Concord Friends Meeting
State of Society 2016
For what are we grateful?
· Spiritual grounding that meeting offers.
· Open Spiritual community.
· Sense of belonging with people and not needing to have a creed.
· Sense of safety and security. Sense of home. Safe place to seek and explore questions regardless of where we have been or may end up.
· Grateful for the attitude expressed in meeting of accepting people where they are, whatever “spiritual age” we are.
· Grateful for the presence of the children when they come—delightful.
· Grateful for presence of people under forty (and unfed hunger for more younger people)!!!
What gifts of grace have we experienced last year?
· Bits of gifts of grace in the efforts underway to do outreach and to create home for people of all ages.
· Amazing set of skills of the Solar Committee is gift of grace.
Where could we as a meeting have been more open to each other and our wider community (learning, growing, serving)?
· How to better draw in new attenders. Offer ways to learn about us (even outside of 1st day) like inviting new attenders to homes, offering Quakerism 101
o We do already send email to newcomers who leave email or address in guest book.
· We need to be wise about what we choose to do with our energies as a small group. What energizes or enlivens us as a meeting?
· More support for the Outreach Committee to reach out to younger people
o Consider table at Concord’s Market Days (similar to the Canterbury Fair).
o Expand Outreach to Task Groups for particular aspects, e.g. newcomer welcoming; a particular tabling effort at a fair or event
o Consider placing signs on the highway telling people about Quaker Meeting times.
What unfed hungers do we feel in our community life?
· unfed hunger for more younger people
o We could ask Arnie and Maggie to invite people to attend Quaker Meetings (bring list of NH Meetings/map when speaking to groups).
o More signs on the road. (Have had people come because of sign.
· Meeting for Worship is a means toward an end, not the end in itself. We use worship to learn how to be in the world and not above the world.
· Some wish to see our Meeting make statements to the world about our values as they apply tocurrent issues of concern.
· Desire for corporate action (we had a threshing session on this last year)
How is our meeting being led to do the work of the Spirit?
· “The meeting does the work of the spirit by being here for me.”
· We use worship to discern the work that needs to be done in the world (individually or corporately).
· Although we have a lack of clarity with regard to “Black Lives Matter” sign being displayed it has led to ongoing discernment: e.g., Waking Up White and potential for other banners
· We have started to explore the issue of white privilege and what we can do as a meeting.
· Solar Committee has been working hard to not only decrease our own carbon footprint, but have our roof used by others churches who can’t have solar, and will create a model for other non-profits to follow. We wish to be an example to others of Earthcare.
· Many ways members take their faith into action in the world. (More common as individuals who are part of our community than we do as a group—gift but also unfed hunger to do more as a group).
· Quakers function as a “connective tissue” on issues that would otherwise not be getting as much attention (AFSC and other ways).
· We engaged in several Business Meetings and threshings on whether to put up a Black Lives Matter sign and this controversy led our Peace and Social Concerns committee to meet several times although it previously was going to be laid down. The spirit moved more among us as a result of lack of immediate clarity, moving us to go beyond a sign to actually do something.
What forms of Outreach did we engage in?
· Monthly song circle (outreach),
· Canterbury Fair booth,
· Announcements in Canterbury newsletter and Concord Monitor,
· Solar Committee will include outreach to greater Concord Community as we move forward
· Peterson Toscano program – reached out to local schools.
· Efforts to make the building available (e.g., Peace Action and others use it);
· Outreach to immigrant community by hosting pastor from working on Burundi restorative justice (program which reconciles perpetrators and victims of the genocide). Two programs were held, one in neighborhood of Burundi community and was well attended; another at meetinghouse, mostly attended by white people, but some Burundi.
· Website is outreach.
Ideas for change in structure, which we might ask the Nominating Committee to consider
· Create ad hoc Task Group for faith based response to public issues (e.g., statements for Meeting to make publicly).
· We need to be wise about what we choose to do with our energies as a small group. What energizes or enlivens us as a meeting?
· Make sure people are serving in ways that inspire them and bring joy.
· Consider having committees define “Task Groups” for particular things that need to be done (may help nominating committee do its work).
o Similar to laying down of Hospitality Committee in favor of task oriented Hosting roles—this has worked but so far only been used once.
Note to M&C about State of Society:
· Ask committees to reflect on how their work has impacted the meeting.
· State of Society “report” can reflect not just what we’ve done but what aspire to do.
· Shall we consider setting goals for next year at the Committee level? At the Meeting level?
· Bringing State of Society report to Meeting for Business will help us reflect on past and plan for future.
Thoughts about Meeting and politics:
Looking back at the year of political turmoil, we need to not become a political institution. Our reactions should be based on the Spirit and not personalities. We want to be welcoming to all, not only people who have political beliefs similar to our own. {??? Metaphor: mixing religion and politics is like mixing poop and ice cream—doesn’t make the poop any better but ruins the ice cream.}
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Canterbury, New Hampshire 03224-2043 USA