August Query

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these if charity.
--1 Corinthians, 13:13

Are we charitable with each other? How careful are we of the reputation of others? Do we avoid hurtful criticism and gossip? Do we practice the art of listening to one another, even beyond words? How well are we able to love each other unconditionally? Are we sensitive to each others' personal needs and difficulties and do we assist in useful ways?

With thanks to the Ann Arbor Monthly Meeting.

Behold, I do not give lectures or a little charity, When I give I give myself. --Walt Whitman

August Announcements

On the Calendar:

• August 6: (Note date & time change) Book discussion: Comparing North Pacific Faith & Practice with the Philadelphia YM Faith and Practice, 6:30 p.m., Sarah Cox's house. Contact Scot Miller for additional info.
• August 7: Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting invites you to a gathering of Friends for worship followed by a pot luck on Sunday August 7 at 11:00 a.m. at Quaker Park in Battle Creek. This annual gathering is for worship focusing on prayers for peace in memory of Hiroshima Day. Attenders are asked to bring a chair as well as dish to pass and a place setting. Quaker Park is located between Fremont Street and Groveland Street in Battle Creek.
• August 28: 9:00 a.m., Browne Center. Advancement Committee; Ministry and Nurture Committee.

News and Notes:

• Contact Roberta Rossi if you'd like to be included in her annual September "dig and dispersal" of flowers (purple & violet iris this year).
• We are set to stay in the Browne Center. But a committee was appointed to survey the membership about meeting space - look for the survey in August.
  
  

Other Friends Meetings in Our Area:

• Manitou Worship Group: For information, please contact Robert Foulkes at 231-326-3637 or Doris Loll at 231-882-7062.
• Fremont Worship Group For information, please contact Jo Hoersten at 231-924-8095.
• Holland Friends Meeting

Request from Mark Hepper

Congregational Partnership Program (CPP)

An average of 600 individuals and families become homeless each month in Kent County. This is one of the most emotionally devastating events that can happen to a human being.

CPP is a faith based initiative to assist in ending homelessness. This means moving people from shelters to their own housing, making shelters a short term solution not long term as is the case currently in many situations. CPP asks for a $3500.00 donation (or best effort), two volunteers, and overall commitment from members of participating churchs. The money provides housing assistance. The client is expected to support themselves after the conclusion of the six month program.

Partnering a homeless client with a volunteer has a much higher success rate than just monetary support. The type of assistance received from the volunteer includes :

-Peer support (i.e. providing a listening ear and resource sharing)
-Transportation (i.e. doctor’s appointments, getting groceries, other appointments)
-Employment assistance (i.e. completing job applications, interviewing techniques, resume development)
-Education (i.e. help children with homework and reading to small children). GED assistance
-Household activities (i.e. home organization, time management, assisting with furniture/appliance needs)
-Having fun! Celebrating life events; holidays, birthdays, employment anniversaries.
-Other support requested by client

I (Mark Hepper) have already volunteered for the program and I am working with a young lady with four young children. I am requesting financial assistance from our meeting in the form of fund raising, special offerings, and any other ideas to raise money. I also ask for volunteers to occasionally help with some of the above listed areas for assistance.

July Announcements

On the Calendar:

• July 10: Meeting for worship with attention to business. Begins about 11:45 a.m.
• July 11: Annual commemoration of the victims of genocide in Srebrenica. 6:00 p.m. 6th St. Bridge Park, Grand Rapids. All are welcome.
• July 21: Middle Eastern Dinner. Meza (appetizers) at 5:00 p.m.; dinner at 6:00 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church, 1100 Lake Drive SE, Grand Rapids. Fundraiser dinner and silent auction for Cathi Deyo’s trip to the West Bank in September. Suggested donation is $25 for adults, $15 for youths 12 and under. RSVP 616-805-2442 or olivesforhope@gmail.com. More details are available at http://www.olivesforhope.com/servicetrip2011.htm.
• July 24: Advancement committee meets. 9:00 a.m. Ministry and nurture committee meets. 9:00 a.m.
• July 28-31: Lake Erie Yearly Meeting Annual Meeting. Bluffton University, Bluffton Indiana. The theme is “Mindful Consumption as a Spiritual Practice.” Plenary address by Sally Weaver Summer, “On Being Called to Lesser Things.” Details available on the LEYM website, http://leym.quaker.org/News/bulletins_files/LEYM-48-3-4.pdf.
• July 31: Potluck after worship to give a sendoff to Judi and others who are participating in the Peace Walk to Lansing. All will be invited, after the meal, to walk approximately 7 miles with Judi as she goes on to Ada to join the main march, which will begin on Monday the 1st.
• August 6: Gathering to discuss various Faith & Practice guidelines, 7:00-9:00, Sarah Cox's house. Contact Scot Miller for additional info.
  
• August 7: Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting invites you to a gathering of Friends for worship followed by a pot luck on Sunday August 7 at 11:00 a.m. at Quaker Park in Battle Creek. This annual gathering is for worship focusing on prayers for peace in memory of Hiroshima Day. Attenders are asked to bring a chair as well as dish to pass and a place setting. Quaker Park is located between Fremont Street and Groveland Street in Battle Creek.
  

Other Friends Meetings in Our Area:

• Manitou Worship Group: For information, please contact Robert Foulkes at 231-326-3637 or Doris Loll at 231-882-7062.
• Fremont Worship Group For information, please contact Jo Hoersten at 231-924-8095.
• Holland Friends Meeting

News and Notes:

• The Sewing Circle will meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month (note the change), at 7:00 p.m. The location is still Roberta Rossi’s house. Bring sewing, or something to share. CDs are welcome!
• LEYM is seeking nominees for 3 committees: contact Mark Post for more info.
  

July Queries

QUERIES FOR JULY: SIMPLICITY

Life is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine Center . . . a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It takes no time, but occupies all our time. --Thomas Kelly, A Testament of Devotion.

A life centered in God will be directed toward keeping communication with God open and unencumbered. Simplicity is best achieved through a right ordering of priorities, maintaining humility of spirit, avoiding self-indulgence, resisting the accumulation of unnecessary possessions, and avoiding over-busy lives.

Simplicity, beauty, and happiness go together if they are a by-product of a concern for something more important than our selves.
--Elise Boulding, My Part in the Quaker Adventure

Do I center my life in an awareness of God's presence so that all things take their rightful place? Do I live simply and promote right sharing of the world’s bounty? Do I keep my life uncluttered with things and activities, avoiding commitments beyond my strength and light? How do I maintain simplicity, moderation, and honesty in my speech, my manner of living, and my daily work? Do I recognize when I have enough? Is the life of the Meeting so organized that it helps us to simplify our lives? 


With thanks to the Reno (Nevada) Monthly Meeting.