Survey and Reforming Small Groups.

Please take the linked survey [1] re. small group opportunities. It will be open for another week, but book groups are eager to start, so please reply to the survey quickly. Clicking the link will put the document in your downloads folder. See form instructions below.

Crop Walk.

Sheryl reports that the Meeting raised $1,220 for the Crop Walk this year. The total raised at the Concord event was $8,550. Many thanks to the donors and participants. It's not too late to contribute if this has slipped away from you unintentionally. Send a check made out to Crop Walk to Sheryl Ingraham at 4 Fogg St., Concord NH 03301 or by going online at this link.

4th Sunday Program.

The Fourth Sunday Program in October will be a discussion of a land acknowledgement and planning of our first action item in our work toward a Right Relationship with Indigenous people.12:30 after time for a bag lunch.

Minutes.

The draft minutes of the 10/10/21 Meeting for Worship for the Conduct of Business are available at https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/2021-10-10_CMM_Minutes [2]

The following items are repeated from prior announcements.

Ministry and Counsel Announcements

Small Groups A while ago, we started several Zoom groups for things like fellowship and care, and book discussions. As people join in for what feels like a new year in September, it feels like a good time to add new people, start new books, think about other types of groups. We would like to know your ideas and desires for joining groups or forming new ones. Our current fellowship and care groups like to meet weekly and have a consistent membership so they can have ongoing discussions. This is similar to how the book discussions operate. BTW there is much interest in reading The Gatherings. Keep that in mind as you fill out the attached survey. We are looking for other ideas, some of which could be more casual, maybe a Zoom potluck dinner to just chat?  The linked survey [1] is a Word document you can download and add your comments to and then return to MinistryandCounsel [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org. If you have any difficulty with the technology, please let us know.

October Fourth Sunday Program October 24, at 12:30 We would like to present a program on our ongoing work to attain Right Relationship with our Native neighbors. BRING A BAG LUNCH if attending in person.

Who wants some oak wood?

The Property Committee is anxious to get the felled and cut up oak removed from the bounds of the parking lot. We invite anyone who needs fire wood to take it away. The wood is too wet to be burned this season, but when split and stacked should dry by next winter. A donation to help defray the cost of having felled the tree would be appreciated. Pay what seems fair or makes sense in your budget or nothing at all. Write "oak" in the memo on your check, and, "Thank you." Your efforts to remove the wood are appreciated.

Story Hour Resumes Oct 23

(Update as of 10/17, the start time chosen is 7pm.) Dave W., our organizer of the Meeting's Story Hour, is seeking input regarding the start time. Would you like to begin at 7:00 or 7:30? Let him know by email. Participants are encouraged to come and just watch/listen, or plan ahead and prepare a story, or tell one off the cuff. All are valued contributions. We have used this opportunity to deepen our shared lives together and so Dave encourages tellers to speak from their life experience.

Portland Friends Program

Wabanaki REACH and our local planning team (Ann, Jennifer, Wayne, and now Jessica!) invite you to attend the online workshop “Decolonization and the Role of Faith Communities” on three Monday evenings, October 4, 18, & 25 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Participants will explore the role of churches (and Quakers) in the colonization of this country, learn about the harmful ongoing impacts of colonization on Wabanaki peoples, and identify strategies for repair and healing. Sessions include film, testimony, discussion, and an action/study plan for follow-up after the sessions. This workshop is intended specifically for Portland Friends Meeting and is meant to be part of our own faith community’s journey of decolonization. It is important to commit to all three sessions because they build upon each other.

Decolonization means:

Wabanaki REACH is a cross-cultural collaborative of people working with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Maine to support truth, healing, and decolonization. REACH recommends that participation be limited to folks who attended the Interacting with Maine-Wabanaki History program on May 24 of this year. However, space permitting, others in our PFM community who have shown interest in Indigenous-related matters may be accommodated. As with any Zoom event, a strong internet connection is required.

To register, email Wayne Cobb at wcobb2 [at] gmail [dot] com (subject: Decolonization%20and%20the%20Role%20of%20Faith%20Communities) (wcobb2 [at] gmail [dot] com). Please include your full name and phone number. Participation is “pay-as-led,” with a suggested donation of $12 to register. You may send your payment by Venmo (preferred) to @wcobb2, or by PayPal to my email address, or by cash or check to Wayne Cobb, 147 Allen Avenue #47, Portland ME 04103. While two people may share a screen, we ask that each consider a separate donation. All monies will be gifted to Wabanaki REACH (http://www.mainewabanakireach.org [3]). You’ll receive a confirmation email shortly after your payment is received. Registrants will receive details about preparing for this event as the date approaches. Please register promptly!

We on the planning team look forward to gathering with you and other Portland Friends at the event. Contact: Wayne Cobb, 147 Allen Avenue #47, Portland ME 04103, 207-838-3393