Clear Creek Friends Meeting News

Third Trip to Iran Planned for April 28 – May 10!

Sam and Ruth N, for Neighbors East and West, are announcing plans for a third trip to Iran with visits to Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz and other cities in between. The cost will be appr. $1350 for ten-day program in Iran, with a possible three-day extension to Shiraz and Persepolis for an additional $350. Travelers also need to obtain return airfare to Tehran from the United States (appr. $1200) and a visa to Iran (appr. $110). More information about this trip, accounts of earlier trips, and more information about Neighbors East and West can be found at the website http://neighborseastandwest.org or by contacting Ruth and Sam  (email: samn@earlham.edu ).

The February “book” has changed to a poetry reading session. (The book we had originally selected is not readily available.) Participants are encouraged to bring a favorite poem to share and discuss. The discussion will be in the Friends Fellowship solarium on Sunday, 02/28 at 7:00 p.m.

In March, we will be reading James Mulholland’s and Phil Gulley’s book If Grace Is True. Contact Jan or Dan S if you would like to order a copy with the group.

Participate in an Exploration among Richmond Friends, January – May 2010

Friends from the three Richmond Friends meetings (Clear Creek Friends, First Friends, West Richmond Friends) will gather for eight sessions to explore the meaning of call, leadership, gifts development, community, the language and stories of faith. How can we renew Quaker traditions of discernment, the naming and nurturing of gifts, following our leadings, and envisioning the work of our meetings?

The course method will be shared exploration, rather than content delivery.  Participants should expect to be challenged and perhaps changed by one another and by the Spirit working in the group.  Organizers of the course hope that 6-8 participants from each meeting will commit to the series of eight Sunday evening sessions.

Jennie I, of Clear Creek Meeting, has developed this curriculum with the Earlham School of Religion.  She will facilitate the course with two other Friends from our Richmond meetings.

The tentative schedule for sessions is January 24, February 7 and 21, March 7 and 28, April 11 and 25, and May 2.  Sessions will be held Sunday evenings, 7:00 to 9:00 at the Earlham School of Religion. Participants are invited to come early at 6:30 and enjoy a brown bag meal together.

Cost of the course is only $30.  To register or to ask questions, contact Jennie I, Doug G, or Josh B.

Because our original date for Quaker Quest, Feb. 6th, was cancelled due to snow, M&O has rescheduled the event for Saturday, Feb. 20th, 9am-4pm. Friends are asked to let Jana S (or any member of M&O) know again whether you are able or unable to attend for this new date. Also, please let Mary G know again what food you can provide for the potluck lunch.

All local members and attenders are urged to attend this event sponsored by Clear Creek Meeting. This is an exploratory session for us to find out what Quaker Quest is (a structure first developed in the U.K. for both inreach and outreach for local meetings) and to see if we might want to sponsor some public Quaker Quest sessions in the future. It will include a sample panel with Clear Creek members and time for sharing with one another. Please make it a priority to attend!

The following was brought to Meeting for Business by Ministry and Oversight (M&O). It grew out of concerns brought to M&O and discussions in M&O about those concerns. It was brought to Monthly Meeting for Business asking for it to be considered as a recommendation, and requesting feedback and direction. It will be considered again at August Monthly Meeting for Business, to determine if we feel we have the desire, energy, and commitment to move forward. Friends are asked to forward any thoughts about this to M&O prior to next Monthly Meeting for Business.

There have been concerns raised about the ebb and flow of attenders, the lack of welcome that new attenders sometimes feel, and the lack of children and young families. New and younger attenders bring energy, but it takes work to foster them. Clear Creek members sometimes feel overwhelmed by the needs of the many occasional attenders, and that can make it hard to be welcoming.
Without being welcoming, we are unlikely to see our numbers grow. We have often had the attitude that people will find us, and if we are right for them, they will stay. However, we have seen many just drift away. We have not been able to meet their spiritual needs.

M&O raised the question: what would it take to increase our numbers?

Many ideas came forth. We may have an opportunity to change meeting time and have use of the meetinghouse for longer on Firstday if College Meeting changes its time (a current possibility). That would open the possibility for meals after meeting, and the possibility of speakers that draw a wider audience.
What would happen if we approached this with intentionality as a meeting? Without expecting the burden to fall on a few members or committees, but if the meeting as a whole decided to try to grow? If we took a semester, or a school year, and made a commitment to try to grow? If we invited new faculty to meeting (as West Richmond does), if we invited friends and acquaintances to come to meeting with us (as many churches do)?

We bring this as a recommendation for consideration and as a request for input and commitment from the meeting.