Quaker Basics Course Offering

Dear Friends,

It’s about that time to offer our semi-regular “Quaker Basics” course. Everyone is welcome, even those of us with many years ‘on the benches’. The plan is to meet via Zoom for an hour each week or every other week for six weeks at whatever times are best for participants. We can meet during the day or early evening.

The course materials are available on the Concord Friends Meeting website via https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/Library#QuakerBasics [1]

Quaker Basics (‘Quakerism 101’): An Introductory Course in Quaker Faith & Practice [2] by Peter Blood-Patterson

• Glossary of Quakerisms [3] [See also “Quaker Manual of Style and Glossary” [4].]
• Readings for Quaker Basics, Week 1 [5], The Beginnings of Quakerism
• Readings for Quaker Basics, Week 2 [6], “The Inward Light”
• Readings for Quaker Basics, Week 3 [7], Meeting for Worship
• Readings for Quaker Basics, Week 4 [8], Meeting for Business
• Readings for Quaker Basics, Week 5 [9], The Testimonies
• Readings for Quaker Basics, Week 6 [10], The Meeting Community

During the course, we prepare for each get-together by reading selections on each theme. I like reading and marking up a printed copy of the selections, but others prefer reading them on their cell phone. For those who have access to a computer with Adobe Acrobat Reader and printer that will do double-sided printing, you can print the booklets yourselves. Otherwise, I’ll try to print copies for those who can’t do so as long as my printing setup works.

When we get together on Zoom, we discuss what in the readings ‘spoke to you’.

For those who are interested, please send me an email at MarkWBarker [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: Quaker%20Basics) with your name, email address, days-of-the-week and times which are most convenient for you. Once I have that information for the group, I’ll set up a Doodle Poll to see if we can agree on one or more convenient times.

In the hope that this offering ‘speaks to you’, I wish you Love, and Peace, and Tenderness,

Mark Barker, co-clerk to Concord Monthly Meeting of Friends

Meeting Library Additions

Check out the many additions to our library by following this link [11].

Additionally Mark reports: Friends may wish to know of two booklets recently added to the website for download.

• https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/Minutes_of_ConcordMonthlyMeeting#BeforeBusinessBegins [12]
• https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/Minutes_of_ConcordMonthlyMeeting#UnforeseenJoy [13]

Both are oriented toward Recording Clerks and Recorders. They're both out-of-print and very hard to find on the used-book market, but much referenced.

Mailing to All NH Friends on Behalf of the NH Council of Churches.

Will Concord Friends please help with this job? A message from Mark Barker.

In September, Marian Baker wrote a fundraising letter for the New Hampshire Council of Churches to be sent to all, roughly 300, New Hampshire Friends. Before she left for Kenya, Marian left copies of:

• The Cover Letter
• Mailing List (10 sheets of ~30 labels); NB. Some labels have ‘DEC’ over them to indicate that the Friend is deceased
• US Postage Stamps

with me, Mark Barker, to handle the stuffing and posting of the fundraising request. In early November, I received a box of:

• Outer Mailing Envelopes
• Inner Return Envelopes
• Donation Request Cards.

I’ve unboxed the above and laid them out on a small table in the Fellowship Room of the Meetinghouse. My request is that ten (now nine) Friends take one sheet of 30 mailing labels, and count out 30 copies of the cover letter, 30 postage stamps, and 30 each of the outer envelopes, inner return envelopes, and donation request cards. Each Friend can then stuff, stamp, and post the mailings at their leisure.

With many thanks,

Mark Barker

Thank You from River Dave

A few weeks ago the Meeting received a note from Jodie Gedeon on behalf of David Lidstone. It reads "To our friends at the Quaker Church. We wanted to thank you for your time and consideration regarding River Dave. We appreciate your support and taking the time to explore the option. Although it was voted down we really do appreciate you and your taking the time to care. Thank you again, Dave and Jodie."

Fall Cleanup, Nov 21

Please plan to join us on the Third Sunday of the month after meeting. Bring a lunch or a snack and some work gloves, rakes and leaf blowers (electric or battery powered only please). Most of the work needed is outdoors so appropriate outerwear will be needed. There will be indoor work as well. To get all the leaves up will likely take more time that the 20 minutes we usually spend, but any time you can give will be most appreciated.

Are you wanting information from past announcements?

Visit this page on our web site: Past Announcements [14]

Are you wanting to donate to Concord Monthly Meeting?

Visit this page on our web site for more information: Donations [15]