Friends General Conference

Together we nurture the spiritual vitality of Friends

Program for June 25th: State of the Meeting Discussion

On June 25th, the program after Meeting for Worship will be a discussion of the State of the Meeting--in preparation for the writing of the annual State of the Meeting Report for Iowa Yearly Meeting Conservative.  The conversation will be faclitated by Princess Nelson.

In preparation, Friends are encouraged to consider Deb Dakin's (IYMC Clerk) description of what is sought in the State of the Meeting Report given below:

"The simplicity, honesty, and transparency of our State of the Meeting reports is a shared treasured  among us, and vital towards strengthening our community. Likewise, the process of preparing these reports can be a deeply enriching experience for your monthly meeting. Reading the State of the Meeting reports is a very tender time during our annual sessions. The clerk offers the following guidelines that have been handed down to us  to help in preparing this report:

The State of the Meeting Report reflects on the spiritual life of your monthly meeting.... The State of the Meeting reports are not so much a listing of all the activities of your meeting, but rather the spiritual state of the meeting, and how the Truth is prospering among you. Reports might include such things as:

  • the strengths of the meeting;
  • the concerns of the meeting around its own spiritual health;
  • a statement about nature and quality of meetings for worship (the quality of the Silence, the vocal ministry, if members feel fed by the worship);
  • a statement about the business meetings, if they are well attended,
  • any special decisions made with which the meeting labored that the meeting feels led to hold up to the Yearly Meeting;
  • a reflection on what is most needed to deepen the spiritual life of the meeting and strengthen witness to its members and the wider world;
  • possibly suggestions as to how the Yearly Meeting could better serve the monthly meetings.

The length of the reports should be about one type-written page."

Sunday, June 25, 2017 - 11:30am to 12:30pm
Public ContentAnyone can view this post

Share