The Work of the Meeting

             “Why do we come together on Sunday and other times?” For many of us, it is about nurturing the fruits of the spirit, described in Galatians 5:22-3 (NIV) as love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  

            And then there is how to nurture it, in the company of others, which is where it shows up, or doesn’t. We can draw on York Friends Meeting’s vision of being a welcoming community; “Grounded in God; Growing in Gratitude; and Guided by the Light.” The vision can be applied to the Meeting’s decisions and way of being, and it can also be applied to our individual choices as we struggle with what it means to  grow and ripen the fruits of the spirit.

             Friends at York Meeting seek to create  a community of faith with a desire to honor our Quaker heritage; to sustain the divine as our spiritual center; to renew our faithfulness and grow in depth and breadth; to welcome and nurture adults, children, youth and families of diverse backgrounds; and to reach beyond ourselves to co-create a more just, peaceful and sustainable local and global community.

            Without a minister and other paid staff, how does the work of an unprogrammed Quaker Meeting get done?  Just as we are all ministers, we are all responsible for caring for the community and the place.  The clerk and recording clerk are more visible, with  the clerk being the voice of the meeting to the world as well as verbally capturing the sense of the meeting during Monthly  Meeting.  However, there are a multitude of ministers in our meeting, each following their leading to create the environment and experience we value so much.  The short answer for how York Friends Meeting’s work gets done is all the volunteers for nine committees and seven officers. But it is far richer in Quaker process than that.

            Building and Grounds seems pretty straightforward—care for the building and grounds, maintenance, clean up, native plant and community garden management.  But some of its activities, like the native plant project, the community gardens, and motion detector lights, have risen from concerns inspired by our testimonies to care for the earth and each other, and require ongoing attention just as our lives do.

            Community Life might be called Ministry and Oversight in other meetings. They have been intentional in choosing that name because they see their charge as focusing on what underlies the spiritual life of the meeting. The committee meets at least monthly with attention to:

• Nurture and pastoral care of Meeting members and attenders

• Ministry in worship and business

• Memorial and Marriage Meetings for Worship

Please bring to our attention:

• Concerns about worship, business, or challenging situations

• Friends celebrating milestones

• Requests for Clearness Committees for membership or marriage 

• Requests for Clearness or Support Committees for other concerns/leadings

• Anyone ill, grieving, hurting from loss

• You or someone else who would appreciate a visit

            Education about the Quaker Way is important to most of us who come from other faith traditions and want to learn more about what we signed up for.  The Adult Religious Education Committee aspires to foster spiritual unity and community of York Meeting, and its adult seekers, attenders, and members by deepening and strengthening their understanding of the faith and practices of the Religious Society of Friends. The committee coordinates and facilitates curriculum planning, resource information, program preparation and presentation.  Current activities of the committee include:  First Day First Hour (9:30am), Spiritual Formation group, Seekers Meeting, annual retreat, workshops, and other learning experiences as occasioned.

            We want to enrich the lives of the children who join us, so First Day School Committee members spend the first 45 minutes of Meeting for Worship with them in age appropriate instruction and activities that revolve around living our testimonies of simplicity, integrity, equality, community, peace, and stewardship.

            Stewardship and Finance makes recommendations on managing our resources, financial and otherwise, creates the annual budget, and researches suggested beneficiaries of the money we wish to donate to further Quaker values.

            Peace and Social Concerns watches for issues, local, state, national or international, that could use our input or participation, and brings them to our attention, sometimes in the form of a letter to elected officials, or a donation, or as a volunteer opportunity.

            Communication and Outreach is everyone’s responsibility as we go about our daily lives, letting our lives speak as we communicate with each other in the meeting and in the larger community.  However, there are some formal communication tools that are the responsibility of this committee:  the website, Facebook page, weekly electronic announcements, and monthly newsletter.

            Library Committee minds our collection of books on the bookcase and pamphlets in the cabinet under the window, the section closest to the bookcase.

            Nominating Committee meets to choose officers when needed.  In some meetings, they also recommend members to committees.  At York Meeting, committees currently invite interested people to join them.