A Focus on Gathering
I returned to work at FGC in the fall of 2022 for a ten-month interim job. By summer, I was clear that I enjoyed the work, and the co-workers, and I agreed to stay for another two years as Associate Secretary for Ministries. In this role, I supervise Gathering staff and other program staff, as well as provide staff support to an Evaluations Working Group for Central Committee. But for the spring, Gathering is my focus.
For the past three weeks, FGC Gathering staff has watched registrations pour in for Rooted in Story at Haverford College, happening June 30-July 6, 2024. With over 800 Friends registered, our excitement has grown daily. We will have the largest Gathering in at least a decade — and it starts in just seven weeks!
Along with our intense joy is also an increase of Friends with questions, Friends needing assistance, and overall things we need to be doing to make sure everything goes according to plan. Working together as a team with some great volunteers makes this possible. Even when we feel overwhelmed, we also feel the anticipation of the opportunities Friends will have to be together and experience some incredible events. Opening worship will lead us to co-create a safe space for all our attenders. Our final evening celebration with Emma’s Revolution will be the icing on the cake. All of the events in between will make for not just be the largest Gathering in years, but perhaps the best.
Even as we are concentrating on the 2024 Gathering, we are also moving forward on plans for the 2025 Virtual Gathering in early February, as well as the 2025 Young Adult and Youth (YAY) Gathering in early July.
And we are already starting the plans for the next in-person Gathering at the University of Vermont in 2026!
I look forward to greeting many of you in July at Rooted in Story! Click below to register.