Challenging Racism / November 2, 2021

News, Social Concerns

The September 29 entry in this space offered a quotation from Harold Weaver, Jr.’s Pendle Hill Pamphlet #465 – Race, Systemic Violence, and Retrospective Justice (2020). In that pamphlet he mentions The BlackQuaker Project, which “(1) celebrates the lives and contributions of Quakers of Color worldwide and (2) documents and addresses their concerns. It is an outreach and in-reach ministry of Wellesley Friends Meeting, guided by the Quaker testimonies of Truth, Peace, Equality, Community, and…

Adult Forum / November 21, 2021

Community, First Day, News, Religious Education

9:45 a.m. / On November 21, our Adult Forum Zoom class will discuss the current selection for our whole city to read a book together: “There There” by Tommy Orange. This award-winning novel is about what life is like for Native Americans who live in cities, having moved from tribal reservations. We will have two guest facilitators trained by the Public Library to lead our discussion that day. You may pick up a copy of…

Pastor Margaret’s Schedule / October – December 2021

Ministry & Council, News

Margaret has partnered with the Meeting on Ministry and Counsel to shorten her work week so that she can spend more time with her family. She will be using her paid time off (vacation time) to take every Thursday off through the end of December. Margaret will continue to work her regular schedule of Sunday through Wednesday and some Saturdays. On Thursdays and Fridays Deborah Suess will help provide pastoral care coverage whenever possible.

Time Change for Meeting for Worship / Begins November 7

First Day, News, Worship

Friends are advised that the time for semi-programmed Meeting for Worship will be pushed back to 11 a.m. as Daylight Savings Time ends (in effect November 7). Concurrently Adult Forum (Zoom only) will then move back to its usual time at 9:45 a.m. With the understanding that cooler weather may be coming, decisions on whether to meet outside will be made weekly. Please note that our virtual Meetings for Worship will continue on a regular…

Alternatives to Violence Project / December 3-5, 2021

News, Social Concerns

We’re doing an Online Basic Workshop on December 3-5, 2021 and Online Advanced Workshop on January 8-10, 2022  Join us and/or share with others who may be interested! While we aren’t able to offer traditional weekend workshops in person, we’ve come up with a way to offer a similar experience online using Zoom. Many of you have participated with us in one or more workshops – others have expressed an interest in our program. Here’s…

Covid Advisory Update / October 26, 2021

Covid-19, News

The COVID  Advisory Group met 10/11/21, and protocols for New Garden Friends Meeting will remain the same for the next month. Specifically, we will continue semi-programmed Meeting for Worship (MFW) outdoors and/or by Zoom and Facebook Live.   Friends will be notified if weather does not permit in-person outdoor worship.  Unprogrammed MFW may take place outdoors or indoors, in accordance with current masking and distancing protocols.  Other small group meetings indoors at the Meeting House…

Hallowe’en Graveyard Tour / October 31, 2021

Community, Holiday, News

For the first time in two years, there will be a Hallowe’en night lantern tour of the New Garden graveyard! The 8 p.m. stroll through the cemetery will be led by Max Carter. Given the special circumstances of the year, there will be no “interpreters” at various graves, and no Starbucks coffee at the final — Starbuck — site. But there will be plenty of stories of the fascinating people and events interred in the…

Challenging Racism Discussion Group / October 27, 2021

Community, News, Social Concerns

The North Carolina Fellowship of Friends Antiracism Discussion Group will meet again Wednesday, October 27, at 7 p.m. We will look at how systemic racism may be present in our monthly meetings using a worksheet called the Continuum on Becoming an Antiracist, Multicultural Institution. Our discussion leaders will be CH Holcombe of New Garden Friends Meeting and David Smith of Deep River Friends Meeting. We will meet in the full group and also have breakout…