Bellingham Quaker E-News December 16, 2015

Friendly Tasks for December 20th

Care of Meeting: Don G
Key: Carole T
Setup helper: Rachael VB
Greeter: Wendy G
Snack: Everyone !
Kitchen: Mark H
Kitchen helper: Sharon T
Children's teacher:

Please contact Carole T to volunteer for vacant tasks - or just pitch in when you arrive.

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MfWfB

Did you know?

We have a special mailing list for Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business. Friends on that list receive reports and other items circulated for review a few days prior to the meeting as well as the draft minutes from the previous MfWfB. If you are not now on this list and you want to be added, just click here to request that you be added to the list.

Selected items from the Dec 13th MfWfB: See MfWfB minutes and reports for more details:

Accepted for seasoning: Sponsorship of two hours of radio programming from Northern Spirit Radio on Sunday mornings from 8 to 10 am on KVWV (new local, low power radio station). Northern Spirit Radio is a Quaker-founded organization that produces two program series, “Song of the Soul” featuring folk music and musicians from around the country, and “Spirit in Action” - stories of social justice, sustainability, and peace-building activities. The radio station will be 94.9 FM and it is currently streaming online at www.KVWV.org.
Approved: 2016 budget, scholarship for the Woolman Semester for a local high school student, Susan R's appointment to nominating committee, co-sponsorship of David Swanson's Bellingham stop on his book tour. He is the author of a book entitled “War is a Lie: Second Edition”

Approved Schedule changes:

Friends approved M&C's proposal for Iris Graville and another Friend to facilitate a Meeting for Worship for Sharing on Jan. 31.
Friends also approved shifting the potluck for February to Jan 24th to accommodate other programing

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Calendar for Bellingham Friends

Midweek Worship
Wed, Dec 16, 7– 9pm
Mary Ann P.'s home

SPECIAL 12/16 only! Mid week worship in song with potluck desserts and holiday beverages!

Come join us round the piano at 7pm for carol singing in lieu of worship sharing. Stay for worship time if you'd like. Or we may decide to do all our worship in song that evening!

Potluck festive treats welcome!

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Upcoming Second Hours:

Dec. 27 – “Sprinkling Happiness” (Aurora?) or extended social time
Jan. 3 – Potluck
Jan. 10 – MfWfB
Jan. 17 – Second Hour on Quaker Worship: A How-to-Do-It-Yourself Discussion, including distractions, focusing, and communal worship.
Jan. 24 – Pre-February Potluck
Jan. 31 – Meeting for sharing about (a-lot-more-than) a Meetinghouse, with Iris Graville and someone else (TBA) facilitating.
Feb. 7 -- State of Society brainstorming
Feb. 14 – MfWfB
Feb. 21 -
Feb. 28 -
Mar. 6 – Celebration of Mary Ann's membership
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A Message from Ministry and Counsel

Since our November MFWFB, Ministry & Counsel has been meeting, reflecting, praying, and discerning about best ways to help our Meeting community move forward, in light of both our months-long process and our inability to find unity before the end of our contingency contract for the purchase of Bell Tower Studios building.

At this time, we're planning a community-wide opportunity, to be facilitated by two weighty (trusted, wise) Friends from another Meeting in our Quarter, to allow each of us to express what is on our hearts, with the hope of moving forward as a community. Iris Graville has accepted our request to be one of these, and to find another Friend to work with her. They will be here Jan. 31, for an extended "second hour" session.

Please save the date! There is a large range of thoughts and feelings held by Friends, and we wish to create a safe space to honor and hear them and each other. We do hope as many as possible will attend this session.

Ministry and Counsel is available for you individually as needed. We encourage you to let us know you'd like to attend one of our meetings (the next one will be Wednesday 12/30 at 7 pm) so that we may corporately hear your concern. (We prefer that Friends avoid just speaking one-to-one with any one member of M&C as there may be misunderstandings in that M&C Friend later describing your concern to the whole committee.) At the same time, we encourage all a Friends to share what is on their hearts in our community-wide event.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we proceed in our efforts to mind the Light.

Silence and Singing
From Sharon T and Don R

Many Friends love to sing hymns. Many Friends love meeting for worship, but are unable to attend regularly on Sundays or feel a need for more. SO, Sharon and Don are proposing to host a mid-week session every other week that does both, starting in the new year. We envision a format that would start with 15 minutes of gathering and greeting, followed by 45 minutes of silent worship, a 15-minute wet-your-whistle break, ending with hymn singing for an hour or so. Friends could choose to come to either or both.

Please let Sharon or Don know whether you would be interested and which of the following times are best for you… and which are impossible.

Wednesday* 6:30 7:00 or 7:30
Thursday 6:30 7:00 or 7:30
* Wednesdays would alternate with our current midweek worship
Please send/give/mail/e-mail your responses to Don at donaldreinke@hotmail.com or Sharon at sharon_trent@comcast.net or call at 714-6141, 202-6593, or 303-4381

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Friends have donated $220 to help the Lummi food bank distribute
Christmas baskets for 800 Lummi families this year.
Thank You, Friends

Watch this video to get an idea of the work of Lummi Community Service (food bank, commodities, and supportive programs and services).

George Guerrero who runs the Lummi Food program is the recipient of the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center's 2015 Peace Builder's Award

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FOLLOW INDIGENOUS PRESENCE IN PARIS CLIMATE CHANGE EVENTS:

1. Lummi presence in Paris go to Freddy Lanes Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/phreddie.lane

2. Indigenous Environmental Network Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/ienearth

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Whidbey Island Friends Meeting Fundraiser
From Don G

GOT SOAP?

Friends from Whidbey Island Friends Meeting are asking for your help to support Way of the Spirit, a retreat and study program from the wisdom of the Quaker tradition. Started four years ago by Christine Hall, a member of that Meeting, Way of the Spirit is a 2-year program (6 retreats and supportive online community) that offers a life-changing experience for men and women from meetings and churches throughout the Northwest.

To help keep costs low for participants, offset expenses and support Christine’s fulltime work with a small monthly stipend, Way of the Spirit depends on donations. For the first time, the Support Committee is also raising money by selling soap made by Quaker soapmakers on Whidbey Island! They are keeping the suggested donation price on the low side: $5/bar with no sales tax. Every penny from the sale of the soap goes to support Way of the Spirit. Checks should be made payable to Good News Associates.

Inner Light soap is handmade using organic oils, natural essential oils and organic, raw honey. It comes in 3 “flavors”: Clove Honey, Tangerine Honey, and Peppermint Honey. Made simply and carefully, the soap lathers beautifully, smells great, and is good for your skin. These bars of soap make ideal gifts and stocking stuffers, and will be available (along with information about the Way of the Spirit program) at Explorations Academy before and after Meeting for Worship through the end of December. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Don Goldstein (671-1395, dnx6309@gmail.com).

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Are You Living A Life of Prayer?

Help support others' lives of prayer. What Canst Thou Say (WCTS) is gathering stories from prayer lives for a book called "Immersed in Prayer." We hope to enrich the lives of others who are reaching to God through prayer. Queries and author guidelines can be found on the WCTS website. Click here to go directly to the guidelines page . Submissions will be accepted through March of 2016 .

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Western Friend

Renewal time for 2016 is upon us. This is a bi monthly official publication of Pacific, North Pacific and Intermountain Yearly Meetings of the Religious Society of Friends. It is available in print and/or PDF. Cost for print is 32.00/ PDF 27.00 and both 45.00. This is a group rate which is less than an individual subscription. If you are not familiar with this publication, we will make back and current issues available. Let Lorina Hall know as she is collecting information and funds.

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Looking Ahead to Wider Quaker Gatherings:

PNQM Silent Retreat Jan 22 - 25, 2016
(may be extended to 1/26)
Camp Huston, Gold Bar, Washington. For more information and registration forms click here

Way of the Spirit: Study-Retreat Program from the Quaker Tradition
February 12-15, 2016
Mt. Angel, OR.
Deepen faithfulness and explore your leadings in life-changing community. Convergent, Quaker grounding. Apply by December 12th to avoid late fees. Click Here for more info / registration and additional retreat dates. [link to be posted to our website soon]

Spring 2016 session- Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting
Theme: Deepening our Relationship with All Creation
Dates: April 22-24, 2016
Where: Lazy F Camp and Retreat Center near Ellensburg WA
Hosted by: Olympia Friends Meeting and Agate Passage Friends Meeting
To download a copy of the flyer for this session, click here: [link to be posted on our website soon]

Pacific Northwest Quaker Women's Theology Conference

July 15-19, 2016
Canby Grove Christian Center
Canby Grove, Oregon
Theme: Naming the Gifts of the Living Presence
For more information, click here
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