FALL 200914 Sixth Month 2009
Salem Quarter Worship & Ministry Committee met on 12 June 2009, at the home of Gloria and Bob Horvay, convening in worship at about 7:30 pm. Individuals were present from Mickleton, Mullica Hill, Salem, Woodbury, and Woodstown Monthly Meetings, as well as the quarter coordinator.
Attendance was such that we had to bring in more chairs.
After our opening worship, we settled into our task for the evening, to look at needs and opportunities in Salem Quarter for focused gatherings to supplement our regular quarterly meeting sessions.
We looked at matters of spiritual understanding, care for our members, and service to our communities. We looked to the resources available within our meetings and in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. And we looked within ourselves, for the spark that responds with interest, a sense of truth, and a willingness to work.
We found several openings:
- On Sunday, 30 August, the Steering Committee is planning to bring back the annual Salem Quarter Picnic, at the Cape May Zoo. Look to your meeting’s Steering Committee representative for more information as this develops.
- For Saturday, 31 October, we see a gathering of Friends concerned with education and recreational programs for the children in our meetings. The focus would be for parents, First-day School teachers, and Friends who care for parents and teachers to get together and share their challenges and successes, and perhaps to find ways to work together. Marsha Gaspar and Joe Tingle of Woodbury Meeting are planning this and would welcome help from others.
- For a date yet to be scheduled, but as soon as feasible, Sandy Boone and Sondra Ball of Mickleton Meeting, with quarter coordinator Phil Anthony and whomever else may be so led, plan to arrange a consultation among Salem Quarter Friends under the weight of pastoral care, to address caring for Friends and people in our wider community who are struggling in difficult economic times.
- Subject to availability, but with an intent for 31 January 2010, Tom Etherington of Mullica Hill Meeting and Mario Cavallini of Mickleton Meeting will work with a possible speaker to explore the Christian Universalism (or Universal Christianity, if you prefer) that is at the heart of Quakerism. These Friends, too, welcome others interested in this work.
These were not the only possibilities we considered, but the ones that found the potent combination of need, interest, resources, and people to make them happen. Certainly there are other opportunities, some of which we discussed, but many more that we are not yet aware of. We welcome all Salem Quarter Friends to help us with that further exploration at our next meeting, 11 September 2009, the Friday evening before quarterly meeting. Child care will again be available.
For the Committee,
Mario Cavallini, clerkRETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 03:43 PM
