News

by Bruce Birchard With a strong sense of God’s leading, FGC’s Central Committee, during its annual sessions in October, approved a proposal to initiate a new “Traveling Ministries Program.” Recognizing the many needs and opportunities within the 600-some meetings and worship groups we serve, this program will rely heavily upon skilled volunteers who can travel…

by Patricia McBee In the early 1990’s Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting had several requests from members to “release” them or to take specific work “under the care” of the meeting. It became clear we had no consistent process for dealing with these requests and no clear way of discerning the meeting’s proper response. In January…

by Bruce Birchard For years, Friends have been asking FGC to send more visitors who can assist yearly and monthly meetings with various needs. Now, an exciting new FGC program proposal is being developed to support such a travelling ministry. One of a number of proposals emerging from FGC’s Discernment in Long Term Planning process…

by Liz Yeats Within any meeting, there will be found some with special gifts. These will include those with a gift in the vocal ministry (ministers), those especially qualified to guide and counsel others (elders) and those whose insights and judgments can contribute significantly to the life and growth of the meeting (overseers).” This quote,…

by Allen Oliver and Liz Yeats Over the last two years a travelling ministry of nurture and reconciliation has helped to deepen the spiritual lives of Friends in Illinois Yearly Meeting. This ministry grew out of the expressed needs of monthly meetings in IYM and the leading to travel in the ministry of a Friend…

by Marty Grundy Friends in Cleveland Meeting are learning how to nurture ministry by beginning to recognize it when we see it happening among us. In the last few years, some Friends have begun to notice God-given gifts in themselves. With this awareness has come great joy but also the heavy responsibility of using these…

From the Milwaukee Friends Meeting’s newsletter comes the following lighter but instructive sign of hope: Dear Ms. Mindful: I have a strange and embarrassing question about what makes a “gathered meeting.” You are the only one I dare turn to. My question is this: if my stomach grumbles during meeting for worship, and then the…

in Downers Grove Friends Meeting, Illinois Donna Bisset, Clerk, writes: in Beacon Hill Meeting, Massachusetts, Margaret Carpenter writes: Recognizing the centrality of the meeting for worship in the individual and corporate lives of Friends and attenders, our Ministry and Worship Committee wanted to increase its quality and strength by encouraging more vocal ministry, prompt arrival…

The title Worship in Song was revealed to the Hymnal Oversight Committee as it considered the purpose of this hymnal. For many Friends, music is an important component of individual and corporate worship. Here are some suggestions to make Worship in Song a valuable part of your spiritual life: We hope that Friends will find many opportunities for deepening…

In the context of worship and after a two year discernment process, FGC’s Central Committee (our “board of directors”) adopted the following “Minute of Purpose” and four major goals at its October, 1995, meeting. Minute of Purpose Friends General Conference is a Quaker organization in the unprogrammed tradition of the Religious Society of Friends which…

by Bruce Birchard Thousands of people are attending and joining unprogrammed Quaker meetings across North America, fueling growth in the number of meetings and worship groups. In 1956 the Friends World Committee for Consultation’s Directory listed approximately 400 unprogrammed meetings in North America (not including Conservative Friends’ meetings.) By 1996 that number had almost doubled…

by Vanesa Julye I have been a member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (CPMM) for three years. When I walked into the Race Street Meetinghouse after a 15 year absence from Quaker worship, I felt as if I were returning home. I was warmly received and immediately comfortable. I chose to serve on the First…