Speaking Truth to Power: The Role of Storytelling in Quaker Advocacy, FCNL staff: Mwan Kamwendo)

April 2, 12:30-1:30 p.m. following a pot luck lunch. This program is being advertised widely so we should expect guests and additional participants via Zoom (see link below). Registration is required. Here is the correct link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpfuisrDwsHdEWph9KZz2TI_XNlhn9BdL-

Learn how to frame and tell your story as an impactful advocacy tactic. We all have stories to tell and a moral voice to share about the change we want to see in our society. The content of this workshop is applicable to any communication with Congress or Legislature, including media advocacy and virtual lobbying. Our practice topic will be peace building, but the activity will apply to any kind of advocacy topic. Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7787573202

“Love’s Gonna Carry Us” – Singalong Concert

Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. — to benefit Asylum Seeker Support Fund

Suggested donation: Adults $25, ADVANCE TICKETS and more info: www.riseupandsing.org/events

NEW INFO From Annie and Peter:

Annie's worked up some terrific new songs she hasn’t performed before and is also including some wonderful songs she hasn’t performed in a long time. Peter made a playlist on our YouTube channel of the songs we’ll be doing so you can get a taste of what’s coming! Or check out this set list with links to song pages in The Music Box on our website.

Featuring Annie Patterson and Peter Blood, creators of Rise Up Singing and Rise Again songbooks which have created a quiet revolution of group singing across North America.  This concert offers the rare opportunity to meet the creators of these popular songbooks and experience their gifts of nurturing community and resilience through song.  Click here for the event poster.  Please share on social media and be in touch with Sara to help with arrangements.

Wednesday Walkers

It’s officially spring and time to go out and walk together once more.  A walk is scheduled for Wednesday, April 5^th at 9:30 am.   We will meet at the Concord Audubon Center.  We did the walk last fall.  Now we can look for early spring flowers!

Before we start the walk, let’s gather and talk about our walk possibilities/ideas for the next few months and choose the following week’s walk location.

Thoughts……Does Wednesday still work for most of us?.........Maybe alternate Wednesday with another day of the week……...  Are there walkers who would like to do more of a hike, an uphill and downhill experience?........What about an urban walk?

If you are coming, an RSVP would be helpful, so we know who to wait for!

Faith Sillars and Kathy Urie

Kathy’s Cell # for texting   603-296-5659   or email     kju138 [at] gmail [dot] com

News of Friends:

Lars writes the he's missed meeting so much because of a big problem he and is family are facing that is detailed below, and also due to lambing.  He hopes everyone is well.

The news is that his employer at Sanborn Mill Farm "has decided not to renew the lease for the house we live in at the farm. Frustrating for a number of reasons. [There was an understanding that] we would be here at least three years.  More frustrating to have to suddenly find housing by June 1. 

"[Their] family of four and a well-behaved English Shepherd are in need of a home to rent or buy in the greater Concord area, that would be great." Contact Lars at lars [dot] prillaman [at] gmail [dot] com

Minutes

The draft minutes for the February and March 2023 meetings for worship with attention to business are available at https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/2023-02-12_CMM_Minutes and https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/2023-03-12_CMM_Minutes or via https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/Minutes_of_ConcordMonthlyMeeting

For corrections, missing documents, and/or clarifications of the minutes, please reply to Clerk, Concord Friends Meeting clerk [at] concordfriendsmeeting [dot] org.

Midweek Worship

We have heard that the time of midweek worship may be moving around a bit. Friends should check with Lucy, Rich, or Matt prior to planning to attend at the announced time.

Quaker Job Openings

JOB OPENING: COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH COORDINATOR

Passionate about environmental justice and faith-based social change? Are you a storyteller committed to inspiring action in your community?

Quaker Earthcare Witness is hiring a Communications & Outreach Coordinator!

LEARN MORE ON WEBSITE

Beacon Hill Friends House

Announcing: A change in Executive Directors

After nearly six years at BHFH, Nils Klinkenberg will be stepping down as Executive Director. Beginning April 17, Jennifer Newman, BHFH’s current Program Director, will become our new Executive Director.

Below are notes from Nils and from Regina McCarthy, Clerk of the BHFH Board of Managers.

Letter from Nils Klinkenberg

Dear Friends of the Friends House,

In the late evening of May 31, 2017, I got out of a taxi, rang the doorbell at 8 Chestnut Street, and began my journey as a staff member at the Beacon Hill Friends House.

This winter, I reached a new point in my journey with the Friends House: I discerned that it’s time for me to move on.

In the nearly six years I’ve served as Executive Director, I’ve had the honor and pleasure of living with and supporting 63 amazing other residents in their own journeys of living in intentional community. I’ve gotten to meet and learn from hundreds of other members of the broader Friends House community: former residents and staff, board and committee members, Beacon Hill neighbors, Friends (Quakers!) near and far, and many others. I’ve had the great privilege to work alongside and supervise a total of four fantastic colleagues (Jeff Edenberg, Vickie Wu, Emily Savin, and Jen Newman), along with six Fellows and dozens of other volunteers. Serving in this role has been an amazing opportunity to deepen in community, to learn more from the Quaker tradition, to dream big about the potential of this amazing institution, and to see new initiatives and improvements come to fruition.

BHFH has been through a lot in the past half-decade: Implementing the 2017 Strategic Plan, expanding its public programming to thousands of participants, polishing and boosting its presence in the community and the world, updating many behind-the-scenes administrative systems and processes, maintaining tight focus on operations (such as keeping occupancy as full as possible), completing some physical improvements to the building... and, significantly, navigating the Covid-19 pandemic.

I feel good about my time here, and while I'm not burned out, I do feel tired, and it feels like a good time to transition on and make space for others to step into leadership. My last day in my staff role at BHFH will be Friday April 14. I plan to spend a few months taking a sabbatical, to be more present for my family (including my energetic three-year-old son!) and to seek some spaciousness in which to figure out what to do in the next phase of my career. I'll be staying in the area, too - living in Cambridge - and I look forward to supporting and being a cheerleader for the Friends House “from the outside.”

Speaking of others stepping into leadership, I’m very excited about the results of the Board’s work over the past couple months to determine the next phase of BHFH’s staffing. For more on that, see below for a message from my dear mentor, friend, and Clerk of the BHFH Board of Managers, Regina McCarthy.

With immense gratitude,

Nils

Red Raiders Mascot

Friends will find this Concord Monitor article quite interesting. It documents a wonderful decision making process and effort by students at Shaker Regional High School. The process culminated in a recent decision of which the school district can be proud.

Abenaki Seeds Project: Nurturing a Community of Growers

Grow Abenaki Seeds

Forwarded from Sara:

It's year three of the Abenaki Seeds Project here in the Kearsarge area. We're delighted to continue this partnership with Abenaki Trails and others to nurture a community of growers and support the Abenaki Helping Abenaki Food Pantry.

Gardeners sign up to receive seeds and starts to grow a Three Sister's Garden and donate their harvests to the pantry. We assist you every step of the way with a growers guide and an easy system for donating through us here at KFH.

Sign up to grow seeds here. Learn more about the details of the program in the order form.

Looking back at last year's program, we're learning that the Abenaki Seeds Project is a beautiful opportunity to weave together gardening education, knowledge of Native foodways, food security efforts for tribal neighbors, and building community connections.

Learn more about how the project has been going and where we're heading in our new blog post:

Abenaki Seeds Project: Nurturing a Community of Growers

This Newsletter

Dear Friends,

If you have information to share via this Newsletter please have your information submitted to ConcordFriendsNewsletter [at] gmail [dot] com by 5:00 PM on Thursdays.  Items should begin with a headline followed by text that can be copied and pasted without editing.  Please remove any formatting if you are able.  Also, please keep postings directly related to the Meeting or activities and groups supported by the Meeting, or personal news to share.

Typically the announcements will go out by Friday.  It is our intention to acknowledge receipt of all submissions.  If you don't receive an acknowledgment we probably have not seen your message, and it would be helpful if you followed up with us. 

The Newsletter Gmail account is owned by Wendy, but it is also used by Greg.  Look for the signature to be clear who the actual sender is.  And finally, it's best to keep your Zoom links in a handy place in case the announcements are not sent in a given week.

Greg Heath / Wendy Lapham, Newsletter Editors

Are you wanting information from past announcements and newsletters?

Visit this page on our web site: Past Announcements and Newsletters

Are you wanting to donate to Concord Monthly Meeting?

Visit this page on our web site for more information: Donations