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Friendly Tasks for December 6th.
Care of Meeting: Don G.
Key: Lorina H.
Setup helper: Gloria H.
Greeter: Larry T.
Snack: Potluck
Kitchen: Carole T.
Kitchen helper: Sharon T.
Children's teacher: Virginia H.
Please contact Carole T to volunteer for vacant tasks - or just pitch in when you arrive.
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Calendar for Bellingham Friends
Midweek Worship -TONIGHT
Wed, Dec 2, 7– 9pm
Mary Ann P.'s home
One hour worship + one hour worship sharing/ check-in.
Book Group
Tue. Dec 8, 7-8:30 pm
At the Richardson's
Book for the month: More library copies of the book Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood are available - contact Susan R to borrow one.
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Bellingham Quakers march for Climate Justice - Nov 29, 2015
Click on the picture for stories and photos from the weekend's climate marches around the world.(afterwards, Friends joined Meeting to welcome Larry T to membership)
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Upcoming Second Hours:
Dec. 13 – MfWfB
Dec. 20 – Holiday Community Sharing?
Dec. 27 – *sprinkling happiness?* (Aurora)
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Last Call for Ben Lomond Quaker Conference Queries
Our Meeting/community will most benefit from Susan's and Mary Ann's presence at BLQC if they are able to carry the most accurate info from BFM Friends
- Why are you drawn to your meeting or to Friends' faith and practices?
- What activities in your meeting have nourished and deepened your experience of Quakerism?
- How might you feel more engaged with deepening your Quaker experience?
Please send your responses to these querries directly to
Mary Ann P and/or Susan R
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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 its outcome regarding the purchase/use of Bell Tower Studios as a home for our spiritual community.
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 (whose names will be shared once we know who has accepted our invitation, and their available date/s), to allow each of us to express what is on our hearts, with the hope of moving forward as a community.
We understand 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; to that end, we will announce the date as soon as we know it.
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 coming up on Monday 12/7 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.
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Whidbey Island Friends Meeting Fundraiser
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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Links from Second Hour on Advanced Directives
(Mary Ann P)
NHDD (National Healthcare Decisions Day) video-- Click Here
Honoring Choices Pacific Northwest: Click Here
(their excellent video is on this site)
To access their email your family/friend service Click Here
(I encourage people to include the NHDD video link in this email; I find it quite compelling)
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Whatcom Peace and Justice Center is organizing a
Bellingham/Whatcom Refugee Network
Click Here to register and to indicate what you would be able to provide
for refugees who are resettled in our area.
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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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Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) Basic Workshop - THIS WEEKEND
December 4-6, 2015
(Bellingham Friends Meeting is a co-sponsor of this event with WPJ)
Facilitators: Rick & Jan Krouskop & Guest
Cost: is $40-100 and includes three meals and snacks. (A contribution of more than $40 will provide a scholarship for someone)
Location: Explorations Academy - 1701 Ellis St #215, Bellingham, WA 98225
For more information and to register, click here
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Something New for Potluck Sundays - beginning December 6th
Getting acquainted with our new attenders and each other OWG has requested that our first-Sunday Second Hours in December and April include a get-acquainted ice-breaker activity between rise of Meeting for Worship and our monthly potluck. Our recent new attenders will be especially and individually invited so that we can all get to know a little about them and more about each other at the same time. If you have an activity to suggest, one that can include up to 35 people and be completed in a half-hour at most, please contact OWG Clerk Don Goldstein (360-671-1395 or dnx6309@gmail.com). And please plan to participate in the first such event on December 6th!
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Building Allyship Skills for White People
Wednesday, December 9th 6 to 8pm
From Nan Macy
Intended audience: white people. We welcome the attendance and participation of People of Color, if they should choose to simply observe, participate and share some of their experiences, or provide feedback at the end of the session; we know that it is not People of Color's responsibility to educate white folks about racism. This gathering will be facilitated by Matteo Tamburini of the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center.
Where: The Whatcom Peace and Justice Center,
1220 Bay Street, Bellingham
Cost: Donation based
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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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Friday Peace Vigil
When: Every Fri, 3:45pm – 4:45pm
Where: 104 W Magnolia St, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA (map)
Description: The Nation's oldest weekly Peace Vigil. Paricipants gather weekly at 4:00 pm with signs in front of the Federal Building on the Corner of Magnolia and Cornwall Streets.
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December Concern of the Month:
Medical Teams International (MTI) - Syrian Refugee Relief effort
Bellingham Friends have already donated over $160 to this effort,
and SEC is sending that money to MTI.
Friends who did not get a chance to contribute at meeting
and Friends who would like to give more
may donate directly to MTI by
clicking here
(Note that Medical Teams International has received
a four star rating (the highest possible) from Charity Navigator
Syrian Refugee Crisis Response
This is the world’s worst refugee crisis since World War II. Syrian refugees are vulnerable, at danger of poor health and sickness that can spread quickly.
Medical Teams International
is organizing delivery of survival kits for Refugees in Greece
Their goal is to gather 10,000 kits to serve 30,000 refugees by December 31, 2015. Family kits cost ~$30, and infant kits cost ~ $20.
Donations made by December 31st will be matched by an anonymous donor
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Whatcom Peace and Justice Center
is organizing a
Bellingham/Whatcom Refugee Network
Click Here to register and to indicate what you would be able to provide
for refugees who are resettled in our area.
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On Our Website:
Click to visit website
Metamorphosis
(our monthly newsletter - with feature articles and poetry and much more!)
Back issues of the E-News
(soon to include this one!)
And much more!
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Announcements from the
Wider Community
Bellingham Community Chorus,
two performances in December:
- Friday, Dec. 4th, 6:30 pm at the Ferry Terminal. Our part of the program will be less than 30 minutes. As usual, the Gingerbread House competition will be on display and other groups will be singing. Free.
- Sunday, Dec. 20th, 3:00 pm at St. James Presbyterian Church, 910 14th St., Fairhaven. More music, no gingerbread. Free with donations gratefully accepted.
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"A River Between Us"
Pickford Film Center on
Monday, December 7th, from 6:30-8:30pm.
This thoughtful documentary explores relationships
among the vast communities in the Klamath River Basin.
“Ultimately, A River Between Us isn’t about fish or water rights or even a forty-year water war, it’s about the harm people do to each other”
- ariverbetweenus.com
Following the film,
League of Women Voters
of Bellingham and Whatcom County
will host a panel of leaders from
Whatcom County agricultural and tribal communities
who will discuss similarities and differences with
our own water challenges in the
Nooksack basin.
Pickford Film Center is generously contributing half the
proceeds from this showing to the LWVBWC
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Holiday Book Festival
Thursday, December 10th, 12 noon - 8 pm
Cruise Terminal
Meet 26 Pacific Northwest authors and illustrators. You will find all genres, from kids’ books to cookbooks, memoir to mysteries. Signed books are a wonderful holiday gift.
This is a first annual event! There will be music, munchies, and plenty of books for the readers in your lives.
For those of you who have thought about writing a book but didn’t know how to start, this is an excellent opportunity to talk with people who have felt the same way, and successfully navigated the process.
The event is FREE to the public. Parking is FREE. Refreshments provided.
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Saturday, December 12
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