Dear Friends, This week in worship, I will be starting a series of messages about wisdom in Proverbs. Throughout the book of Proverbs, wisdom appears as a woman, calling out to the people. I love this image, and I am interested in exploring how wisdom calls to us as Friends. We have deep wisdom in the Quaker tradition, which guides us in our worship and how we make decisions. I look forward to considering this…
Dear Council members and partners, You are invited to join us for our upcoming event – the Council’s 2023 Legislative Seminar! This is a great opportunity to learn about policies on the General Assembly agenda and to get involved in shaping North Carolina’s public policy changes. Our workshop topics include reproductive justice, workers’ rights, immigration, tax and budget, LGBTQ+ legislation, gun violence prevention, voting rights, opioid/overdose response, and environmental justice. We are pleased to announce…
Gather with F(f)riends at the rise of worship this First Day for an always delicious carry-in meal, followed by Meeting for Business at 1:00 p.m.
What is your sphere of influence? Everybody has one. Think about it – do you sit on a board, a neighborhood association, committees, or have relationships with people who are in the position to make policy decisions? You may think you do not have the formal authority to make changes in policies that can affect racial equity. Maybe you don’t. But you still have influence. Just as “thoughts and prayers” aren’t enough, being friendly and…
Learn about racism in its institutional and structural forms: attend a Racial Equity Insitute (REI) session! Based here in Greensboro, REI facilitates two main programs: a three-hour Groundwater Presentation and a two-day Phase One workshop. Both are being offered over Zoom and in person. The Groundwater Presentation is an introduction to racial equity, using stories and data to present a perspective that racism is fundamentally structural in nature. The Groundwater metaphor is designed to help…
The world is facing growing devastation from our changing climate. These impacts have far reaching effects—compounding the ongoing global food crisis and driving political and economic instability. Even though the United States is one of the biggest historic contributors of greenhouse gases, it is the countries with far fewer resources that are bearing the brunt of this climate crisis. This is a moral issue. Urge Congress to support global climate assistance! Write Congress As a…
Carolina Friends School is offering the Beloved Community Journey June 27-July 2. With other thoughtful F/friends, explore civil rights history and contemporary human rights issues in Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery, Tuskegee, and Atlanta. https://www.cfsnc.org/extended-learning/adult-enrichment/bcjourney Please let me know if you have questions, and thanks so much for your consideration–we’d love to have New Garden Friends Meeting members join us! Anthony L. Clay [he/him/his (Why?)], Director and Chief Imagination Officer 4809 Friends School Road | Durham, NC…
Members of Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns gathered online for our Midwinter Gathering from Friday, February 17th, through Monday, February 20th, 2023. More than 150 people registered from all over North America and from Honduras, Australia, Sweden, Costa Rica, and England. Some Friends were attending their first FLGBTQC gathering; some had been involved for 40 years or more. Though age is difficult to discern over Zoom, we felt blessed to have…
Dear Friends, You may be familiar with the projects of Madison Quakers, Inc. For the past thirty-one years, we have been doing humanitarian work with the people of Vietnam—building schools, drilling wells, sponsoring loan funds, and other projects in rural communities. To do this work we have raised funds from generous donors across the United States. Here is some news about an exciting project I will be undertaking later this year to raise funds for…
Dear Friends, Happy May! We have a few special events this month, including Mother’s Day on May 14th. It has been our tradition at New Garden Friends Meeting to dedicate children to our community on both Mother’s and Father’s day. If you are interested in having your child dedicated (at any point- it does not need to be Mother’s/Father’s Day), please email me so that we can make arrangements to do so. Recognition Sunday is…