Concord Friends Meeting

The Meeting Calendar

Bear Brook Picnic Next Week

Since it is a good chance of thunderstorms on Sunday, we are postponing our picnic at Bear Brook State park for one week. Instead of this Sunday it will be on August 1 after the rise of Meeting. (gathering around 12:30). Hoping for better weather with lots of good conversation. Bring a dish to share and your own plates and utensils for the potluck. There is also a beach at the picnic area, which is opposite the toll booth (sadly not a Phantom Tollbooth). They call it the Catamount area. So if you want to wade in the water, you can do that too. Sara for Ministry and Counsel.

Thinking About Attending NEYM Annual Sessions?

We would love to welcome you.

From August 7 to 12, we invite you to join with Friends from across the northeastern United States and beyond for Annual Sessions. Once again, Friends will gather through the use of videoconferencing technology, knowing we are connected in the Spirit.

Having first gathered in 1661, in 2021 New England Yearly Meeting of Friends celebrates 361 years of journeying together as a community of faith and witness.

If you haven't already registered, register online as soon as you're able and help us prepare to welcome you.

Teams of Friends are hard at work daily getting ready—and knowing your plans is a great help, and an encouragement to our work.

This year's Sessions will include:

• Five Bible Half Hours with Jay O'Hara 
• A Saturday plenary program with gkisedtanamoogk (Mashpee Wampanoag) and Shirley Hager (co-author of The Gatherings) in conversation
• A Monday plenary message with John Calvi
• A Tuesday program with Hanifa Nayo Washington including meditation, small group sharing, and song
• Meeting for Worship for the Conduct of Business 
• Memorial Meeting
• Programming and opportunities for Friends of all ages
• "Home Groups" for small group connection, spiritual nurture, and discernment throughout the week
• Further opportunities for connection for Friends identifying as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color; as younger adults, and more

Learn more about worship and programs, view the Sessions schedule, and more on the New England Quakers website.

Have questions to help you decide if attending Sessions this year is right for you or your family? Just reply to this email, and we'll be in touch.

For all or any part of Sessions this year—we hope you will join us.

Registration is now open!  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY!

Don and Lois Booth Memorial Award

We received the following letter from Sasha Kalis (known to us as Rachel - who's last name I have forgotten - when she lived in Alexandria NH and attended Meeting until she moved to Canada about 2001).She established an award in Don and Lois's name in her town, and reported to us who received it this year:

Greetings from Canada!  Hope all is well with you and yours. 

Just wanted to send you a photo of this year’s recipient of the bursary named for your mom and dad.  The chair of the Community Foundation’s awards committee tells me that Andy Lee is an excellent student who’ll be attending the University of Waterloo in Ontario in the fall to study computer science.  This year the award was doubled to 350 dollars, so Andy was very happy to get a little extra help with purchasing textbooks for his course work. 

And it makes me happy to see Don and Lois’ names appear each June under a photo of a smiling teenager (even with the masks in place!).  It always reminds me of all the years when I was at Concord Friends Meeting and had the pleasure of knowing your folks.

In peace,

Sasha

NCC New Executive Director

Please Welcome our New Executive Director, NH Council of Churches: The Rev. Heidi Carrington Heath The NH Council of Churches Board is thrilled to introduce you to our new Executive Director, the Rev. Heidi Carrington Heath! Rev. Heidi comes to us with a wealth of experience and a deep passion for the work of the Council. She will begin her work with us on August 15 and will be serving the Council part time. We are confident that Rev. Heidi will provide the leadership and vision we need for our next chapter.  Rev. Heidi is an ordained United Church of Christ minister. She is a graduate of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School. She also holds a professional diploma from New York University. Rev. Heidi is a public theologian, spiritual director, and writer. She is passionate about a relevant, 21st Century faith, and public policy.     Rev. Heidi believes that God uses the sacred strands of our denominations to call us into community with one another. We can weave a stronger, and more beautiful tapestry together than any one of us can do alone. She looks forward to joining the work of the New Hampshire Council of Churches in August!  Rev. Heidi writes: "I am thrilled to be joining the NH Council of Churches in this chapter of their work. The witness and work of the council has never been more important in the life of NH. I look forward to meeting and working with many of you in the coming months.”

Donate to the NH Council of Churches

Financial Contributions to the Meeting

There have been a few inquiries recently about how to make automatic contributions to the Meeting.  In additions to leaving checks or cash in the donations box at Meeting, there, are two ways to give automatically.  One is by direct debit which requires a one time signature at your bank.  The other is to set up an automatic bill pay through your bank's online checking service.

For the direct debit method you need only to know the name of our account, the bank acct number, and the routing number.  They are Name: Concord Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends; Acct. Number: 3200171068; Routing Number: 211470225 at Merrimack County Savings Bank.  Usually a bank's customer service can get this all set up over the phone for a quick signing at the bank or even via mail to sign and mail back.  With this method it is good for the Bookkeeper to be aware the donation is coming because sometimes the source reported on the Meeting's monthly statement does not make it clear who the donor is.  Sometimes it does.

For the auto bill pay:  Most banks offer this as a free service if you are set up for online banking with them and there is a recurring check function that can be edited at any time.  That makes it automatic.  Checks can be made out to Concord Monthly Meeting and mailed to c/o Greg Heath, Bookkeeper, 49 Wyven Rd., Canterbury, NH  03224.

NEYM course for fall: Exploring Spiritual Practices

10-week course online. Begins Sept 7.  Led by Marcelle Martin.  This is an incredible opportunity to learn about many different spiritual practices with a wonderful teacher/guide. Sara signed up and she would love to have a small group to practice these together. This course can also fulfill the requirement for learning about spiritual practices before taking the 2022 Spiritual Formation course. It is pay as led but heavily subsidized as well. https://neym.org/events-calendar/2021/09/exploring-spiritual-practices

Films of Interest

The film Indian Horse should be of interest and will be an opportunity to meet Denise and Paul Pouliot in person. More info in the link.

AUGUST 28: Join us for a screening of Urban Roots and stay after the film for discussion with our guest speaker Lila Kohrman-Glaser, Executive Director of 350NH.

This event will take place in the barn at Saltonstall Farm. Chairs will be placed 6ft apart and barn doors will remain open for maximum air flow. Please no eating during the event to ensure masks remain on. You are welcome to bring your own beverage.

Donations are encouraged and greatly appreciated. We will accept donations at the door or visit our website to become a Friend of Robinwood Center.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/racial-and-climate-justice-film-series-tickets-151126285789