Holiday Covid News / December 15, 2021

Community, Covid-19, News

Infectious disease experts are now in the process of reevaluating Holiday advice given the discovery of a new, apparently highly contagious COVID variant , now being called Omicron. This variant has so far been isolated in Europe, Africa, and Japan and has prompted governments, including the U.S., to stop some international travel. The impact of this variant can’t be properly estimated for several weeks, and we won’t know the level of protection US vaccines provide from…

Re-home your old tablet at NGFM / December 14, 2021

News, Volunteer

Do you have a surplus iPad or similar tablet capable of running Zoom? New Garden’s Tech Crew needs a tablet for use during Meeting for Worship. It needs to be capable of running Zoom and have an earphone port. It will be used to monitor the First Day Zoom webcast managed from the Meeting House. Members of the Tech Crew are currently using personal equipment to handle this task. The goal is to assemble the…

What is Important to You? / December 14, 2021

Community, News, Social Concerns

The Peace & Social Concerns Committee is extending the deadline for submitting one-page-proposals on how the committee should spend grant money in the “Broader Concerns” portion of our budget. We are awarding $250-$500 grants to projects and organizations that normally do not receive much financial support, and that reflect Quaker values, including our commitment to becoming an antiracist community. If you have questions or wish to submit a proposal, please contact  Patricia Gutzwiller or Janet Inmon by…

Covid Advisory / December 10, 2021

Community, Covid-19, News

The COVID Advisory Group last met 12/6/21, and protocols for New Garden Friends Meeting will continue mostly the same through the Holiday season. Specifically, we will continue semi-programmed Meeting for Worship (MFW) outdoors and/or by Zoom and Facebook Live, now scheduled at 11 am. Friends will be notified if weather does not permit in-person outdoor worship. Un-programmed MFW may take place outdoors or indoors, in accordance with current masking and distancing protocols.  Other small group meetings…

Called Meeting for Worship / December 12, 2021

Covid-19, First Day, Ministry & Council, News, Social Concerns, Worship

There will be a called meeting for worship with attention to business on Sunday, December 12 at 1 p.m, to hold worshipful discussion and discernment around a path forward for indoor, in-person worship. This meeting will be held in the meeting room, capacity of 70, with simultaneous Zoom access. COVID guidance for building use will be observed. Friends are asked to read the attached Queries and Agenda, and sit with these queries in your prayer,…

News from the Anti-Racism Group / December 10, 2021

Community, News, Social Concerns

We have been meeting every other week as we try to discern how to move New Garden toward an Anti-Racist faith community. Some things have already been undertaken (hiring black-owned and run companies), and we have several things in the pipeline, including discussion in upcoming Forums. If anyone would like to join this small group, we could use a few more ideas and thoughts. BTW, we are meeting virtually. Interested? Contact Tim Lindeman. Antiracism Query…

Unprogrammed Meeting for Worship / December 12, 2021

First Day, Worship

9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. / Those attending unprogrammed meetings for worship on Sundays are welcome to use Friendship Hall. Please follow the guidance below; Stay home if you have any symptoms of illness. Meet outdoors, if feasible, regardless of group size; please bring your own chairs. Reserve meeting room(s) in advance by calling the NGFM office at (336) 292-5487 or emailing [email protected] ; note the capacity of room(s) you will be using and do not exceed maximum…

Semi-Programmed Meeting for Worship / December 12, 2021

First Day, News, Worship

Greetings, Friends. Due to the weather conditions predicted for this coming First Day (12/12/2021), our 11:00 AM semi-programmed Meeting for Worship will only be held digitally. There will not be in-person worship at the Meetinghouse. Please join our Facebook live stream here or our interactive Zoom session. A link for Zoom will be sent by email, or it can be requested from the office through Friday. We look forward to seeing you online. Reading: Matthew…