A Pair of Pennsylvania Friends Meetinghouses with (Loose) NGFM Links / December 2022

News

                The New Garden Friends Meeting namesake Meetinghouse is located in New Garden Township equidistant from the Chester County Seat (West Chester) and Valley Friends Meetinghouse. With hope this (very stretched!) family link will spark future NGFM links with our Mother PA Meeting, Valley Friends evolved from land granted to it by Lewis Walker (the original settler of Tredyffrin Township). It is a beautiful meetinghouse built in 1871…

The Holding In The Light List / December 7, 2022

News

There have been a few questions recently about why some names are not on the Holding in the Light list. When we receive a pastoral care concern, we ask whether people want to be added to the Holding in the Light list (as well as whether they would like a card, a visit, or a meal). Some people choose not to be added to the list, and we respect their wishes. If you have a…

First Day at New Garden Friends Meeting / December 11, 2022

First Day, Worship

9:45 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: Welcome: Ashley Wilcox Announcements: Karen Garraputa Lighting the Advent Candle (Joy) Congregational Hymn: Reading: Luke 1:39-45 Special Music: Message: Blessed Are You, Ashley Wilcox Silent Worship Holding in the Light   *Meeting for Worship livestream: Facebook Live: http://www.facebook.com/NewGardenFriendsMeeting

“Parents Night Out” Friday, December 9, 2022

Community, Families, News, Youth

Our next “Parents Night Out” is Friday, December 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.. Parents, please register with an email to [email protected] by noon on Thursday. Include your name and cell phone number, another emergency contact, your child’s name and age and any information you want to add about the child. Caregivers will be Marcy Maury and Susan Dorn. Contact Susan with questions at [email protected] or 336-312-2225.

Notes from Pastor Ashley / November 30, 2022

News

Dear Friends, Happy first week of Advent! This is a time when Christians around the world light candles and wait for the coming of Christ. In that way, Advent is very Quaker! Even though Quakers don’t traditionally celebrate Advent, we are always waiting for the Inward Christ, for the voice of the Spirit to come and lead us. As I mentioned on Sunday, I learned that New Garden Friends Meeting celebrates Advent when I found…

Brotherhood Room Book Collection / November 30, 2022

News

John Kepchar and I were asked to examine and deal with the books on the bookcases in the Brotherhood Room. To date we have done the following: 1. Confirmed that Elmer Brown’s library is available for New Garden to deal with, not having any ownership issues we could identify. 2. Shared a list of Elmer’s books with Guilford College’s archives folks and asked them to identify the one’s that Guilford might be interested in, that…

We Can All Be Thankful for John Standard / November 30, 2022

Community, News, Social Concerns

Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving. Unless we had someone else prepare the food, we certainly were highly dependent on both a stove and a refrigerator to cook and store the makings of our feasts. We can be thankful for the work of African American John Standard: “[His] improvements to kitchen appliances eventually led to more innovations in both refrigerator and stove designs that would change the way people around the world stored and cooked their…

A Message from the Meeting on Ministry & Counsel / November 30, 2022

Ministry & Council, News

It seems like these days, life is extraordinarily full of inconveniences and frustrations–aspects of daily life that culminate and can leave us all feeling worn. Holding this aggravation inside, we might then pass it on to others. Friends are asked to recognize that these unkind words and brusque attitudes are increasingly noticed and felt within our Meeting, especially when they are directed to our NGFM staff. Conveying a spirit of impatience, such attitudes run counter…