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

Creator: unknown

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by

The compassionate actions of its members.



~ Coretta Scott King (1926-2006)

An American author, activist, and civil rights leader

who was the wife of Martin Luther King Jr.

Our topic Sunday will be Meeting for Worship.  What brings you to Meeting for Worship?  How do you settle into worship?  What do you DO in worship? And what do you get out of it?  These are just a few questions to consider for our time together.  Bring your thoughts and bring your questions!

Here is a big ole PDF with pages of beautiful and inspiring bits of Quaker thought and wisdom for you to read if you choose.  Please ignore the link at the top of the document — it no longer works.

Click here [2]

Kindly submit any agenda requests to PresidingAndRecordingClerks [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: CMM%20Documents%20in%20Advance) by the end of the day on Wednesday, March 5^th.

Committee reports should be sent to Newsletter [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org as well, so we all have the opportunity to review our advance documents.

On another note, I found this quote on the Philadeliphia Yearly Meeting website and was  moved to share it with you, my beloved community:

We are beginning to put together a list of resources for social justice [3] to be added to our website, inspired by what we heard at last Sunday’s program on our peace testimony.  Please send your favorites (books, websites, apps, blogs, etc.) to PSECC [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: Social%20Justice%20Resources%20-%20Suggestions)

Also just a reminder that we’ll be bringing our proposed minute on support for the Trans Community to our next business meeting, so please be sure to spend some time sitting with the draft minute in preparation.

Click Here to review the Minute [4]

Peter Blood-Patterson's First Monday Lecture explores rest and living in faith, letting go of the patterns of urgency and societal conditioning to learn new ways of being with God and each other.

Can we live more deeply in faith and hope? Can we let go of urgency, overwork, and the need to know how things will turn out? Peter will reflect on his journey from being raised as a cisgender white male, addicted to being in charge and “right,” to searching for peace in brokenness, mending relationships, and resting in God’s love. He will explore how two biblical passages on living in faith and rest, Hebrews 11 [8] and Isaiah 30:15-18 [9], have been companions for him this year – and have opened doors to learning new ways to be with God and others.

The talk will be followed by group reflection and sharing.

We have a special opportunity coming up in March and Ministry and Counsel hopes you'll set aside time in your calendar now.  We will not be holding a program on 4t^h Sunday in March.  Instead, a very special program is set for 5^th Sunday and we are hoping for a strong turnout.  Friends will be coming from all over our Quarter.  The Meetings in our Quarterly Meeting include Weare/Henniker, Dover, West Epping Preparative Meeting, North Sandwich, River Woods Worship Group (Exeter), and Gonic.  Such an opportunity!  And the program is especially important.

New England Yearly Meeting is going through changes and needs to hear from Friends far and wide regarding the summer sessions and various alternatives to the current model.  Whether you have ever attended a NEYM summer session does not matter.  How the YM will meet the needs of individuals and Meetings in our changing times matters to all of us.  We hope you will make time to be present on 5th Sunday in March.  Stay tuned for more information as the weeks pass.

Revolutionary Visions & Radical Imaginations.” Henry, Bob. 2019, mixed media. Created for Indiana American Friends Service Committee Banquet.

“…We are not for Names, nor Men, nor Titles of Government, nor are we for this Party, nor against the other, because of its Name and Pretense; but we are for Justice and Mercy, and Truth and Peace, and true Freedom, that these may be exalted in our Nation; and that Goodness, Righteousness, Meekness, Temperance, Peace and Unity with God, and one with another, that these things may abound…such a Government are we seeking and waiting for, wherein Truth and Righteousness, Mercy and Justice, Unity and Love, and all the Fruits of Holiness may abound; and the contrary be removed, cast out, and limited.”

In these times of uncertainty, when many in communities across NH are feeling disconcerted and the values of justice and dignity seem under strain, we are reminded of the power of coming together—across traditions, across differences—in a spirit of love, hope, and solidarity.  I offer that people deeply need to see their faith leaders standing together.

The New Hampshire Council of Churches warmly invites you to join us and participate in an Interfaith Service on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 6:00pm Concord where we will uplift love as our shared response to fear and division. Together, we will bear witness to the sacred truth that every person is beloved. 

The service will be a true expression of our interfaith community, with each of our denominations having a meaningful role in shaping the structure, prayers, and reflections we share together.  Please confirm your commitment no later than Friday, Feb 21st in order that we may be able to broadly invite members of the public to join us. We can shape the elements of the service together once we know you are coming! Please do not hesitate to call or email me with any questions.”

This service is still being formed, if you’d like to represent your faith, please email me ASAP. 

We give thanks to God for the gift of a new year and all the opportunities it brings.

First and foremost, we are delighted to welcome back our Principal, Dr. Wafula, who has resumed his duties after spending six months on sabbatical leave. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to our Academic Dean, Dr. Wekesi, for admirably stepping in as Acting Principal during this period and successfully providing administrative oversight.



Wekesi and Wafula in the new semester.

Our classes for the residential program officially resumed on January 8.  Faculty and staff returned earlier on January 6 to prepare for the arrival of residential students.  As of now, we have thirty-nine residential students enrolled for the January semester, with more expected to join in the coming weeks.

During December, 2024, the FTC faculty and staff enjoyed a well-deserved break for the Christmas holiday starting on December 20. In the spirit of the season, the administration distributed Christmas gifts to faculty and staff, consisting mostly of foodstuffs for their families. This gesture was a reminder of the love and care that underpin our community.

We were also privileged to host esteemed visitors from Berea Christian College for Integrated Studies, Nakuru, at the start of the year.  Rev. Richard Mwaniki Mutua (Principal) and Rev. Daniel Omollo Owiki (Academic Dean) visited us for a benchmarking exercise focused on online learning and pastoral programs. They expressed admiration for the strides we have made in these areas.  Berea Christian College for Integrated Studies is an affiliate of St. Paul’s University, and we are honored to have shared insights with them.

Finally, we invite all Friends to connect with us through our various platforms.  Visit our website at https://friendstheologicalcollege.org [11] and follow us on Facebook [12]  for updates and insights into our programs and activities. If you are nearby, we welcome you to visit our campus in Kaimosi, Vihiga County, Kenya.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.  May God richly bless you in 2025!

Friends, I just want to remind you that my FTC ministry survives and thrives on your support, both with your prayers and with your finances.  My wife Nancy and I sincerely offer gratitude to you for your constant support of our FTC ministry.

[14]

Register Today! [15]

Sessions Location for 2025

We are pleased to announce the 2025 Annual Sessions will be held at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in August.

Each year, hundreds of Quakers from across New England and beyond join together for Annual Sessions. Having first gathered in 1661, Friends continue to gather annually for:

• opportunities to connect 
• vibrant youth programs
• seeking how God will guide us in meeting for business
• adult small groups and spiritual enrichment
• worship and spiritual exploration, and
• discernment of how we are led by the Spirit to act and serve

There will be more exciting announcements about this year's theme and speakers coming soon.  If you are not already getting the Yearly Meeting monthly newsletter consider signing up [16] so you don't miss updates.

We all come together to make Annual Sessions happen. Will you join in? If you are curious about volunteer opportunities at Sessions please fill out the volunteer interest form [17].

This HYBRID event [19], the first in a three-part series, seeks to explain the origins, tenets, and impacts of Christian nationalism, particularly in the context of New Hampshire. Co-hosted by the Countering Christian Nationalism Coalition, the event will provide attendees with knowledge to understand and address this issue in NH.

Panelists include leaders from the racial justice community, the LGBTQ community, and representatives from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian faiths, as well as a policy expert monitoring this issue in NH.

Event co-sponsors include (at time of publishing): NH Council of Churches, American Friends Service Committee, Granite State Progress, Outright New Hampshire, Temple Beth Jacob, & more

The silent vigil for a ceasefire in Gaza continues every Thursday from Noon-1 p.m.  The vigil meets at (the northwest corner of) North Main Street and Park Street in Concord [21] on the plaza in front of the State House.  Make your own sign, use one provided, or just stand in silent witness beside 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.

The draft minutes for the February 2025 meeting for worship with attention to business are available at 2025-02-09_CMM_Minutes [22] or via Minutes_of_ConcordMonthlyMeeting [23].

For corrections, missing documents, and/or clarifications of the minutes, please reply to WebClerk [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: CMM%20Minutes%20for%202nd%20Month) .

There are other online Meetings for Worship that are generally available to Quakers, unlimited by geography, if that would be of interest. Some of those are listed here.