To request log-in information for Zoom Worship: Zoom [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: %E2%80%9CWorship%E2%80%9D%20Zoom%20Link%20Request) .

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store?

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

~ Dr Seuss

Let's ring in the New Year together (or perhaps Western Greenland New Year together at 9 p.m.?).  Gather at the Meetinghouse on New Year's Eve for a non-traditional (non-alcoholic) family friendly Game Night on New Year's Eve.  We'll begin 6:00-6:30 p.m. with potluck snacks and beverages, bringing our favorite games (card, or board, or parlor).  Bring friends!  Toasts to the New Year will be offered hourly so you can leave when you need to.  Contact RuthHeath [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: New%20Years%20Eve%20at%20Meetinghouse) (Ruth) or GregoryHeath [at] concordfriendsmeeting [dot] org (subject: New%20Year%E2%80%99s%20Eve%20at%20the%20Meetinghouse) (Greg) for questions.  This will be open to the public (an outreach opportunity) and we've had people join us.

Ruth and Greg are reviving the First Friday Singing with a focus on singing songs of hope, resilience, justice, and peace from the Rise Up Singing songbooks (and Rise Again songbooks).  This is open to the public, so bring along your singing friends on Friday, January 3^rd at the Quaker Meetinghouse from 7 p.m.- 9 p.m.   Bring a small snack or some non-alcoholic beverage to share.  Contact RuthHeath [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: Songs%20of%20Hope%2C%20Justice%2C%20Peace%2C%20and%20Resilience) (Ruth) or GregoryHeath [at] concordfriendsmeeting [dot] org (subject: Songs%20of%20Hope%2C%20Justice%2C%20Peace%2C%20and%20Resilience) (Greg) H. with questions or if you can bring an instrument and accompany songs.  11 Oxbow Pond Rd, Canterbury, 2 minutes from I-93 Exit 17.

"It’s a matter of building trust," said Christine Wellington, a former police officer and retired legal services lawyer who spent much of her career working with immigrants. “When immigrants and their families fear the police, they are less likely to report crimes, making our communities less safe for everyone,” she said.

Additional signers of the letter to Ayotte [4] include individuals associated with the NH Youth Movement, Kent Street Coalition, Canterbury Citizens for Democracy, Dover and Concord Quaker Meetings, Keene Immigrant and Refugee Partnership, Ascentria Care Alliance, Welcoming NH, Project Home, Reproductive Freedom Fund of NH, and NH Indonesian Community Support.

Friends, amid our Christmas gatherings, let's hold the children of Gaza in our hearts, as the children in the Ramallah Friends School ask us to do in their choral message here: 

Ramallah Friends School Choral Messages [6]

You are invited to register for our annual Midwinter Retreat.  But don't delay, registration closes on January 10^th, shortly after the new year.

The theme will be "Spirit-led Activism: Discerning Our Roles in Changemaking"

From the beginnings of the Quaker movement, Friends have sought to embody and act upon their awareness of "that of God in each person" through advocating for a more just and equitable social order based on their vision of a world renewed.  Early Friends built robust communities of care to persevere in the face of trying circumstances and utilized spiritual practices to support each other in discerning their individual leadings.

Today, many Friends wrestle with similar questions of how to act upon our spiritual and ethical values in the political realm.  How can we balance self-care, community care, and activism when we feel stretched thin?  How can we be thoughtful and intentional about decisions in how we participate in each of those domains?  How can we tune in to the wisdom of our mind, body, and spiritual community to discern our next steps in this collective journey.

Join Young Friends as we explore these queries and themes and over MLK weekend at Woolman Hill.  For more information and to register click here [8].

The silent vigil for a ceasefire in Gaza continues every Thursday from Noon-1 p.m.  The vigil meets at the (Northwest corner of) North Main Street and Park Street in Concord [9] on the plaza in front of the State House.  Make your own sign, use one provided, or just stand in silent witness beside others.  This is done in coordination with NH Peace Action.  We suggest that people make signs that convey something about justice for Israel and Palestine.  Also please avoid the word genocide, ethnic cleansing, and similar terms.

[10]

The draft minutes for the December 2024 Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business are available at 2024-12-08_CMM_Minutes [10] or via MinutesOfConcordMonthlyMeeting [11].

For corrections, missing documents, and/or clarifications of the minutes, please reply to web clerk, Concord Friends Meeting, webclerk [at] concordfriendsmeeting [dot] org (subject: CMM%20Minutes%20for%202024-12-08) .