2024-04-07 Newsletter of

Concord Friends Meeting

A Monthly Meeting in Dover Quarter of New England Yearly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends

At this time masks are not required but are still recommended

COVID GUIDANCE for In-Person Worship.

To request log-in information for Zoom Worship: Zoom [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: %E2%80%9CWorship%E2%80%9D%20Zoom%20Link%20Request) .

Even Missionaries get discouraged at times.

~ Mack Wilberg

(American composer, arranger,

conductor, and choral clinician)

The Meeting Calendar

Day Date Time Event
Sunday April 7th 10:00 a.m.







Rise of Meeting
Meeting for Worship

First Day School:  Rich

Helper:  Dave

Closing:  Kathy & Elaine

PSECC Discernment  (Meal provided!)
Tuesday April 9th 6:30 p.m. Midweek Worship at the Meeting House.  All are welcome.  If possible, please let Rich know you will be joining us. klnschmdt [at] gmail [dot] com (subject: Mid-week%20Worship) (603-899-7574)
Sunday April 14th 10:00 a.m.







11:30 a.m.

12:30 p.m.
Meeting for Worship

First Day School:  TBD

Helper:  Juliet

Closing:  Jennifer & Sara

Potluck

Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

From the Peace, Social and Earthcare Concerns Committee

Join us at rise of Meeting on Sunday, April 7 when the PSECC committee is preparing a Native American inspired meal of corn bread and Three Sisters soup, (no contributions required) for worship sharing and discernment in response to the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) request for our discernment on national legislative priorities. We are asked to identify five priorities (in no particular order) to share with FCNL, which, when combined with similar discernment from other Meetings, will form the basis of FCNL's legislative lobbying for 2024. Below is a link providing examples of priorities in previous years along with other background information about FCNL.

As you go about your group's discernment on what should be FCNL's Legislative Priorities for the 119th Congress, we want to inform you of the main areas in which FCNL is currently placing its resources -- time, lobbyists, and grassroots networks -- as more context for how FCNL does its lobbying.

These issue areas are: Economic Justice, Sustainable Energy and Environment, Justice Reform and Gun Violence Prevention, Just Migration, Native American Concerns, Middle East Policy, Nuclear Nonproliferation, Pentagon Spending, International Peace Building, U.S. Wars and Militarism, and Voting and Elections.

Most of the priorities that groups have brought forward in the past have fallen into one of these broad areas. As individual bills come up in Congress, FCNL staff decide whether to work on it by considering the content and purpose of each bill, whether it has been designated a priority through the discernment process, how it fits into FCNL's strategy for each of these areas, FCNL’s value added in advocating on the issue, congressional opportunities, and whether FCNL staff have the expertise, capacity and resources to work on that bill. Please click on the link below for more information.

https://www.fcnl.org/about/world-we-seek/legislative-priorities


Draft Minutes

The draft minutes for the March 2024 meeting for worship with attention to business are available at:

For corrections, missing documents, and/or clarifications of the minutes, please reply to web clerk, Concord Friends Meeting <webclerk [at] concordfriendsmeeting [dot] org>.</webclerk [at] concordfriendsmeeting [dot] org>

With love, and peace, and tenderness,

Mark

PS. For information about the annual AFSC Corporation meeting on 11-13 April, see: Video of "A Conversation with Jose Antonio Vargas" is at https://afsc.org/video/conversation-jose-antonio-vargas.  The theme this year is “Weaving the Threads of Democracy and Peace in an Age of Conflict”.



Moominmama's blog is back!

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Anne is on the road again and writing about the adventures of Moominmama in her blog.  Read the blog and see her beautiful pictures of New Mexico and Arizona. at:

https://moominmamasadventures.blogspot.com/  


Quarterly Meeting, April 14, 1 p.m./b>

Hello Friends,

Dover Quarter will meet on April 14 at 1 pm. This will be a hybrid meeting - on-site at Dover Friends Meeting and on Zoom. We are meeting this day because the 5th Sunday, March 31st, is Easter. I hope Friends are able to make this new time. Concord has let me know that this is the day of their Meeting for Business but I am hopeful that with the hybrid option some Friends will be able to join.

An important item on the agenda will be consideration of New England Evangelical Friends request to formally become a monthly meeting within the Quarter. A committee from the Quarter met with members of NE Evangelical Friends recently and are clear to recommend this step.

I will send out the rest of the agenda and minutes from our last meeting later, if you have additional items you would like to add, please let me know.

—Jeremiah


BHFH

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Dear Friends,

By the time you read this, the last, I hope, of a winter storm, will be over and we can really think about spring and notice its signs: flowers sprouting from the ground; buds of trees and shrubs; sun and blue skies; and the smell of warm earth,

It is a good time to explore your own backyard or visit downtown Boston this spring!

Beacon Hill Friends House Director, Jen Newman, visited Concord Friends Meeting in March for both worship with us and a guided fourth Sunday program on Gifts. Jen and her staff have invited Friends from Dover Quarter to visit BHFH.  Hope you will be one of them!

BHFH is an independent Quaker nonprofit organization, located at 6 & 8 Chestnut Street in the downtown area of the city, a short walking distance from the State House and Boston Common. Staff and residents provide Quaker activities both in the building and Zoom. It is also a residential intentional community, which is held up by Quaker principles, providing opportunities for spiritual deepening and personal growth towards collective action.

The building is also home to Beacon Hill Friends Meeting.

Here are three dates offered for our visit to Beacon Hill. One of these dates will be chosen based on how many of you can attend.

  • Tuesday, May 21st starting anytime.
  • Wednesday, May 22nd after 12 noon
  • Thursday, May 23rd before 3 p.m.

Please email me with your preferences, Date 1, Date 2, Date 3, and your name, and telephone number.  This announcement will be sent out again with the last day to reply.

Kathy U, kju138 [at] gmail [dot] com 603-296-5659

 


Solemn Vigil for a Cease Fire in Gaza

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Thursdays at Noon

In front of the arch at the Concord State House

The silent vigil for a ceasefire in Gaza continues every Thursday from Noon-1 p.m. at the plaza in front of the State House.  Make your own sign, use one provided, or just stand in silent witness besides others. This is done in coordination with NH Peace Action.   We suggest that people make signs that convey something about justice for Israel and Palestine.  Also please avoid the word genocide, ethnic cleansing, and similar terms.

PSECC Committee


NEYM Monthly Newsletter

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Northeast USFW Plans for Spring Gathering with “Blessed are the Peacemakers” Theme

Northeast USFW Plans for Spring Gathering with “Blessed are the Peacemakers” Theme

May 24 - 26, USFWI - Northeast Region - Spring Gathering, Poughkeepsie, NY. (in-person).

Program highlights will include:

Friday, May 24 Gather for supper and an evening of open worship and introductions.

Saturday, May 25th—Early devotion led by one of our women Friends pastors.

Keynote speaker: Getry Agizah, from Kenya.


Reminders

  • Please remember to keep a pair of slippers or indoor shoes on the shoe rack to limit damage to our floors.
  • Plastic Bags can be put inside the box by the entrance of the Meetinghouse.

Questions, comments, suggestions?

Questions, comments, suggestions?  Email us at: ConcordFriendsNewsletter [at] gmail [dot] com (subject: Concord%20Friends%20Newsletter%20%E2%80%93%20Questions%20Comments%20Suggestions)


From Past Issues:


Ben Lomand Quaker Center

Offers a daily online meeting for worship from 7:30-8:00 a.m. Pacific Time (10:30–11:00 a.m. Eastern Time).  You can join them from anyplace in the world! online meeting for worship


Submission for this Newsletter

Dear Friends,

If you have information or personal news to share via this Newsletter please email your submission to ConcordFriendsNewsletter [at] gmail [dot] com (subject: Concord%20Friends%20Newsletter%20submission) by 5:00 PM on Thursdays.

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  • Finally, it's best to keep your Zoom links in a handy place in case the announcements are not sent in a given week.

Juliet Curran, Newsletter Editor

Are you wanting information from past announcements?

Visit this page on our web site: Past Announcements