Notes from Pastor Ashley / March 01, 2023

Dear Friends, I have had so much fun connecting with people at Guilford College over the past week! On Wednesday, my class met in the meetinghouse (we are halfway through the semester!). Then on Thursday, I joined QLSP for Taize worship in the New Garden meeting room. Afterward, we had a wonderful dinner with Friends from the meeting, provided by Caring Friends. Five students stayed for our pastoral visitation training, along with many people from…

North Carolina Fellowship of Friends Spring Meeting / March 4, 2023

NCFF will hold its Spring meeting on Saturday, March 4 from 9am-12pm. It will be in person at First Friends, 2100 W Friendly Ave, Greensboro, NC. Breakfast will be provided. You do not need to register or RSVP. However, if you would like to attend virtually, First Friends has set up a Zoom meeting for the day, and Richard Wilcox at [email protected] will need RSVP’s for virtual attenders so that he can forward the link…

Challenging Racism / March 1, 2023

There was a book in our Little Free Antiracist Library entitled, “Black Rednecks and White Liberals” by Thomas Sowell. I’d never heard of Thomas Sowell and there was no picture of him on the book jacket. There was, however, a short review, praising the book, by a Fox News commentator, so I suspected it was probably not conducive to our antiracist purposes. Before recycling it at McKays though, I did my homework and was, yet…

Rosenwald Schools Documentary on PBS-NC / March 2023

Southern states, including North Carolina, largely ignored their responsibility to provide an education for rural Black children in the early 20th century. But then a plan hatched by a famous black educator and a Jewish philanthropist broke Jim Crow’s grip on funding for black schools. The resulting schools helped change the South and the nation, one student at a time. Tom Lassiter produced and wrote “Unlocking the Doors of Opportunity / The Rosenwald Schools of…

Help Needed for Guilford College Students over Spring Break / March 4th –12th, 2023

Spring Break at Guilford College will be from March 4th-March 12th–there will be a handful of mostly international students staying on campus who are feeling nervous about food security over the break. Our wonderful Global and Off Campus Initiatives (GOCI) Director, Cathryn Bennett, is hoping to organize some opportunities for students to have occasional meals with local Friends, or to invite local Friends to make meals we can leave in the Friends Center fridge that…

Religious Education / March 1, 2023

Dear Friends, We had a lovely time together on Sunday during Intergenerational First Day School. We all listened to a powerful Faith and Play story, and smaller Friends did their “work” in response. When I look back and see how our children respond to the stories, I am reminded of their wisdom, Light, and ministry. I’ve included a picture of one Friend’s art work. You can find it, and more on the Religious Education bulletin…

Heads Up from Earth Quaker Action Team (EQUAT) / March 1, 2023

We are taking action to challenge Vanguard on its stewardship hypocrisy, highlighting the ways it has failed to act on its own stated values. Vanguard says it considers climate change a “fundamental risk to companies and their shareholders’ long-term financial success,” and that they have a fiduciary duty to encourage the companies they invest in to mitigate climate risk. Unfortunately, Vanguard is not doing enough to push companies like Exxon and Chevron in the right…

Pledge Cards / March 2023

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to either mail in, or drop off your pledge cards! If you haven’t sent yours in yet, please do so. You can feel free to put it either in the office mailbox in the connector, under my office door, scan and email it to me, or via USPS mail. –Valerie

First Day at New Garden Friends Meeting / March 5, 2023

9:00 a.m. Unprogrammed Meeting for Worship 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. Adult Forum (Zoom) 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. Spiritual Disciplines (Zoom) 11 a.m. Semi-Programmed Meeting for Worship* • Worshipful Music: Andy Mock • Welcome: Kevin Lawe • Announcements: Karen Garraputa • Congregational Hymn: • Reading: #272, George Fox, by Sydney Carter • Special Music: • Message: The Inner Light and the Human Dilemma, Miles Foy • Silent Worship • Holding in the Light *Friends are also…