakercloud.org/cloud/norristown-friends-meeting
Plymouth MM: E Germantown and Butler Pikes, Plymouth Meeting PA
Richland MM: S. Main St. & Mill Road (just off Rt. 309), Quakertown, PA 18951; www.richlandquakers.org
Upper Dublin MM: 1506 Fort Washington Avenue Maple Glen PA 19002 Unami MM: 100 E Fifth Street, Pennsburg PA 18073
—Weekly events in Abington Quarter —
Sundays:
Abington MM: Sundays at 7 will resume in 10/2015.
Tuesdays:
Gwynedd MM: Meditation 7:30-8:30 p.m. Contact: Bart Sacks, [email protected] and Beth Roberts [email protected] for questions.
Wednesdays:
Abington MM: Mid-week worship 7:00 p.m. Short Stable. Contact: Mara Wai [email protected]
Plymouth MM: Mid-week worship 7:00 p.m. Contact: Dave Miller [email protected] or Christine Greenland 215-322-4105 [email protected]
Richland MM: Historical Conversations with Jack Schick. 6:00 p.m.
“Light Group” 7:00 p.m. Explore a type of meditation used by early Quakers to “find the Truth in the Light”, centering. Contact: Susan Abbott, [email protected], 610-346-1937 OR Jack Schick, [email protected]. Please be prompt!
Thursdays: Gwynedd MM: 10/1 – 11/19/2015; 6:00 – 7:00 PM Gentle Hatha yoga. Cost: $4.00 Per Class. Contact:
Uma [email protected] for questions.
The complete descriptions for the Gathering Garden Center for Spiritual Life at Gwynedd Meeting are listed on the following page.
AQ NEWSLETTER September 2015 www.abingtonquarter.org Page 4
AQ NEWSLETTER September 2015 www.abingtonquarter.org Page 5
Christine Greenland, AQM newsletter editor: [email protected]; 215-322-4105
GATHERING GARDEN CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE GWYNEDD FRIENDS MEETING located at the corner of Route 202 & SUMNEYTOWN PIKE
1101 DEKALB PIKE, GWYNEDD, PA 19436 www.gwyneddmeeting.org
FALL and WINTER 2015-2016 PROGRAM
GATHERING GARDEN PROGRAMS: Who we are: We are a group of individuals committed to making many different avenues of spiritual exploration and growth available in an interfaith atmosphere. We welcome everyone. Our pro-grams are intended for the general public.
SMALL GROUP SPIRITUAL NURTURE: THIRD THURSDAYS October 15, 2015 – May 19, 2016 7:15 – 9:00 PM
4-5 people gather in a small group on a monthly basis to assist one another in an ongoing awareness of God in all of life. Location: Library and 2nd Floor Counseling Room Cost $30
Contact: Connie Lezenby 267-664-3721 or [email protected] for questions and registration.
MEETING FOR WORSHIP FOR HEALING: MONDAY SEPT. 21, 2015 7-8 PM
In the Meeting for Worship with Attention to Healing we make ourselves available to the healing power of the Spirit, to be used on behalf of ourselves or of those whom we wish to hold in the Light for healing of mind, body, or spirit.
Location: Community Room Cost: Free.
Contact: Anne Hill [email protected] for questions. No registration needed.
SILENT RETREAT: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2015 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM Location: Gwynedd Friends Meeting and grounds Cost: $10
Contact: Connie Lezenby 267-664-3721 or [email protected] for questions and registration.
MEDITATION GROUP: EVERY TUESDAY 7:30 – 8:30 PM MEDITATION 8:30 - 9:00 PM SHARING
Location: Library Cost: Free
Contact: Bart Sacks, [email protected] and Beth Roberts [email protected] No registration needed, but if this is your first time attending please call a coordinator before coming.
YOGA CLASSES: THURSDAYS OCT. 1 – NOVEMBER 19, 6:00 – 7:00 PM Location: Community Room
Cost: $4.00 Per Class. Contact: Uma [email protected] for questions.
SPIRITUAL BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP: SECOND MONDAYS 1:30 to 3PM
For our first session, October 12, 2015 we will read Untethered Soul : the Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Sing-er (available at the public library). We will make future selections at the meeting.
Location: Gwynedd Library Cost: free
Contacts: Carol Ritting, [email protected] and Jane Berger, [email protected]
THE GROUND WHERE YOU STAND IS HOLY: THURSDAYS: OCT. 8, 2015 JAN. 14 2016, AND APRIL 14 2016 7:00 – 8:30 PM SUNDAYS OCT. 11, JAN. 17, AND APRIL 17 2:00 – 3:30 PM
What places in our lives now that provide refuge, challenge, or a sense of sacred space?
Evening sessions will include include worship, scripture readings, prayer and perhaps liturgy. Sunday afternoon “rambles” may include walking outdoors, sitting by a stream or exploration as a meditative practice.
Location: Library Cost: $10
Contact: Christine Greenland [email protected]
AQ NEWSLETTER September 2015 www.abingtonquarter.org Page 6
—Events beyond Abington Quarter —
Friday-Sunday 9/18-20/2015 Young Friends Gathering at Bucks County Peace Fair, Buckingham Meet-
ing. Near Lahaska.
Friday-Sunday, 9/18/2015 - 6:00pm to 9/20/2015 - 2:00pm Upper Susquehanna Quarter Fall Family Gathering at Crystal Lake… https://www.fgcquaker.org/cloud/upper-susquehanna-quarterly-meeting/events/2015-fall-family-gathering
Friday-Sunday 9/18/2015 8:45-9:30 p.m. Ambler Church of the Brethren Candlelight Peace Vigil. 351 Butler Ave., Ambler PA. [email protected]
Saturday 9/19/2015 4:30-8:30 Quaker Parent Meet-up. Wilmington Friends Monthly Meeting 401 N West St, Wilmington, DE 1980 http://www.pym.org/calendar/events/quaker-parent-meet-up-2015/
Saturday 9/19-20/2015 Middle School Friends sleepover, Wilmington Friends Meeting. http://www.pym.org/calendar/events/youth-parents-potluck-and-msf-sleepover-at-wilmington-monthly-meeting/
Sunday 9/20/2015 3:00 p.m. Peace Picnic Awbury Arboretum. Guest speaker Bob Smith from the Bran-dywine Peace Community will share about the proposed Drone Command Center in Horsham and the grow-ing movement to resist it.
Tuesday, 9/23/2014 6:30 p.m. Friends Economic Integrity Project. PYM conference room. Change from 1st Tuesday to 4th Tuesday. http://www.pym.org/calendar/events/friends-economic-integrity-project-open-discussion-support-group/
10/2-10/4/2015 Young Adult Friend’s Fall Retreat Dream Big! Make It Happen. Newtown Friends Meet-ing. http://www.pym.org/calendar/events/young-adult-friend-fall-retreat-2015/
Sunday, 10/5/2014 World Quaker Day, Celebrating the world-wide family of Friends in all their diversity. http://www.worldquakerday.org/ Whereever you are, remember to worship among Friends!
Sunday 10/18/2015 Friendly 800s. Friendly Eights with a twist. Potluck dinner with other Friends in the yearly meeting next town or in central PA… watch for registration in September.www.pym.org/friendly-800s
Friday (5:30 p.m.) Sunday (12 noon )10/24-262014 Middle School Friends Fall Gathering. The George School, Newtown PA; $60. http://www.pym.org/calendar/events/october-middle-school-friends-gathering-quakers-the-early-days/
Friday (5:30 p.m.) Sunday (12 noon )10/31-11/2/2014 Young Friends Fall Gathering. Yardley Meeting $60. http://www.pym.org/calendar/events/young-friends-fall-gathering-2/
Tuesday, 10/28/2014 6:30 p.m. Friends Economic Integrity Project. PYM conference room. http://
www.pym.org/calendar/events/friends-economic-integrity-project-open-discussion-support-group/
11/7/2015 Advanced notice: Continuing Yearly Meeting Sessions. Westtown School. www.pym.org.
Opportunities for service in AQM!
Newsletter: Send in events at your meeting. Newsletters (e-format preferred). This months editors in-
cluded Amelia Diamond, and Michael Lapreziosa (Gwynedd). If you want to join the fun, please contact:
Christine Greenland 215-322-4105; [email protected].
NEXT NEWSLETTER will be produced in late November 2015. Please get information to me by 11/1/2015
if possible. I may be at conferences throughout November.
AQ Website: Help keep the AQ Website up to date! Contact: Dan Turner, Abington Quarter Webmaster,
[email protected] or 215-884-5127, with coming events. He can also assist with getting your events
onto the PYM community calendar.
Christine Greenland, AQM newsletter editor: [email protected]; 215-322-4105
Pendle Hill programs
See http://www.pendlehill.org/learn/workshops-courses-events
for more details, costs and on-line registration
Friday-Sunday, 9/18-20/2015 Lives of Service. Lloyd Guindon and Bob Denison. Join the Pendle Hill
maintenance team in service in and to community.
Saturday , 9/19 and 12/12/2015 Creative Worship and Work Days. Jesse White. These days include creative worship in the morning and service in the art studio in the afternoon. Come for one experience
or both!
10/3, 10, and 17, 2015 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Art for Spiritual Discovery Jesse White. Explore the connec-
tions between art and the Spirit Commuter pricing is $130, payable by September 25th.
10/3, 10, 17, and 12/5/2015 , from 1:30-5:30pm. Open Studio Jesse White. sessions will be offered
on $20 for each session, payable at the door.
10/5/2015 7:30-9:00 p.m. Monday night Lecture: A Great People to Be Scattered: the Life and Times
of Pendle Hill. Douglas Gwyn.
10/23/2015-10/25/2015 The Seeds of the True Self, Facilitated by Valerie Brown and Carol Kortsch, this is the first of four weekends in the Journey Toward Wholeness: A Courage & Renewal® Retreat Series
(others will be in 2/2016, 4/2016, and 7/2016.
11/2/2015 Monday night Lecture 7:30-9:00 p.m. The Witness of God in Everyone: toward an inclu-
sive, contemporary Quaker theologizing. Jeff Dudiak.
11/7 and 21/2015 Breaking Through: Quieting the Critic and Greeting the Artist. Jesse White. Ready for creative risk-taking as a means of personal and spiritual growth? Commuter pricing is $160, payable by 10/30.
11/20-22/ 2015 Clerking: Serving the Community with Joy and Confidence A weekend workshop with Arthur Larrabee/ This is an opportunity for both new and experienced clerks of Friends meetings and
committees to meet and think together.
11/ 27-29/ 2015 Waiting on the Spirit Advent Retreat with Deborah Shaw and John Meyer. The season
of Advent invites us to slow down and enter a period of expectant waiting.
AQ NEWSLETTER September 2015 www.abingtonquarter.org Page 7
10/30-11/01/2015 Inquirer’s Weekend: An Introduction to Quaker Faith and Practice. A weekend with Emma Lapsansky-Werner and Chris Mohr. Interested in Quaker peculiarities and history? New to your meeting? Do you want a review of why we do things the way we do things? Emma is emerita profes-sor of history at Haverford College; Chris serves as executive director of Friends Center. Both Friends have much experience, are kind and knowledgable. $385/shared room; $480/private room; $270/
commuter
11/1-5/2015 Beyond Diversity 101 with Niyonu Spann and Lisa Graustein, and bodyworkers Amanda Godwin and Kevin Greene. Beyond Diversity 101 intends the healing transformation of personal relation-ships, 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 re-sponsibility, shift mindsets, and build useful skills. $990/shared room; $1100/private room; $725/
commuter.
Christine Greenland, AQM newsletter editor: [email protected]; 215-322-4105
QUARTER
ABINGTON
TO:
Christine Greenland, editor PO Box 3072 Warminster, PA 18974 [email protected]
Whenever you meet genuine spiritual teachers, be gentle and polite and fair with them. Ask them questions, and be eager for answers. Never condescend. If a master tanner wears an old, threadbare smock, that doesn't diminish his mastery. … Wait for the illuminating openness, as though your chest were filling with Light, as when God said, Did we not expand you? (Qur'an, XCIV,1)
From A Basket of Fresh Bread, Rumi 1051-1094 C.E.
NEWSLETTER 10:30-11:30 AM
Horsham MM
Richland MM
11:15 AM-12:15 PM
Abington MM
Plymouth MM
11AM-12 PM
Byberry MM
Foulkeways WG
Pottstown WG (2nd, 4th weeks only)
Unami MM
9:30 -10:30 AM
Gwynedd MM
10:00-11:00 AM
Norristown MM
Upper Dublin MM
Abington Quarter
Sunday Worship