CMM 2010-01-10

Minutes of Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting of

the Religious Society of Friends

First Month 10^th, 2010

Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting gathered in Meeting for Worship for Business at the Merrimack Valley Day Care Center in Concord, NH. Friends present were: Mark Barker, Jay Smith, David Woolpert, Penny Petkiewicz, Grace LeClair, Lois Booth, Brian Paterson, Kathy Mercer, Alisa Barnard (recording clerk), Sara Smith (clerk).

The meeting began with a period of silent worship.

01.1  The meeting reviewed and approved the minutes of the Meeting for Worship for Business of 12^th Month, 2009.

01.2  Budget Update: It is anticipated that in the next 1-2 months, the meeting will begin to have expenses related to the occupancy of the new meetinghouse (i.e., insurance, electricity, wood pellets).  The Housing Committee and the treasurer will be working to present a revised budget that will reflect these new costs.  Additionally, this revised budget will reflect the fact that the meeting will begin to pay interest on the meetinghouse loan in 3-4 months.

01.3  Meetinghouse Update: The meeting is in need of an individual to coordinate the finish work in the meetinghouse.  Sara Smith will coordinate the volunteers if someone can be found to organize the work. The Housing Committee will discuss this concern at a previously scheduled meeting on 1.10.10 and will get a schedule out to the meeting as soon as possible.

01.4  Thanks to the First Day School Committee: Those gathered observed a period of worship sharing in appreciation to the committee for the meaningful and transformational work that they have done in the past year.

01.5  Contact List: Thanks to Friend Mark Barker for continuously updating the CMM contact list.

01.6  NEYM Ministry and Counsel Announcements and Notes: The Ministry and Counsel committee discussed the question of whether or not to require State of Society reports this year in light of the Jubilee theme for the year.  The Yearly Meeting will not do a State of Society report.  The CMM Ministry and Counsel is asked to sit with the question of whether or not CMM might chose to write a State of Society report this year.

The Sessions Committee is reworking their plans in order to honor the spirit of Jubilee.  CMM’s representative to the NEYM Ministry and Counsel committee shared thoughts on the theme of Jubilee and what it might mean for Friends to fully embrace it.

CMM’s representative to the NEYM Ministry and Counsel committee reminded Friends of the importance of intervisitation and support of Quarterly and Yearly Meeting to the life of the greater Quaker community. NEYM is encouraging Friends to consider how in the spirit of Jubilee we might grow and strengthen the connections within the greater Quaker community.  Ministry and Counsel is asked to season these ideas.  Friends were reminded that we may also embrace Jubilee as an opportunity to be playful and enjoy the light rather than worrying so much about “the candleholder.”  In doing so we may also better reach out to others.