FALL 2005Phil Anthony
(856) 769-0066 (voice)
(856) 769-1416 (fax)
salemqtr@verizon.net
he gifts program has come to Salem Quarter. Starting later in September, Mullica Hill MM will host eight sessions (on six days—two are double sessions) to explore members' gifts and their responsibilities for using them; their meeting's part in evoking, encouraging, naming, and benefitting from them; and the gifts of the meeting itself.
SEPTEMBER QUARTERLY MEETING
Greenwich Monthly Meeting
Sunday, 11 September 20052:30 pm Gather 3:00 pm Business Meeting 5:00 pm Brown-bag dinner: desserts provided by Mickleton and Mullica Hill MMs 6:00 pm Program: Thom Jeavons, "Ramallah" 7:00 pm Candlelight worship Child care provided This is the culmination of two and a half years' work by the Salem Quarter Gifts Working Group, which presented itself to the quarter last March. The group arose from memories of a similar PYM group thirty or more years back—and a belief that if PYM is to base its work on leadings, there needs to be a better understanding of the gifts from which leadings rise, and the meetings' role in nurturing them.
So a small group of Friends came together: Mario Cavallini, Sondra Ball, and Gloria Horvay of Mickleton MM; Michael Gibson of Woodbury MM; Peggy Warner of Mullica Hill MM; Thomas Swain of Middletown MM, Concord Quarter (a member of the original PYM group); Moon Beiferman–Haines of Abington MM, Abington Quarter; and myself. We've also had help from Margery Mears Larrabee of Mount Holly MM, Burlington Quarter, who has led workshops on gifts for many years.
These are the people who have committed ourselves to bringing the gifts work we have been exploring to Salem Quarter's monthly meetings. The program to be offered is developed in cooperation with the meetings, to make sure it meets their needs. In addition to Mullica Hill MM, two other meetings are exploring when and how they may offer a program: Mickleton MM and Woodbury MM. We look forward to working with these Friends.
In the meantime, the rest of Salem Quarter has been busy too. Salem MM has had its annual worship and picnic at the Lower Alloway's Creek Meetinghouse. At Seaville MM, the meeting will soon be dedicating its Peace Center in Friendship Hall, the structure adjoining the meetinghouse; details of the event aren't set yet, but the celebration will take place on Sunday, 25 September, and all are welcome. Woodstown MM will host another four classes of Bible study with Tony Prete, this time focussing on the New Testament. See the Quarter Calendar on p. 2 for the full details.
And Greenwich MM is preparing to welcome Friends to Quarterly Meeting on Sunday, 11 September, gathering at 2:30 pm for 3:00 business meeting. The map will provide directions to Greenwich's Orthodox meetinghouse.
The program features Thom Jeavons, general secretary of PYM, reporting on his visit to Ramallah, Palestine, for the rededication of the Quaker meetinghouse there.
The presentation we'll see was first made to PYM Annual Sessions last March. Friends who missed it there had another opportunity to see and hear it during dinner before Interim Meeting a couple of months later. Of course it covers the rededication of the meetinghouse, to whose reconstruction PYM donated $50,000. But while he was there, Thom also had a chance to see firsthand the conditions that Israel imposes on Palestinians, and the sometimes disastrous ways they affect the people's lives. Thom has documented this as well.
The photographs and talk Thom brings us has impressed and touched everyone who's seen it. We're grateful that he's agreed to share it with us, and hope you'll give yourselves the opportunity to be moved by it also at Quarterly Meeting. Please join us for our business meeting, brown-bag dinner, Thom's presentation, and the candlelight worship that's always such a welcome, satisfying part of our time at Greenwich MM.
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