Grand Rapids Friends Meeting

January announcements

2012-01-21T09:51:00.003-05:00

On the Calendar:

There is a planning meeting today, Saturday January 21, 2:00 p.m., at Georgetown United Methodist on Baldwin to look at the spaces available for the Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting Midwinter Gathering. Please join us!
Jan. 22: Ministry and Nurture committee meets at the Browne Center, 9:00 a.m.

News & Notes:

Mark Your Calendar for the Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting Mid-winter Gathering GRFMM will host the GPQM Mid-winter Gathering on Feb. 24-25 at the Georgetown United Methodist Church in Jenison. The theme for the gathering will be “Small meetings and the task of re-envisioning—how do we transition into the future?” Guest speakers will include Dr. Philip Beasley, Earlham School of Religion, and Laura Norlin, of the Atlanta MM and formerly of GRFMM. Please note that we’ll need volunteers to host visiting Friends, transport travelers from the airport, work with young people, prepare refreshments, etc. Please let Mike Holaday know if you’re available to help in any capacity.

Reminder: the PBS series “God in America” airs on WGVU Channel 35 on Sundays from Jan. 8--Feb. 12, 2012, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. If you’re interested in joining an informal discussion group to discuss this excellent and thought-provoking series, please contact Mike Holaday, who is coordinating activities with the Kaufman Interfaith Institute at GVSU (mikeholaday@att.net, or 616-340-5406).
Come to dinner at the Monthly Interfaith Dinner and Discussion, Dominican Center at Marywood, from 5:30—7:00 p.m. Participants will dine at round tables with persons of various faith traditions and enjoy a presentation on “The Spiritual Disciplines of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving,” followed by a discussion. The cost is $10 per person; pre-registration is required. Contact the Dominica Center at 616-454-1241 (option 5), or http://Dominicancenter.com/programs/.
- Save your canceled stamps and donate them to Right Sharing of World Resources, a Quaker program that supports grassroots projects for economic development in poor countries. It’s simple. Please go to http://www.rswr.org/ and click on Donors, Stamps Program for details.

Meeting today!

2012-01-21T09:48:00.002-05:00

There is a planning meeting today, 2:00 p.m., at Georgetown United Methodist on Baldwin to look at the spaces available for the Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting Midwinter Gathering. Please join us!

December Announcements

2011-12-05T14:53:00.003-05:00

On the Calendar:

Dec. 9: Carol singing at Betty Ford's, 7:00 p.m. Please bring a snack to share & instruments.
Dec. 18: Holiday gathering and potluck, after Meeting for Worship, at the Browne Center.

Ministry & Nurture:

The focus for December is strengthening our community by making contact with Friends during the week, &r eaching out to Friends we may not have seen for awhile. If you are not sure how to reach out, ask one of our clerks, Walt Marston or Scot Miller, or our convener of M&N, Mark Hepper.

News & Notes:

The Kaufman Interfaith Institute at GVSU encourages congregations to view & discuss the PBS series "God in America," which will air on WGVU Channel 35 on First Days from Jan. 8 to Feb. 12, 2012, from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

This kicks off a "Year of Interfaith Understanding" --if anyone is interested in an informal discussion group to discuss this excellent & thought-provoking series, please contact Mike Holaday, who is coordinating activities with the institute.

Do you have ideas for programs in 2012? Judi Buchman, Program Committee convener, would welcome them!
Friends School in Detroit needs help. Please consider a donation: send your check to Headmaster Ed Harris, Friends School in Detroit, 1100 Aubin St., Detroit, MI 48207-2896. For more info, please contact Alicia Harri-Turner at the school.

November Announcements

2011-11-02T17:20:00.005-05:00

On the Calendar:
Dec. 9: Carol singing at Betty Ford's, 7:00 p.m. Please bring a snack to share & instruments.

Nov. 4-5: Relationships & the Church.” Advance registration is requested. To register, or for more details: www.GUMonline.org, or call 616-669-0730.

Nov. 6: Potluck. Earmarked collection for Congregational Partnership Program. Details available at http://www.graceoffice.org/cpp.html.

Nov. 20: Program. AFSC Jail Ministries. Speaker TBD. At the Browne Center, following Meeting for Worship. 11:45 a.m.

Ministry & Nurture:
The focus for Ministry and Nurture for November is building community. For example, when we think a fellow member is suffering, we can reach out by sharing a cup of coffee or even offering to worship in their house. It is important to understand that all of us experience community in different ways. If you are not sure how to reach out, ask one of our clerks, Walt Marston or Scott Miller, or our convener of Ministry and Nurture, Mark Hepper.

News and Notes

You can volunteer at Well House! There are opportunities for micro-loan partners, work parties, & tasks to tighten up Well House for the winter. Please contact Judi Buchman.
The Grand Rapids LGBT History film & related materials are at http://grandrapidslgbthistory.com/
Jenn Seif reports that a small group met at her house on Oct. 23 to begin planning for the Meeting's 50th anniversary year celebration in 2012. The group agreed to make this a homecoming celebration for all current and former members and attenders, with events planned for Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 8-9, 2012, probably at Aquinas College (not necessarily the Browne Center). Planning will need to take a back seat temporarily while the Meeting prepares to host the LEYM Quarterly in February, but there will be lots of opportunity for everyone to get involved. Please contact Jenn Seif if you're interested.
Special (earmarked) donations to GRFMM during November will be directed to the Congregational Partnership Program. Contact Jana Norlin, Mark Post or Mark Hepper for details.
We received word from Merry Standford that Verne Bechill died quietly Oct. 24. A memorial service will be planned at a later time. Merry adds, “We are all very grateful for his life, his love, and his way of being in this world. Please share the news as you are led.”
We received the following note of thanks from Gordon Wiersma, youth leader at Hope Church in Holland: “Dear Friends at the GR Friends Meeting, On behalf of the 8th and 9th graders in my GIFT class (Growing in Faith Together) I wanted to thank you for your welcome and hospitality. It’s lovely that you welcome us to join you for worship, and that is a meaningful experience for our youth—but to do so in the context of your warm and hospitable community makes all the difference. Blessings to all of you in your faithful service to our God. Peace, Gordon.”
Cathi Deyo reports “I am trying to put together a day trip to Galilee on the 30th, but I am having some issues with logistics (not having a car is a definitely a challenge!). This is a “bucket list” kinda thing so I am hoping it works out. The first week of November I will be traveling in the northern West Bank, harvesting olives with the Fair Trade Association – you know that olive oil you love so much! I hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers!”

November Query

2011-11-02T17:17:00.001-05:00

Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm!
(J.G. Whittier, “Brewing of Soma”)

Meeting for worship is the heart of the Religious Society of Friends. Worship is our response to the awareness of God's presence. Go regularly to meeting for worship, including those times when you feel tired, angry, or spiritually low. Bring your joys, hurts, hopes and fears, and your awareness of the needs of other people. Are you unduly troubled by distractions? Can you let them drop away so you might sink into the holy stillness in unity with your fellow worshippers?
Come to meeting with heart and mind prepared. How do you prepare? Are our meetings for worship held in expectant waiting for Divine guidance? Is there a living silence in which we feel drawn together by the power of God in our midst? What has helped you to find the quiet center and to hear the promptings of the Spirit?
Do you attend worship clear of any predetermination to speak or not to speak, and expecting that worship will be a source of strength and guidance? Do not allow a sense of unworthiness or fear of not finding the right words turn you from a true leading to speak. Are you apt to speak too often, too predictably, or too soon after someone else has spoken? Do you receive the spoken ministry of others in a tender and understanding spirit, recognizing that what may not be helpful to one listener may speak to the condition of another? Do you take the time to reach for the deep meaning in the spoken ministry of others?
Do you respond to the children's special needs during meeting for worship? When they are involved in separate activities, do you uphold them and those who are with them?
Prayer springs from a deep place in the heart. Vocal prayer, though it may be expressed in imperfect words, can draw those present into communion with God and with one another. What helps you find that inner place of prayer?

October Newsletter

2011-10-11T10:39:00.003-05:00

On the Calendar

Oct 16:

Program on "How I Came to Quakerism" as part of annual Basics of Quakerism (Advancement Committee).
Post Program Program: Trip to Richard Schwallier's farm, 17537 40th Ave, Conklin, MI, meeting there about 2:00 p.m., to learn about habitat restoration, wind and solar power, wood heat and other earth-friendly technologies, & to glean apples. Organized by our Earth Care committee.

Oct. 23: Anniversary committee meeting. 5:00 p.m. at the Miller-Seifs.
Oct. 27: Annual Heartside Ministry Gala. 6:00 - 9:30 p.m. at Noto’s Old World Dining.
Nov. 20: Program on AFSC Jail Ministries at the Browne Center, following Meeting for Worship, 11:45 a.m.

News & Notes

Recently many of you took part in a survey regarding meeting space. Here are the major findings from the survey.

In an ideal world, a slim majority of 53 percent would favor owning a meetinghouse, while 37 percent favor renting space and the rest have no opinion. Notwithstanding our preference for owning, the Browne Center is well regarded. 90 percent rate it good, very good or excellent on both the amount of space it offers and the appearance, style or atmosphere of the space. Several Friends described it as “peaceful,” “quiet,” and “homelike,” and many appreciate its central location and abundance of free parking. A much smaller majority, 58 percent, rate its community outreach possibilities as good, very good or excellent, making outreach potential its weakest aspect.
The Meeting is evenly divided as to whether we should be concerned about losing the Browne Center despite reassurances from Aquinas College. 47 percent say they’re not concerned, while another 47 percent say they’re either a little or definitely concerned. Similarly, there is no clear direction from the Meeting as to whether we should consider a change regardless of Aquinas’s plans: 21 percent say we should, 36 percent say we shouldn’t, and 37 percent have no opinion.
Next year will be not only the GRFMM’s 50th anniversary year, it will be the Year of Interfaith Understanding in the Grand Rapids community, co-sponsored by Grand Valley State University, the Grand Rapids Press and other groups. Watch for tours of sacred spaces, study groups, speakers, interfaith services and other events.

2. Special (earmarked) donations to GRFMM during October will be directed to the Grand Rapids Food Bank. Contact Jana Norlin or Mark Post for details.

September Newsletter

2011-09-02T08:53:00.004-05:00

On the Calendar:

Sept. 9-11: LEYM Spiritual Formation retreat on “Healing in the Manner of Friends,” presented by Richard Lee. Weber Retreat Center, Adrian MI. More information at http://leymquaker.files.wordpress.com.
Sept. 17: Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting meeting for business. Friends School (1100 St. Aubin St., Detroit). 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. For carpooling, contact Scot Miller (269-792-9183).
Sept. 18: Program. Jasiu Milanowski will be the speaker. At the Browne Center, following Meeting for Worship. 11:45 a.m.
Sept. 30-Oct. 2: LEYM Fall Youth Retreat. Belville, Ohio. For youth 5-14, parents and others. More information at http://leymquaker.files.wordpress.com.
Oct. 16: Program: "How I came to Quakerism" & review of the new Handbook. At the Browne Center, following Meeting for Worship. 11:45 a.m.
Nov. 20: Program. AFSC Jail Ministries. Speaker TBD. At the Browne Center, following Meeting for Worship. 11:45 a.m.

Other Friends Meetings in Our Area:

Manitou Worship Group For information, please contact Doris Loll at 231-882-7062.
Fremont Worship Group For information, please contact Theresa Lindsay at theresa.lindsay52@gmail.com.
Holland Friends Meeting

News and Notes:

Bring your old Handbooks to the Nov. 6 potluck & we'll have a "build your own" session with newly-revised inserts.
Scot Miller is interested in organizing a Quakerism discussion group and is looking for suggestions for a book or topic to center on for a first meeting, to be held in October. No details have been set yet. If you have suggestions, please pass them along to Scot.
We mentioned last month that a committee was appointed to survey the membership on the subject of space for our Meeting. Mike Holaday has copies of the survey form. Please take this opportunity to give guidance to the meeting on the subject of meeting space!

Committee Reports: Ministry and Nurture
The focus for September: To strengthen and foster growth in individual and collective discernment. Following Meeting for Worship on Sept. 25, before singing, the committee invites all to briefly discuss the ministry that was shared in the meeting.

Quakers on the Net: Confronting Hard Truths:
The following is excerpted with modification from “Daring to Confront the Hard Truths,” posted Aug. 20, 2011, in Comrade Kevin’s Chrestomathy (http://caberetic.blogspot.com):

I’m not sure what it is about religious gatherings and the greater organizations to which they belong. They seem to be compelled to sweep as much as they can under the rug. Quakers, of which I am a member, function on a curious premise. We have long fuses with people and notoriously short fuses around politics. This may be because it’s easy to argue about something that is abstract and safe. When real people with whom we have real interactions are involved, we often take the path of least resistance. But ultimately, someone’s got to step up and draw the line. People have postulated for years why this is, and I have a theory or two.

One of them is the dread fear of litigation. Bad press in any form should be avoided. This goes for government agencies, public school systems, and organized religion. It is true that we live in a society where we’d rather pay someone to help us resolve disputes with someone else than step in and do healing and reconciliation ourselves.

Trust and care is what we’re seeking. We have always been in search of these. But the larger we grow as a people, the farther that divide grows. Even in a relatively moderate sized city, we are all too busy running to very specific places on specific paths, such that the only people we really see are those with whom we work closely. And there’s this: It’s less problematic to talk about an issue when we’re certain our position will be validated by others. My father, for example, was proof positive that it is easier to argue about irrelevant topics first, in place of the greater issues that are at the real heart of the matter.

We owe it to ourselves to place the focus where it needs to be, especially if that places us in uncomfortable states. These would have us do the difficult work of looking within ourselves first. Nothing can ever really proceed if brave inward listening is not part of the greater plan. We should not obscure truth by hairsplitting or by speaking only to that which promises little to no pain or even less emotional involvement. We are not robots. We are thinking, feeling, intuitive beings. We now need to act like it.

September Query

2011-09-02T08:52:00.000-05:00

QUERIES FOR SEPTEMBER: FAMILIES

Is there a climate of love and trust in our meeting that invites and encourages everyone to be open about individual and family lifestyles, including their satisfactions and problems? How does the meeting support families of all kinds in their attempts to improve communication, family life and the rearing of children in a context of love? How do we help the meeting create a sense of spiritual kinship among those who participate in it?

The family is changing, not disappearing. We have to broaden our understanding of it, look for the new metaphors. —Mary Catherine Bateson

Strangers are just family you have yet to come to know. —Mitch Albom

August Query

2011-07-31T20:01:00.002-05:00

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

2011-07-31T19:51:00.003-05:00

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

2011-07-24T08:23:00.002-05:00

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

2011-07-13T10:17:00.010-05:00

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

2011-07-13T10:14:00.002-05:00

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.

June Announcements

2011-06-19T15:54:00.004-05:00

We need volunteers for children's activities (no formal First Day School during the summer). Contact Betty Ford.

June 10: Friend Book Group watched a DVD, "Brother Sun Sister Moon" about the life of St. Francis of Assisi.

June Query

2011-06-19T15:54:00.001-05:00

Query:

Are our Meetings for Business held in the spirit of a Meeting for Worship in which we seek divine guidance for our actions in love and mutual forbearance?
How well do our Meetings for Business lead to a corporate search for and revelation of God's truth?
As difficult problems arise, are we careful to meet them in a spirit of love and humility with minds open for creative solutions?
Do we avoid pressure of time, neither unnecessarily prolonging or unduly curtailing full discussion?
Do we recognize that the search for unity may require us to accept with good grace a decision of the Meeting with which we are not entirely in agreement?
Are younger Friends, new members, and attenders given appropriate responsibility in the Meeting?

May 12 talk at Friends School, Detroit

2011-05-10T08:07:00.001-05:00

FRIENDS SCHOOL IN DETROIT
1100 St. Aubin Ave., Detroit, Michigan 48207 313.259.6722
www.friendsschool.org, www.friendscouncil.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Elissa Firestone
313-259-6722 ext.13
Joe Volk, Former Executive Secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation to speak for Human Rights Day of Learning and Lectureship.
Detroit, MI - On Thursday, May 12, 2011, Joe Volk, Former Executive Secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, will be in Detroit to speak on “Human Rights on an International Level: Translating Protest into Policy” at Friends School in Detroit’s 4th annual Miyoko Inouye Bassett Memorial Human Rights Day of Learning and Lectureship. Joe Volk has more than three decades of experience working for peace and social justice. He played a key role in founding the Iraq Working Group and has served as a leader in the Washington Interreligious Staff Committee. He has lobbied Congress to support peaceful prevention of deadly conflict, nuclear disarmament, peace in Iraq, and many other issues.
As part of our the longstanding commitment to educating the leaders of tomorrow about human rights issues, each year an individual demonstrating distinctive commitment to human rights work is selected to share his or her story. After a day spent at Friends School, the guest “teacher” will address the larger Detroit community at a public evening lecture:
A daytime presentation is available for a small number of guests who will be warmly welcomed to come in at 1:30 for a student-led tour of the school followed by Mr Volk's presentation to the middle school students and their interactions with him. Visitors are welcome by prior arrangement. Please email efirestone@friendsschool.org or call 313-259-6722 ext. 13.

An evening presentation is available for the public. A reception is planned for 6 p.m. and Joe Volk’s presentation at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
The Human Rights day is made possible by the Miyoko Inouye Basett Fund. Miyoko Inouye Bassett was an extraordinary and courageous human being who worked with characteristic gentleness for everything she believed to be right and just. Friends School in Detroit had the gift of her service as a member of the Board of Trustees. The legacy of Miyo’s messages of inclusion and dedication are sustained at Friends School through a Memorial Human Rights Lectureship & Day of Learning to honor her life and strengthen that hope. This annual event will increase community awareness of human rights issues and model an educational approach that equates the welfare of the entire world with the welfare of each of us as individuals.
Friends School in Detroit is a nationally recognized independent school offering quality education to preschool (age 3) through eighth grade. Convenient for parents working downtown, it is located in the Lafayette Park area of Detroit. The student body reflects the city’s cultural, religious, racial and economic diversity. Founded in 1965, the school has gained a reputation for its academic excellence reflected in the success of its many graduates. The students, grounded and solid in foundation, go on to premier high schools and enter top colleges and universities such as Harvard, Princeton and Amherst. Friends School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Independent Schools of the Central States (ISACS), and the Association of Independent Michigan Schools (AIMS).

May Announcements

2011-05-01T18:00:00.003-05:00

May 15 program: Larry Hamlet, graduate student in the Communications program at GVSU, studying race and communication, will present a program on social justice after worship on May 15.

May 21: GPQM spring gathering will take place on Saturday, May 21, from 9 am to 4 pm at the Michigan Friends Center in Chelsea. The focus of the meeting will be on the business of the Quarter. Ed Harris, the new Head of School at Friends School in Detroit, will present on the state of the school. Natalie Holbrook from the AFSC Criminal Justice Office in Ann Arbor and Max Heirich from the Inclusive Justice Program will give updates. And we are happy to have both Michigan Friends Center and the Friends Lake Cooperative represented at this meeting by Steve Daut and Richard Tucker respectively not only to report but also to reflect on how to better collaborate with Quarterly. There will also be other committee reports and business as part of the agenda.

Lunch is provided ($5 donation is accepted) and childcare is organized by Pine River Monthly Meeting.

For more information please contact: Dianne Guenin-Lelle, dgueninlelle@albion.edu .

Gentle reminder and note for those who are newer to the Grand Rapids Friends Meeting: GRFM tries to be aware of the health issues regarding fragrances added to products such as hygiene care (e.g.,perfumes, colognes, deodorants, aftershaves, lotions, essential oils, shampoos, conditioners, hairsprays and gels), laundry (detergents, softeners, dryer sheets), and items like scented candles, incense, plug-in air fresheners, hanging air fresheners in cars, and patchouli. Please try to use unscented products on First Day (Sunday) and be mindful about artificial fragrances added to the products you use regularly. Those of us who have serious illnesses triggered by fragrances thank you for your consideration!

May Query

2011-05-01T16:55:00.001-05:00

Do we each take an active part in the life of our Meeting?
How do we recognize the varied skills and spiritual gifts of our members and attenders? How do we nurture their use and growth?
In what ways are we bringing together members and attenders, young and old, in love and community?
Do we visit one another in our homes and keep in touch with distant members?
How are strangers made to feel welcome in our midst?
How do we encourage attenders to share in Meeting activities and responsibilities?

April Announcements

2011-04-23T12:53:00.001-05:00

Gretchen Schafft is a Friend from the Bethesda Friends Meeting in Washington, DC., an anthropologist at American University, and a graduate of Ottawa Hills High School. On May 3, she will be speaking at Schuler's Books and Music on 28th Street about her new book, "Commemorating Hell, published by Illinois University Press. This book, written with Gerhard Zeidler, is about the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp in Germany and the way it was later remembered under a communist and then a unified German government. From this camp of 60,000 inmates, of whom 20,000 perished in a year and a half, the US received Wernher von Braun and Arthur Rudolph, two of our pioneering space engineers. Little has been said of this camp, and new information based on 20 years of interviews, observations, and archival research brings to light many aspects of war and peace that are as relavent today as they were then. She hopes some of her Quaker Friends will come to hear the talk at 7 PM on May 3 in the 28th street store and bring interested friends.

By the way, her family went to Camp Innisfree for seven years with Grand Rapids Quakers!
Email Address: * gschafft@verizon.net
Name: * Gretchen Schafft

April Query

2011-04-17T16:16:00.001-05:00

Query:

Do we center our lives in the awareness of the presence of God so that all things take their rightful place?
Do we keep our lives uncluttered with things and activities and avoid comments beyond our strength and light?
Is the life of the Meeting so ordered that it helps us simplify our personal lives?
Do we order our individual lives so as to nourish our spiritual growth?

March Query

2011-03-06T16:50:00.001-05:00

Do we live the virtue of that life and power which takes away the occasion of all war?
Do we refrain from taking part in war as inconsistent with the spirit of Christ?
What are we doing to remove the causes of war and to bring about the conditions of peace?
Where there are hatred, division and strife, how are we instruments of reconciliation and love?
As we work for peace in the world, are we nourished by peace within ourselves?

March Announcements

2011-03-06T16:45:00.003-05:00

March 11: Book reading group will meet at 7:00 p.m. at Betty Ford's, to finish the pamphlet "Living from the Center."
March 20: Program after worship. Deb Wicering will present about the Sinai Peninsula.
The Social dinners will occur on the 1st two weekends of May: Friday/Saturday evenings, May 6-7 and 13-14. Please contact Mike Holaday if you are willing to be a host.
We encourage those who are led to ministry to stand if they are able and to speak loudly enough for those present to hear.

MI Forum on Jobs & Human Needs

2011-02-22T12:19:00.003-05:00

The Michigan Peace Budget Coalition and the Friends Committee on National Legislation invite you to attend the Michigan Forum on Jobs and Human Needs

SPEAK OUT FOR A JUST AND HUMANE U.S. BUDGET

How does the federal budget affect Michigan? How can people in Michigan speak up about shifting federal spending from the Pentagon to jobs, human needs, and diplomacy?

Saturday March 5, 2011, from 10am to 3pm

Central United Methodist Church
215 N. Capitol Ave. in Lansing. At the corner of Capitol and Ottawa.

Speakers include:

Lynn Jondahl, Michigan League for Human Services
Bob Sheehan, Clinton-Eaton-Ingham Community Mental Health
Ruth Flower, Friends Committee on National Legislation
Jo Comerford, National Priorities Project

And YOU!

We will videotape your messages to send to our congresspersons

To register, e-mail names to MichiganForum@yahoo.com
Event is free. Lunch will be provided.

Sponsors include: Shalom Center for Justice & Peace, Michigan League for Human Services, National Priorities Project, WAND - Women’s Action for New Directions, Edgewood United Church of Christ Justice & Peace Task Force, Red Cedar Friends Meeting, Call to Action of Michigan, MSU Students for Peace & Justice, Peace Education Center of Greater Lansing, Keep Making Peace, Greater Lansing Network Against War & Injustice, Michigan PeaceWorks, Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice, Michigan Peace Action, 4th Ward Progressives, 11th Hour for Peace, Michigan Universal Health Care Access Network, Michigan Peace Team, Intercultural Communications, Pax Christi Michigan, MSU Peace & Justice Studies, UP North Ministries, MSU Peace & Justice Studies, Straits Area Concerned Citizens for Peace & Justice, Lansing Latino Health Alliance, Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing Social Action Committee, Detroit Friends Meeting, Teamsters Union, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Grand Ledge, and others.

Find the Michigan Forum on Jobs and Human Needs on Facebook.

Event will be live-streamed at Lansing Online News.

FCNL has been working diligently to get Senator Stabenow to join with her colleagues on the Senate Budget Committee to hold hearings on the Pentagon budget (the last audit of that budget around 2002 found a trillion dollars unaccounted for. The Pentagon has failed to meet the legally required audits for years.) It would seem a no brainer to at least hold hearings! Unfortunately, Senator Stabenow isn't interested in attending our forum, but we are going to bring publicity to the issue and hold her (and others) accountable.

Ruth Flower, a senior lobbyist at FCNL will speak to the inequity of the Pentagon spending vs. human needs spending, Jo Comerford from the National Priorities Project will provide information on how the flow of money to the military saps Michigan, and we have speakers and panels from Michigan human service agencies and government to speak about their pressing needs.

Our event will be live-streamed, and we will have video-tapers to tape our personal comments to send to Senator Stabenow on how the economy is affecting us or the communities we work with.

We'd love to have Friends from Grand Rapids attend and give witness to their concerns. And if any of you would be able to stay over until Sunday, we'd find homes for you to stay in and attend our brand new Quaker meetinghouse on Sunday.

Either email me back or email the address on the flyer (MichiganForum@yahoo.com) to let us know if you are coming, if you know in advance. Margaret Nielsen, (another Quaker) is the one who will get the emailed registrations. Bring hand-outs for our information tables if you have networking info to pass along.

Thanks,
Becky Payne, rapayne7@comcast.net

February Announcements

2011-02-06T14:11:00.008-05:00

February 11: Friends Book Group, 7:00 p.m. at Judi Buchman's.
February 20: Program following Worship--Cathi Deyo will talk about her trip to Palestine.

February 25: GR Friend Paul Emery will be performing at Essential Bean Coffee House in Caledonia this Friday evening from 7 to 9 pm. Here is a link to address and map: http://local.yahoo.com/info-16436153-essential-bean-llc-caledonia

On Potluck Sundays, beginning in March, we will be having a monthly discussion group intending to center on issues of Quaker faith and practice, Quaker and Church history, theology, and contemporary social and cultural issues as they related to faith. This will be after Meeting for Worship, sometime during potluck. Scot Miller is coordinating.
March 5: Gathering of GR Friends: You are invited to Scot and Jenn's house for potluck dinner and discussion. The gathering is intended to focus upon corporate reflection with attention to the spiritual condition of our meeting, our testimonies, and our hopes for the future of GR Friends Meeting. This invitation is extended by Scot and Jenn, and Mike and Bev.

February Query

2011-02-06T14:11:00.001-05:00

Query:

How do we prepare our hearts and minds for Worship?

Do we meet in expectant waiting for the prompting of the Divine spirit?

Is there a living silence in which we are drawn together by the power of God in our minds?

Is this inspiration carried over into our daily living?

January Announcements

2011-01-10T12:17:00.009-05:00

Jan. 14: Friends' Book Group, 7:00 p.m., Mark Post's, reading the pamphlet "Living from the Center: Mindfulness, Meditation, & Centering for Friends."
Jan. 16: Program after worship: "Stoking the Spiritual Fire of Quakerism" -- FGC Campaign. Betty Ford & Gerard Akkerhuis.
Jan. 19: Scot Miller will be facilitating discussion on "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" at Georgetown United Methodist Church in Jenison
Jan. 20: Rabbi Philip Sigal Memorial Lecture at 7:00pm, Loosemore Auditorium at GVSU’s Grand Rapids Pew Campus "From Tolerance to Holy Envy: The Interfaith Agenda" Dr. Douglas Kindschi is the Director of the Kaufman Interfaith Institute. Parking is available in the Fulton Lot, South of Eberhard Center. This event is free and co-sponsored by the Kaufman Interfaith Institute, Grand Valley State University.
Jan. 22: The Ann Arbor Friends Meeting would like to invite Friends in the Quarterly Meeting to join us in celebrating our founding 75 years ago; 3pm in the Meetinghouse at 1420 Hill Street, Ann Arbor. We will launch the year of celebration with song, a play written by Peggy Daub about our history, and refreshments. For more info, see http://www.annarborfriends.org/.
Jan. 23: 6-8 p.m. Georgetown United Methodist Church in Jenison is hosting the Interfaith Dialogue group; representatives of Hindu and Buddhist faith communities will present.
January 29: Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting Winter Gathering, 9-4, Red Cedar meetinghouse, Lansing
- Brian Edmiston, a long-time Friend and educator from Ohio will lead an exploration of intergenerational worship and ways to better integrate adults and children in the life our of Meetings. The day will include opportunities for young Friends to participate and contribute, so children are not only welcome, but needed! (Childcare will be provided as well, as we expect the children will also want some free play time with each other.)
Jan. 30: Peace & Social Action Committee meeting after worship. Topic: FCNL priorities & our local project.
February 3: Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish from Gaza will be in Grand Rapids February 3rd at Schuler Books on 28th St, 7:00 p.m. Also, March 14, Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh professor, author and activist from Beit Sahour, will be at Calvin College. And on March 21, Mark Braverman, author of Fatal Embrace: Christians, Jews and the Search for Peace in the Holy Land will be speaking in Grand Rapids; details TBD.
Upcoming programs:

Feb. 20: Cathi Deyo's report on her trip to Palestine
March 30: Deb Wickering's report on her trip to the Sinai
April 17: Walt, Scot, & Judi (topic TBA)

January Query

2011-01-10T12:17:00.001-05:00

Query:

In what ways has the Living Presence awakened my faith and turned me around?
As a Meeting, how do we support each other in being faithful?
In what ways does our Meeting help to develop the spiritual lives of our children and all of our members and attenders?
Do we provide our children and young adults with a framework for active, ongoing participation in Meeting?

December Announcements

2010-12-01T10:50:00.006-05:00

Greeters: If you are interested in being a greeter, please give Betty Ford or Mike Holaday your name and Betty will contact you every two or three months to see if you are available.

Announcements: If you have an announcement that you want put in the January Newsletter, please send Betty an email.

No book group this month. The group will meet January 14th at Mark Post’s to discuss 2 Pendle Hill pamphlets: Living From the Center and Who Do You Say I Am?

December 5: no potluck

December 7: Sewing Circle at Roberta Rossi's.

December 10: Carol singing, 7:00 p.m. at Betty Ford’s--bring your instruments, voices, and cookies. Betty will provide hot chocolate, coffee and tea. Please email if you need directions.

December 12: Noon--potluck at the Pliml's. Sharing by First Day School and then carol singing. As usual there will be a shuttle service to the house--please park at the Proven Trails lot. Email if you need directions.

December 12: Holland Friends Meeting; 10:30 Meeting for Worship at the Western Theological Seminary, 101 E. 13th St. Information: http://www.hollandquakers.org

December 19: Following Meeting for Worship and before fellowship the First Day School will tell the story of the birth of Christ in word and song. 11:45 Fellowship with coffee, tea, punch and cookies (bring cookies to share).

December 26: 11:45-- a time for fellowship followed by a reflection of and response to LEYM’s 2010 Annual Query on the Use of Queries. Friends traditionally have used queries to deepen spiritual lives, confront difficult questions, and encourage corporate and individual self examination.

How does your monthly meeting use queries?
How do you as an individual use queries?
Do the proposed LEYM Advices and Queries support these uses? How are they useful? How are they not?
How can they be improved upon?
Has one or more of these proposed LEYM Advices and Queries profoundly affected you or your meeting?

This year LEYM is preparing a set of Queries for our Yearly Meeting membership to use. This year the proposed Queries are intended to help them while they are in the process of preparing the LEYM’s Queries. They have asked us to respond as a group; any individual who wishes to respond separately may also do so.

January 29: Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting Winter Gathering
Brian Edmiston, a long-time Friend and educator from Ohio will be leading us in exploration of intergenerational worship and ways to better integrate adults and children in the life our of Meetings. The day will include opportunities for young Friends to participate and contribute, so children are not only welcome, but needed! (Childcare will be provided as well, as we expect the children will also want some free play time with each other.)

Please plan to attend and visit the new meetinghouse (Red Cedar, Lansing).

Georgetown United Methodist Church in Jenison is hosting the Interfaith Dialogue group on January 9th and 23rd. Presentations by representatives of Islamic and Judaic faith communities will present on the 9th. Representatives of Hindu and Buddhist faith communities will present on the 23rd. The time will be 6-8 pm for both programs. Also, Scot Miller will be facilitating discussion on "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" on Wednesday evening, January 19.

December Query

2010-12-01T10:46:00.000-05:00

Do we each take an active part in the life of our Meeting?
How do we recognize the varied skills and spiritual gifts of our members and attenders? How do we nurture their use and growth?
In what ways are we bringing together members and attenders, young and old, in love and community?

November Announcements

2010-11-17T08:32:00.001-05:00

Special Announcement: If you're a member or attender of the Grand Rapids Friends Meeting and you enjoy being a greeter occasionally, or would like to become a greeter, please email Mike Holaday at mikeholaday@att.net. The Advancement Committee will create a rotating list of greeters for the next few months. We'll let you know when you'll be needed. Of course if you have a conflict, you'll be able to trade with someone else on the list.

November 22: Interfaith Thanksgiving, 7:00 p.m. at Temple Immanuel.

November 29: International Day of Solidarity with Palestine (google "Olives for Hope" for more info.)

Service Project: We will be doing a project for one of the Homeless Shelters. We need shoeboxes and items such as toothbrushes, washcloths, deodorant, chapstick, small Kleenex packs, lotion, hats, gloves, socks, t-shirts, handkerchiefs, hand warmers, cards & travel games, stamps, books, restaurant gift certificates. Bring items to Meeting on Nov. 28 or Dec. 5.

November 1: We will welcome Laura Arcila Villa and Mark Hepper as members at the potluck following worship.

November 1: “Being Salt and Light: Friends living the Kingdom of God in a broken world.” Kalamazoo Friends Meeting (508 Denner St.) is hosting this event for Friends World Committee for Consultation on Monday evening, 11/1/2010. Anne Bennett of Britain Yearly Meeting will be speaking on a theme of living our faith in times of brokenness. The event starts at 6:30 pm with light refreshment; if anyone needs overnight hospitality, let Joseph Mills know. Advance registration is requested or contact Joseph & Linda Mills at millrae@juno.com.

November 3, Ann Arbor Friends Meeting will have a “Salt and Light” Program.October 17 program: "Basics of Quakerism" based on the book The Quaker Way.

November 9: Cathi Deyo will give an informal "chat" about her recent trip to Israel and Palestine at the Institute for Global Education, 7:00 p.m. IGE is on Wealthy St. next to the Wealthy Theater.

November 10: "God is Not One" author presentation at Fountain St. Church, 7:00 p.m.

November 16: "Dropped Stitches" sewing circle 7:00 p.m.

November 21: Program after worship on "Dealing with problems in the workplace," facilitated by Bev Holaday & Ron IrvineNovember 12th: The Book Reading Group will meet at 7:00 at Scott Giese's. We will read the rest of Seeking Truth Together: Enabling the Poor and Saving the Planet in the Manner of Friends. The Giese’s invite anyone who would like to come early to share supper with them.

November 21: Carolyn Diem, beloved member of Ann Arbor Friends Meeting, died Tuesday, October 26, at the age of 89 after a long illness. There will be a memorial meeting for her on Sunday at 3:00 pm in the Ann Arbor Friends Meeting (1420 Hill Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103). A reception will follow. All are warmly invited to attend.

November Query

2010-11-09T13:52:00.002-05:00

What efforts are made to help all Friends feel valued by the Meeting, and confident that their concerns will be heard?
How is the meaning of Meeting for Worship communicated to the children and newcomers among you?
What do you think children can get out of Meeting for Worship?
What ministries and gifts can your children contribute to the life of the Meeting?

October Announcements

2010-10-25T10:28:00.001-05:00

October 28: Ann Wright will be in Muskegon this Thursday at Unity church. Follow signs from I 96 & US 31 to the Lake Ferry on Laketon Ave. She is a retired Colonel of the US Army and will be speaking on the Middle East and our foreign policy. She also participated in the Flotilla off the coast of Israel.

October 30: There will also be a non-violent training by the Michigan Peace Team (Jasiu Milanowski will facilitate) on Saturday in Muskegon. Participants are needed; contact Gloria Switzer at gswitzer12@comcast.net.

October 31: Laura Arcila Villa and Betty Ford will share information they learned while attending a program on Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

November 1: “Being Salt and Light: Friends living the Kingdom of God in a broken world.” Kalamazoo Friends Meeting (508 Denner St.) is hosting this event for Friends World Committee for Consultation on Monday evening, 11/1/2010. Anne Bennett of Britain Yearly Meeting will be speaking on a theme of living our faith in times of brokenness. The event starts at 6:30 pm with light refreshment; if anyone needs overnight hospitality, let Joseph Mills know. Advance registration is requested or contact Joseph & Linda Mills at millrae@juno.com.

November 3, Ann Arbor Friends Meeting will have a “Salt and Light” Program.October 17 program: "Basics of Quakerism" based on the book The Quaker Way.

November 1: We will welcome Laura Arcila Villa and Mark Hepper as members at the potluck following worship.

October 15: The Book Reading Group will meet on the 3rd Friday of October at 7:00 at the Scott Giese's. We are reading Seeking Truth
Together: Enabling the Poor and Saving the Planet in the Manner of Friends. We will read the first half of the book for the October meeting.

October 22: Steven Donahoe from Washington, D.C. will be in Fremont Friday to speak about national legislation priorities. He will be at 8885 W. 32nd St. for a potluck luncheon at 11:30 a.m. He will also be present at the IGE on Wealthy St. in Grand Rapids about 3:30.

October 23: The First Day School committee announces a potluck-picnic for Saturday noon in Johnson Park (at the log cabin) in Grand Rapids (corner of Wilson and Butterworth). If you’d like some exercise first, meet at the trailhead for Kent Trails (go past John Ball Park and turn left into the entry parking lot for the trail. There is plenty of parking, a rest room and shelter.) For more info, please contact Judi Buchman or Mark Post.

October 24: "Tearing Down the Walls: Christian & the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" on Saturday, 7-9 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational UCC Church, 4010 Kalamazoo SE.

“God in America,” a three-part series that “examines the potent and complex interaction between religion and democracy, the origins of the American concept of religious liberty, and the controversial evolution of that ideal in the nation's courts and political arena,” will air on PBS Monday through Wednesday, Oct. 11-13. The series is sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trust, the Fetzer Foundation and others, and features documentary footage, historical dramatization, and interviews with religious historians.

October Query

2010-10-04T19:40:00.002-05:00

Do we regard our time, talents, energy, money, material possessions and other resources as gifts from God to be held in trust and shared according to the light we are given?
How do we express this conviction?
What are we doing as individuals and as a Meeting to use and thereby perfect our gifts?
How do we encourage others to use theirs?

August Queries & Announcements

2010-08-05T08:27:00.004-05:00

Query:

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 other's personal needs and difficulties and do we assist in useful ways?

August 8: The Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting for Worship will take place on August 8th in Peace Park in Battle Creek, 11:00. Noon: picnic potluck.
Directions: Quaker Park is on Fremont and Groveland Streets, three blocks north of the YMCA. Google map.

August 13: Friends Book Group will meet Friday at 7:00 Friday at the home of Betty Ford.

August 16: Noon Meeting for Business; Financial Committee and Program Committee will report.

August 22 & 29: After worship, Fellowship followed by singing from Worship in Song.

September 18th: U.N. International Day of Peace Observance will happen on Saturday from 10:00 until 6:00. There will be a Peace Festival during the Eastown Fair. On Sunday, September 19th, there will be an Interfaith Peace Service in the Dominican Chapel on the Marywood Campus. This year's question is, "Tell us how your religious tradition reaches out to others to achieve World Peace."

Announcements & newsletter

2010-06-25T13:20:00.002-05:00

Mike Holaday, mikeholaday@att.net, has volunteered to do announcements & help with the newsletter. Please email him with information for the announcements.

Written/emailed announcements avoid lengthy spoken announcements at the close of Meeting for Worship and aid in memory.

July/August newsletter: please email information to Betty Ford a.s.a.p.

June 13 Announcements

2010-06-14T12:00:00.003-05:00

Please give back to the Meeting by signing up for child care during July & August--contact Betty Ford. There is no curriculum during the summer. Also, we need a greeter for August 15--contact Kim Ranger.
Peace & Social Action Committee will meet Sunday June 20 following Meeting for Worship in the Browne Center. All are welcome, especially to help plan the fundraiser below.
There will be a fundraiser for Cathi Deyo's trip to Palestine to harvest olives this fall. The fundraiser will be a dinner at East Congregational United Church of Christ, 1005 Giddings SE, July 27th at 6:00 p.m. Set-up volunteers are needed.
August 8 is the LEYM worship at Quaker Park in Battle Creek.
The business meeting will be delayed until August 15 to accomodate the Aug 8 worship.
There are still shares in Sandhill CSA: contact Scot Miller or Jenn Seif.

June Query & Announcements

2010-06-04T08:13:00.003-05:00

Query:

Are our Meetings for Business held in the spirit of a Meeting for Worship in which we seek divine guidance for our actions in love and mutual forbearance?
How well do our Meetings for Business lead to a corporate search for and revelation of God's truth?
As difficult problems arise, are we careful to meet them in a spirit of love and humility with minds open for creative solutions?
Do we avoid pressure of time, neither unnecessarily prolonging or unduly curtailing full discussion?
Do we recognize that the search for unity may require us to accept with good grace a decision of the Meeting with which we are not entirely in agreement?
Are younger Friends, new members, and attenders given appropriate responsibility in the Meeting?

Announcements:

June 3 The Sewing Group will meet at Roberta’s home on Thursday, June 3rd at 7:00
June 5th Paul Emery will be performing this Saturday at 6:45 at the Outer Fringe (next to the Federal Building & Swing) at the GR Art Festival. Randall Gornowich will have his photos on display thoughout the event as well.
June 6 9:00 Advancement Committee at Browne Center
June 6th: Bring your calendars to Meeting to sign up to be a Greeter and/or for child care (no First Day School formal lessons) in July or August
June 6th Open house to celebrate Katie Pliml’s graduation from High School from 2:00 until 6:00 at the Pliml’s.
June 11 Friends Book Group will continue to discuss Ram Doss and his philosophy at 7:00 at the home of Mark Post.
June 17 The Sewing Group will meet Thursday, June 17th at 7:00.

The State of the Meeting Report (Needed: Committee Reports sent to catherine.deyo@gmail.com) and the Statistics Report (Needed: Conveners of Committees sent to Betty bford24@comcast.net) are due by the end of June.

During the summer months we will need a volunteer each Sunday to take the children out of the Meeting for Worship for a walk or some activity. Let Betty know if you will volunteer during July and August.

May Query

2010-05-06T11:04:00.002-05:00

Do we each take an active part in the life of our Meeting?
How do we recognize the varied skills and spiritual gifts of our members and attenders? How do we nurture their use and growth?
In what ways are we bringing together members and attenders, young and old, in love and community?
Do we visit one another in our homes and keep in touch with distant members?
How are strangers made to feel welcome in our midst?
How do we encourage attenders to share in Meeting activities and responsibilities?

Announcements:

May 14: GRFM Book Group, 7:00 p.m. at Betty Ford's.
May 15: Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting, MI Friends Center at Friends Lake. Call for volunteers: GRFM + Holland will put on the children's program--contact Betty Ford. Also on the agenda: Friends School in Detroit, AFSC.
May 16 program: Transportation alternatives in GR & Bike workshop by Mark Post.

Red Cedar Friends Meeting Open House

2010-04-16T10:31:00.002-05:00

Announcement and Invitation

RED CEDAR FRIENDS MEETING OPEN HOUSE
In the spirit of peace and joy, Red Cedar Friends Quaker Meeting invite you to celebrate with us the opening of our new meetinghouse on Saturday, May 22, 2010 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

The meetinghouse is located at 1400 Turner Street in Lansing, Michigan. Barrier-free spaces are available in the meetinghouse parking lot. The # 14 CATA bus stops nearby.

Out of town guests who need assistance with accommodations, call Nancy at (517) 372-8680.

Information about Red Cedar Friends Meeting is available at http://www.redcedarfriends.org

Please call (517) 371-1047 with questions.

April Query & Announcements

2010-04-04T16:17:00.002-05:00

Query:
Do we center our lives in the awareness of the presence of God so that all things take their rightful place?
Do we keep our lives uncluttered with things and activities and avoid comments beyond our strength and light?
Is the life of the Meeting so ordered that it helps us simplify our personal lives?
Do we order our individual lives so as to nourish our spiritual growth?

Announcements:
The Book Group will meet at 7:00 on April 9th at Dixie Rosendall's to watch a dvd about Ram Doss.

Sewing Circle will meet April 6th at 7:00 at Roberta Rossi's and on April 15th at 7:00 at Fran’s home.

March Query & Announcements

2010-03-14T16:58:00.002-05:00

QUERY FOR MARCH:

Do we live the virtue of that life and power which takes away the occasion of all war?
Do we refrain from taking part in war as inconsistent with the spirit of Christ?
What are we doing to remove the causes of war and to bring about the conditions of peace?
Where there are hatred, division and strife, how are we instruments of reconciliation and love?
As we work for peace in the world, are we nourished by peace within ourselves?

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Have you checked the priorities for FCNL? Let Mark know what you think.

Hosted dinners: please let Betty know if you are willing to host. The Host/s will prepare the meal. The dates for the dinners will be on Friday and Saturday evenings of the first two weekends in May. A sign-up sheet for guests will be at Meeting on the first Sunday in April.

February Query & Announcements

2010-02-06T18:56:00.008-05:00

Query:

How do we prepare our hearts and minds for Worship?

Do we meet in expectant waiting for the prompting of the Divine spirit?

Is there a living silence in which we are drawn together by the power of God in our minds?

Is this inspiration carried over into our daily living?

Announcements:

Winterfest at Michigan Friends Center on February 7 will feature the duo Gemini, Laz and San Slomovits, presenting a family concert. They are donating their talents, so this will be a benefit concert for Michigan Friends Center and a fun afternoon for families. 1:00 Snowperson building; 2:00 mulled cider & treats; 3:00 concert
Feb. 7 Noon: Souper Sunday Potluck: we will make a collection and enjoy any soups that might come our way as well as other Potluck items.
Feb. 21: Abby Geluso will do a slide show about her trip to China last summer. Our Meeting with the IGE did a Chinese Dinner Fundraiser for her.
Feb. 28: Fremont Worship Group will visit our Meeting. Following Meeting we will have a simple snack and then at Noon we will go to Marywood to see the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Exhibit of Paintings created after the Atom Bomb was dropped. At Noon a taped interview of Glenn Hymer who was in Nagasaki after the Bomb was dropped will be shown.
Midwinter Gathering, Saturday. February 27th in Detroit: The Gathering will start at the Detroit Friends Meeting House at 9:00 with Meeting for Worship and a talk about what is happening in Detroit and the Meeting House. Then we’ll have a tour of Detroit ending at Friends School. Lunch and then an opportunity to hear about how the School is doing and we will help the School with some projects. More information will follow in a later announcement.
Coming the first part of May our 5,6,7,8 or 9’s dinners will happen: We will need several hosts to volunteer. In March sign-up will begin. The dates for the actual dinners will be the first or second weekend in May. More details will follow.

January Query & Announcements

2010-01-11T12:31:00.004-05:00

Query:

In what ways has the Living Presence awakened my faith and turned me around?
As a Meeting, how do we support each other in being faithful?
In what ways does our Meeting help to develop the spiritual lives of our children and all of our members and attenders?
Do we provide our children and young adults with a framework for active, ongoing participation in Meeting?

Jan. 17: Program on Judaism by Diane Baum
Jan. 21: Sewing Circle at Jenn Seif's
Jan. 24: Program on Worship by Scot Miller: what does it mean to us; what are we getting out of it?
Jan. 31: Meeting House of our own? (post-worship meeting); Peace & Social Action Committee will meet following worship: FCNL priorities & project for GRFM.

Friends' Book Group is reading What God Wants by Neil Walsh.

Scot & Jenn are offering shares in Sandhill CSA, 2010 season.

December Query & Announcements

2009-11-29T14:10:00.003-05:00

Query for December:

Do we each take an active part in the life of our Meeting?
How do we recognize the varied skills & spiritual gifts of our members & attenders?
How do we nurture their use & growth?
In what ways are we bringing together members & attenders, young & old, in love & community?

Announcements:

Tues, Dec. 1, 7:00: Sewing Circle at Dixie's.
Sun, Dec. 6, noon: Worship Fastluck--broth & bread; $ contributions to benefit Degage Ministries.
Fri, Dec. 11, 7:00 p.m.: Carol singing at Betty Ford's.
Sun, Dec. 13, noon: Holiday potluck at Pliml's; "international gift shop"--bring homemade items for sale/auction to benefit Heifer International.
Thurs, Dec. 17, 7:00: Sewing Circle at Jenn's.

November Programs

2009-11-05T09:37:00.002-05:00

Nov. 15, 11:45 a.m.
Simple Gifts for this season but also our special gifts throughout the year. Facilitated by Mark Post.

Nov. 29, 11:45 a.m.
What are Meetings for Clearness and how do we conduct them? Interactive practice. Facilitated by Kim Ranger.

November Query & Announcements

2009-11-05T09:28:00.002-05:00

Query:

What efforts are made to help all Friends feel valued by the Meeting, and confident that their concerns will be heard?
How is the meaning of Meeting for Worship communicated to the children and newcomers among you?
What do you think children can get out of Meeting for Worship?
What ministries and gifts can your children contribute to the life of the Meeting?

Announcements:

Heartside Neighborhood Talent Show: Friday, November 13th, 8: 00 at the Wealthy Theater.

Sewing Circle: will meet Tuesday, November 6, 7pm at Roberta Rossi's home. The Sewing Circle will also meet Thursday, November 19, tentatively at Jenn Seif's home. To both Sewing Circles bring sewing, crafts, mending, or whatever.

Friends Book Group: will meet Friday, November 13th, at Roberta Rossi's. We will discuss more of our “thoughts” about the Inner Light and also discuss and appreciate Kim Ranger's article in the September Friends Journal.

Well House: will host a Post Election Neo-holiday Art & Bake Sale on November 5th, 6th and 7th.

A Benefit for Healing the Children Injured in US Conflicts: Thursday, November 5th, 7:00 at the 29th Street Hall, 3668 29th St. SE. Music, Middle Eastern Food, Silent Auction and other entertainment until 10 pm. Tickets: $30 and Students $10. 616-262-4525.

IGE's 30th Annual Meeting: 5:30-6:00 for a Spaghetti Supper provided by SandMan. 7:00 David Blakeslee will talk about Peace in Song, Art, etc. 454-1642.

Seeker's Meeting Oct 18

2009-10-16T07:31:00.000-05:00

A Seekers Meeting, facilitated by the Advancement Committee, will be the program on Sunday, October 18th. We will discuss Testimonies and Queries, Meeting for Worship, Beliefs and Membership, and Quaker Diversity Historically in the United States. There will be an opportunity for questions.

Announcement

2009-10-14T09:05:00.001-05:00

GRFM will have a simple / fasting potluck on the first Sunday in December. Jason Pliml is working with Anna and Gerard to work out more of what this potluck will involve, and information will be forthcoming.

October queries & announcements

2009-10-07T14:56:00.002-05:00

Query:

Do we regard our time, talents, energy, money, material possessions, & other resources as gifts from God to be held in trust & shared according to the Light we are given?
How do we express this conviction?
What are we doing as individuals & as a Meeting to use & thereby perfect our gifts?
How do we encourage others to use theirs?

Friends Book Group: 10/9 at Betty Ford's, on Philosophy of the Inner Light (pamphlet, $5)
Program 10/18: Seekers' meeting (Advancement Committee)
Program 10/25: individual faith journeys
Christ-Centered Worship at Miller/Seif's 10/25

September query & announcements

2009-09-04T14:19:00.003-05:00

Query:

Is there a climate of love and trust in our Meeting which invites and encourages everyone to be open about individual and family lifestyles, including their satisfactions and problems?
How does the Meeting support families of all kinds in their attempts to improve communication, family life and the rearing of children in a context of love?
How do we help the Meeting give a sense of spiritual kinship to those who participate in it?

Announcements:

Friends Book Group meets Friday, 9/11 at Mark & Gerard's to discuss Christianity & the Inner Life by Margery Post Abbott.
Mini PeaceFest 9/19 10:00-4:00 on Ethel St.
Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting, 9/19 9:00-4:00 at Friends School in Detroit.
Interfaith Peace Prayer Service, 9/20 2:00 at the Dominican Chapel at Marywood.
Day of Peace/Peace Presence Vigil, 9/21 4:30-5:30.
Program: 9/27 from 12:00-2:00. Scot Miller on George Fox & what it means to be a Friend today.

August Query & Announcements for Aug. 2

2009-08-02T06:43:00.002-05:00

Query:
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 other's personal needs and difficulties and do we assist in useful ways?

Announcements:
Friends Book Group will not meet in August. The Book Group will meet again on Friday September 11th.

Living Lightly: Touching Nature, Feeding Spirit, Deepening our connections to the natural world with fun and exploration at Michigan Friends Center. Register by August 7th,: $35 or Family: $85 or as able. After August 7th $50 per person or $100 per family. Pre-registration by August 15th preferred. Call Friends Center at 734-475-1892.

Food Preservation Workshop with Kristen Uthus on August 29th 2-5pm $20 or as able, preregistration by August 22 required. Limit of 12, Call 734-475- 1892.

LEYM SPIRITUAL FORMATION PROGRAM: Fall Retreat, September 25th- 27th in Adrian, MI, cost for Fall event: $120, individual, $200, couple. Due by September 1st 2009. Spring event, May 1st, 2010. Place to be announced. Fee: $20, individual, $30 couple Additional Information and Registration Forms will be available beginning August 7th on the Information Table.

Hiroshima Day Observance: Friends are invited to join with the IGE at the Island Pavilion for a picnic and for making Japanese Lanterns to float in the Pond after the program, IGE TALKS: THE NUCLEAR AGE...past, present, future.

UN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE OBSERVANCE : Will happen beginning Saturday, September 19th, 12:30 – 2:30 in Wilcox Park on Robinson Road. On Sunday, September 20th, there be an Interfaith Peace Prayer Service in the Dominican Chapel on the Marywood Campus. Last year the different Faiths' responded to the question: “What is your Faith's Vision of Peace?” This year's question is “How is your Faith getting to their Vision of Peace?”

Announcements for July 12th

2009-07-12T07:18:00.002-05:00

Announcements for July 12th

Greeters: Mark Post will ask for volunteers to help with childcare during the summer months so that the responsibility doesn't rest with greeters.

Sewing Circle , Thursday, July 16th: Join with other friends at Jenn and Scot's, 491 126th Ave, Shelbyville, (269) 792-9183 at 7:00 for sewing and knitting or just conversation. Car-pooling is possible.

Welcoming in to Membership: This Sunday we will welcome Amy Ranger as a recorded member of Grand Rapids Friends Meeting a Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.

Greeter info

2009-07-08T10:04:00.003-05:00

The greeter may make the decision on whether to meet outdoors or indoors. When setting up for outdoors, please use the metal-bottomed chairs from the dining room & place them on the paved areas only. Others will fill in the circle with lawn chairs & blankets. Please bring out the guest sign-in notebook & info for first-time attenders. Thanks!

July query & 7/5/09 announcements

2009-07-05T13:17:00.002-05:00

QUERY FOR JULY
When problems and conflicts arise, do we make timely endeavors to resolve them in a spirit of love and humility?

How do we use our diversity for the spiritual growth of our Meeting?

Are we prepared to let go of our individual desires and let the Holy Spirit lead us to unity?

ANNOUNCEMENTS
July 7: Advancement Committee meets 7:00 at Norlin's.

July 10: Friends Book Group Meeting will be Friday, July 10th, at 7:00 at Marston's. We will discuss the last half of Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg.

July 12: Annual Meeting for Business

Announcements June 28th

2009-06-28T12:55:00.002-05:00

Announcements June 28th

From Finance Committee: The Finance Committee met on Wednesday to begin the process of planning the budget for 09/10 and considering whether we as a Meeting can make an extra donation to help the Friends School in Detroit. Right now is uncertain. If you would like to make an extra contribution to our Meeting which is earmarked for Friends School, please let Gerard know that you will do so by June 30th. Thank you.

Request for Help from Dixie: Dixie has been struggling for the last several months trying to get things sorted and in shape in her house. As you know her capacity for physical movement and strength is limited. If you are available for just "two hours" to help her she would appreciate it. Please phone her.

Meeting for Worship outside: Be sure to bring your folding chair or blanket on nice Sundays. (Some attenders bring extra chairs or blankets.)

June 21

2009-06-24T13:11:00.000-05:00

Please bring a blanket, lawn chair, or slicker with you so that when it's good weather, we can hold Meeting for Worship outdoors.

Report about Friends School in Detroit: Because of the current economic slump that we are now in, the Friends School in Detroit is in financial trouble. Explicitly for the reasons below.

1. "By design, the school has always charged less tuition than costs and made up the rest through fundraising; fundraising has failed to keep up with the growing gap.
2. A growing number of parents have become delinquent in paying their tuition obligations.
3. Enrollment has fallen each of the last two years, and structural adjustments have not been made – i.e., classes have continued with as few as eight students with a full-time teacher."

"Any funds raised over the summer would help the board to meet its salary obligations and clear current liabilities before the new budget year begins. The board would like to raise sufficient funds near term to meet at least one biweekly payroll obligation (approximately $30,000) for August. In response to this need, Lake Erie Yearly Meeting has increased its financial support for this year by $1,000, and by $2,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting has authorized an immediate payment of $5,000. PLEASE CONSIDER WHETHER YOU MIGHT ALSO BE ABLE TO HELP BRIDGE THIS FINANCIAL GAP."

The Finance Committee is meeting on Wednesday, June 24th and we will consider making an additional contribution. If anyone wants to make an additional contribution ear-mark your check and send it to Gerard at 315 Eastern SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

Announcements & help needed

2009-06-07T17:07:00.003-05:00

June 7:
The Advancement Committee meeting is rescheduled tentatively for Tuesday, July 7, place TBA.

Liz & Bob Webber's wedding anniversary is Monday June 8; Bob's birthday is Tuesday June 9. Congratulations & many happy returns.

Patricia Pennell has been ill since January. Please hold her in the Light & send her expressions of support & caring. If you are able to volunteer some help with cleaning or sorting at Pat's home, or taking her to doctor's appointments & taking notes as her advocate, please contact Amy Ranger or Judi Buchman.

Quaker Jam: Well House, 606 Cass Ave SE will be the site of the next Quaker Jam. It will be at 6pm and go as long as there is interest. We do have road construction. So the best is to come down Lafayette to west on Pleasant. It does say that the road is closed, but you can go to Cass. You can either park on Pleasant between Lafayette and Cass or turn left onto Cass and park there. You can enter through the back gate of 600, just pull the chain up. Go through the playground and in the back door of 606 (the house on the other side of the playground. If the weather is good we can also be outside. Otherwise you can go to the front door of 606. Look forward to singing with you all.

Query for May

2009-05-14T06:49:00.001-05:00

Do we each take an active part in the life of our Meeting?
How do we recognize the varied skills and spiritual gifts of our members and attenders? How do we nurture their use and growth?
In what ways are we bringing together members and attenders, young and old, in love and community?
Do we visit one another in our homes and keep in touch with distant members?
How are strangers made to feel welcome in our midst?
How do we encourage attenders to share in Meeting activities and responsibilities?

Peace & Reconciliation Conference

2009-04-20T12:31:00.000-05:00

GRCC Peace & Reconciliation Conference May 11-13, 2009

Grand Rapids Community College is hosting its first Peace and Reconciliation Conference, May 11-13, 2009. For a complete list of events, and speakers, please go to www.grcc.edu/peace.

John Hume, Nobel Peace Prize winner and an architect of the current peace process in Northern Ireland will deliver the keynote address on May 12. Other conference speakers include people who were active in Northern Ireland's civil rights movement, the Irish Republican Army, Sinn Féin, community reconciliation efforts, and people who went to prison for their beliefs and their commitment to Irish nationalism.

April Query

2009-04-07T09:41:00.001-05:00

Do we center our lives in the awareness of the presence of God so that all things take their rightful place? Do we keep our lives uncluttered with things and activities and avoid comments beyond our strength and light? Is the life of the Meeting so ordered that it helps us simplify our personal lives? Do we order our individual lives so as to nourish our spiritual growth?

GR Fair Trade City Fundraiser

2009-03-23T09:03:00.002-05:00

Place: Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy St. SE, GR
Time: 11:30 a.m. -
Cost: $7.00 ?
Events: 12:00 Mark Handler--Tibetan singing bowl performer; 1:30 film Black Gold about the fair trade movement in Ethiopia.

There will be a variety of locally-roasted fair trade & direct-trade coffee available for sampling, along with other fair-trade crafts & activities.

For more info, contact Sujen Diveney, Sdiviney@grmc.org.

David Zarembka from Kenya

2009-03-09T15:50:00.001-05:00

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

Date: March 9, 2009
Contact: Betty Ford,
Phone: (616) 942-4713 or 454-1642

Sponsors: Grand Rapids Friends Meeting with the Institute for Global Education

David Zarembka from Kenya, Coordinator of the African Great Lakes Initative of the
Friends Peace Teams

On Wednesday, March 11, 2009, at 7:00, David Zarembka will be speaking about nations in the African Great Lakes Region focusing on "What the New Administration Can Do to Solve the Conflicts in East and Central Africa" He will begin with a brief analysis of United States involvement in Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The emphasis on a military solution to these conflicts is not working and will only prolong them. Alternative strategies for promoting peace and development in this potentially very rich region will be described.

David will be speaking in the back Studio of the Wealthy Theater Annex, 1110 Wealthy SE just west of the Wealthy Theater.

Greeter schedule

2009-03-02T11:40:00.003-05:00

The greeters for first day Meetings for Worship are now posted on the GRFM Calendar (http://www.grandrapidsfriends.org/ and click on Calendar in the upper right corner or on Events Calendar on the left blue menu). We have plenty of openings for Friends to sign up: contact Kim Ranger at kim.ranger@gmail.com .

Query for March

2009-03-01T18:06:00.002-05:00

*Do we live the virtue of that life and power which takes away the occasion of all war?

*Do we refrain from taking part in war as inconsistent with the spirit of Christ?

*What are we doing to remove the causes of war and to bring about the conditions of Peace?

Where there are hatred, division and strife, how are we instruments of reconciliation and love?

*As we work for peace in the world, are we nourished by peace within ourselves?

QUERY FOR FEBRUARY

2009-02-16T11:01:00.001-05:00

*How do we prepare our hearts and minds for worship?

*Do we meet in expectant waiting for the prompting of the Divine Spirit?

*Is there a living silence in which we are drawn together by the power of God in our midst?

*Is this inspiration carried over into our daily living?

QUERY FOR JANUARY

2009-01-04T09:49:00.002-05:00

*In what ways has the Living Presence awakened my faith and turned me around?

*As a Meeting how do we support each other in being faithful?

*In what ways does our Meeting help to develop the spiritual lives of our children?

*Do we provide our children and adults with a framework for active on going participation in Meeting?

QUERY FOR DECEMBER

2008-12-11T20:55:00.001-05:00

• Do we each take an active part in the life of our Meeting?

• How do we recognize the varied skills and spiritual gifts of our members and attenders?

• How do we nurture their use and growth?

• In what ways are we bringing together members and attenders, young and old, in love and community?

Michigan Friends Center: Living Lightly: a gathering to inspire and celebrate delighted “enoughness”.

2008-11-02T09:17:00.002-05:00

Cost: $35.00 to register before Nov. 15; $50.00 at the door. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Dean Emeritus Jim Crowfoot of U of M’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment will speak on Changing joyously to Achieve Sustainability: Using Spirit, Experience, and Science-based Information. Small focus groups will take up various sustainability issues and identify resources to meet the challenges. The day will also include time for personal and group reflection, a simple, delicious lunch featuring local produce, and light, lively music.

QUERY FOR NOVEMBER

2008-11-02T09:13:00.003-05:00

Do we regard our time, talents, energy, money, material possessions and other resources as gifts from God to be held in trust and shared according to the light we are given?
How do we express this conviction?
What are we doing as individuals and as a Meeting to use and thereby perfect our gifts?
How do we encourage others to use theirs?

QUERY FOR JUNE

2008-06-01T10:53:00.004-05:00

Are our Meetings for Business held in the spirit of a Meeting for Worship in which we seek divine guidance for our actions in love and mutual forbearance?
How well do our Meetings for Business lead to a corporate search for and revelation of God's truth?
As difficult problems arise, are we careful to meet them in a spirit of love and humility with minds open for creative solutions?
Do we avoid pressure of time, neither unnecessarily prolonging or unduly curtailing full discussion?
Do we recognize that the search for unity may require us to accept with good grace a decision of the Meeting with which we are not entirely in agreement?
Are younger Friends, new members, and attenders given appropriate responsibility in the Meeting?

QUERY FOR APRIL

2008-04-24T09:10:00.001-05:00

Do we center our lives in the awareness of the presence of God so that all things take their rightful place?
Do we keep our lives uncluttered with things and activities and avoid commitments beyond our strength and light?
Is the life of the Meeting so ordered that it helps us simplify our personal lives?
Do we order our individual lives so as to nourish our spiritual growth?

QUERY FOR MARCH

2008-03-21T08:51:00.003-05:00

Do we live the virtue of that life and power which takes away the occasion of all war?
Do we refrain from taking part in war as inconsistent with the spirit of Christ?
What are we doing to remove the causes of war and to bring about the conditions of Peace?
Where there are hatred, division and strife, how are we instruments of reconciliation and love?
As we work for peace in the world, are we nourished by peace within ourselves?

Speak For Peace Tour

2008-02-07T14:47:00.000-05:00

Join us February 26 at 7:30 Trinity United Methodist Church, 1100 Lake Drive SE Grand Rapids 49506 as Raed Jarrar, an Iraqui Political, and Patricia McCann, a Veteran of the Iraq war, tell stories of war that we seldom through mainstream media and ways that we can bring an end to the suffering. Only through a better understanding of the experiences of both U.S. troops and Iraqi people will we see the possibilities of peace.

This event is sponsored by the Institute for Global Education, the Grand Rapids Community of Peace with Justice, and the Grand Rapids Friends Meeting. Discussion will follow. Contact: IGE, 454-1642 or Betty Ford, 942-4317

QUERY FOR FEBRUARY

2008-01-29T20:43:00.000-05:00

How do we prepare our hearts and minds for worship?
Do we meet in expectant waiting for the prompting of the Divine Spirit?
Is there a living silence in which we are drawn together by the power of God in our midst?
Is this inspiration carried over into our daily living?

QUERY FOR NOVEMBER

2007-10-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

• Do we regard our time, talents, energy, money, material possessions and other resources as gifts from God to be held in trust and shared according to the light we are given?

• How do we express this conviction?

• What are we doing as individuals and as a Meeting to use and thereby perfect our gifts?

• How do we encourage others to use theirs?

New Meeting Space

2007-09-03T16:32:00.001-05:00

As of September 2nd, Grand Rapids Friends Meeting is now held at the Browne Center, 2001 Robinson Road, on the campus of Aquinas College. It is easiest to use the parking lot off of Woodward Lane.

Meeting time is 10:30 every Sunday with Meeting lasting one hour and fellowship afterward.

Quaker Women's Group

2007-08-16T17:57:00.000-05:00

The Quaker gals camp out was a great success; and there was consensus that we should continue to get together throughout the year (Sandy from Holland has offered to facilitate a women's history afternoon). This is an invitation to any gals not yet participating on the google group - Quaker Women - to get involved. To be part of the conversation just drop me an email and I'll get you signed up. I hope more are able to join us for future adventures.
catherine.deyo@gmail.com

QUERY FOR JUNE

2007-06-08T10:33:00.000-05:00

Do we center our lives in the awareness of the presence of God so that all things take their rightful place?
Do we keep our lives uncluttered with things and activities and avoid commitments beyond our strength and light?
Is the life of the Meeting so ordered that it helps us simplify our personal lives?
Do we order our individual lives so as to nourish our spiritual growth?

QUERY FOR DECEMBER

2006-12-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

• Do we each take an active part in the life of our Meeting?
• How do we recognize the varied skills and spiritual gifts of our members and attenders?
• How do we nurture their use and growth?
• In what ways are we bringing together members and attenders, young and old, in love and community?

Holiday Potluck and Program

2006-12-03T14:44:00.000-05:00

Noon - Sunday, December 10th at the Plimls, following Meeting for Worship at Marywood.

Lake Erie Yearly Meeting Queries

2006-12-03T14:43:00.000-05:00

1. What do I understand "divine guidance" and "discernment" to mean?
2. How do I experience divine guidance and discernment in my life and in our life as a Meeting?
3. What are we, as Friends, being called to do or to be in the world at this time?

Time Change in December

2006-11-19T19:21:00.000-05:00

Meeting for Worship will change to:
Sundays at 10:30 AM; Fellowship at 11:45 AM
on December 3, 2006

QUERY FOR OCTOBER

2006-10-02T08:35:00.000-05:00

• Do we live in the virtue of that life and power which takes away the occasion of all war?
• Do we refrain from taking part in war as inconsistent with the spirit of Christ?
• What are we doing to remove the causes of war and to bring about the conditions of Peace?
• Where there are hatred, division and strife, how are we instruments of reconciliation and love?
• As we work for peace in the world, are we nourished by peace within ourselves?

QUERY FOR SEPTEMBER

2006-09-29T15:11:00.000-05:00

Query: Is there a climate of love and trust in our Meeting which invites and encourages everyone to be open about individual and family lifestyles, including their satisfactions and problems? • How does the Meeting support families of all kinds in their attempts to improve communication, family life, and the rearing of children in a context of love? How do we help the Meeting give a sense of spiritual kinship to those who participate in it?

QUERY FOR AUGUST

2006-08-23T11:39:00.000-05:00

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 other's personal needs and difficulties and do we assist in useful ways?

Fall Family Camp Out

2006-08-15T21:07:00.000-05:00

The Fall Family Camp Out will be at the Highland Recreation Area near Pontiac, September 15-17 (this will be a rustic experience). That is the same weekend that the Quarterly Meeting at Friends School is held. Hopefully everyone that will be attending the meeting can join us for fellowship at camp (and visa verse).

For details, contact Cathi Deyo catherine.deyo@gmail.com

Meeting for Worship in Aquinata (at Marywood)

2006-08-09T19:14:00.000-05:00

We will be trying out new space in Aquinata Hall at Marywood this Sunday, August 13th.
Meeting for Worship is at 10:00 am, followed by Meeting for Business in the same space.
Go in the building just to the north of the main parking lot. You can park in front of that building. Enter the door near the left front corner of the building. Someone will be out there to point you in the right direction. See you Sunday!

Summer Gathering of Green Pastures Quarterly Mtg

2006-07-30T12:54:00.000-05:00

Sunday, August 6 - No Meeting for Worship at Marywood. Instead, going to Battle Creek for the Summer Gathering of Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting - takes place in Quaker Park, Battle Creek, on Sunday, August 6th at 11:00 am. Meeting for Worship is held at a simple monument which traces the walls of the original Friends Meetinghouse. Bring your own chair and weather protection for holding worship out in the open, as did Fox and Penn, rain or shine. Potluck lunch under the trees.

Directions: Quaker Park is on Fremont and Groveland Streets, three blocks north of the YMCA Kimball House.
From Grand Rapids: Take 131 to the Plainwell Exit. Go East on 89 to Battle Creek. 89 joins with 37. Continue into the downtown area, watch for Capitol Ave. which comes after the Kellogg Arena. Turn left on Capitol, which will cross the river, join with 66 and almost immediately is Fremont. Turn left on Fremont (north), Quaker Park is on your left in three blocks at Groveland. Park either on Groveland or Fremont.

Canoeing and Camping

2006-06-28T05:49:00.000-05:00

Greetings Friends

Updated information on upcoming Friends events - (I am not sure if my distribution list is up to date; if there is some else that that should be receiving this information, please pass this on and let me know the correct email.)

Canoe trip July 22 - We will be floating the Chippewa near Mt Pleasant, $32 per canoe, $20 per kayak and the trip is 3-4 hrs long. Those with their own boats can arrange shuttles with out a 'put in' fee. Otherwise transportation for private boats is $10 per canoe and $5 per kayak. We will meet up at Buckley's Mountainside Canoes at 10am. I will be making the initial reservation July 8th. Anyone interested should contact me at catherine.deyo@gmail.com .

Camping at Fort Custer in Battle Creek - since there has been a very limited response there will not be an organized camp out prior to the Summer Quarterly.Fall Camp Out - there will be a Fall camp out the weekend of Fall Quarterly in southeast Michigan. Further details to be announced. Please complete the Family Camp Survey, if you have not already done so.

Thanks so much for helping to get the word out!
Be Well, Catherine Deyo
Grand Rapids Friends Meeting

Messages and Musings of Friends

2006-06-22T15:48:00.000-05:00

Hi, everybody. Welcome to the new blog of the Grand Rapids Friends Meeting (Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA). This is just part of the setup. Jason Pliml has created a website for us, with map and calendar and placeholders for other stuff to keep us and our f(F)riends connected. This blog will link to the website and vice versa. The blog will be more for announcements and posting of writings and reflections that we want to share with each other and the rest of the world.

It is easier to do this with a blog. Anyone who wants to post something (or a reply) can submit it easily (details will come out later -- for now, I just wanted to get this started.

We'll also be soon changing the look and layout. I just had to get something started. So, any ideas on graphics or look/layout are welcome.

Have a great day!
Walt Marston (for Deb, Ben and Jason as well)