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

“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech

And a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.”



Buddha

That is to say, the state of Concord Friends Meeting.  Those new to Quaker practice likely might think our State of Society Report refers to the larger society.  Indeed, it does not.  Annually we undertake a review of the prior year and seek to capture an honest reflection of the current condition of the Meeting.  We hope you will join us to lend your perspective this coming Fourth Sunday following worship and our potluck lunch.  To gain a sense of what is being discussed, follow this link [2] to find an example of our work reviewing 2022.  And this link [3] will take you to many more from earlier years and a set of very helpful queries for the work.

Drive the winter doldrums away with an evening meal (or luncheon) with 6-8 other Meeting attenders sometime in February.  We'll create the groups and let the hosts know who is attending.  (Let Heidi or Ruth know if you can host.)

Please click here to fill out a 4-question survey about times available, dietary restrictions, and whether you can host.   Friendly Eights Survey [4]

If you have any difficulty with this (it may not work on IPads, for example) or questions, please just contact one of us and we'll take your information and fill out the form for you!

Can you fill this out before Friday, Jan 24^th?  We'd appreciate that.  Why not right now?

Let us know if you want to participate and especially if you'd like to host one of the meals.  Contact RuthH [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: Friendly%20Eights) (Ruth H) or HeidiB [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: Friendly%20Eights) (Heidi B).

Earlier this month we launched our new program, “Deepening our Quaker Experience” with a look at some early Friends.  We’ll continue going deeper into this on February 2^nd — and expanding our view to more modern and even current Friends.  If you are so moved, please bring a favorite Quaker story or quotation.  If you don’t already have a favorite, here are some on-line resources you may appreciate:

• Quaker Quote Archive [7] at Ben Lomond Quaker Center
• New England Yearly Meeting’s Interim Faith and Practice 2014 [8], Chapter One, ‘Illustrative Experiences of Friends’, pp. 5ff.
• Readings for Quaker Basics, Week 1 [9], The Beginnings of Quakerism

Perhaps your favorite quote or story is recent and unpublished.  I’m thinking of the many stories I’ve heard about Friends like the Booths and the Chynoweths.  And I’m thinking of the beauty I witness every Sunday.

Remember, these are stand-alone events so you don’t need to have attended the first session to participate.  No homework required! Hope you can join us for coffee, tea, and inspiration.

The draft minutes for the January 2025 meeting for worship with attention to business are available at 2025-01-12_CMM_Minutes [10] or via Minutes_of_ConcordMonthlyMeeting [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%20Draft%20Minutes%20for%20January%202025) >.

What is nonviolent direct action?  How do we remain committed to nonviolence in the pursuit of changing harmful systems?  How do we discern what types of actions we feel like we can take in fighting for justice?  Join us for a training about nonviolence - we hope that this day together will bring you insights into what nonviolence means and how you might utilize different tactics in your community organizing.

We are inviting people who organize in a variety of issues from across the region, and hope you will bring your questions and an open mind.  Let us know if you have questions.  Lunch will be provided!  More details will be emailed to you before the training.  Donations to support our work and our ability to organize these trainings are appreciated but not required.

Friends General Conference warmly invites Meetings and Worship Groups to register for a special plenaries-only option at the upcoming Online Gathering, A Spring Whose Waters Never Fail. This option offers an affordable opportunity for Meetings and their members to share in the Gathering experience, connecting and reflecting among our wider Quaker community.

Dates and Speakers:

Details on each plenary speaker can be found on our website [14]. Here’s the lineup:

• Saturday, February 1: Daquanna Harrison at 8 pm EST [7 pm CST, 6 pm MST, 5 pm PST]
• Sunday*, February 2: Lynn Finnegan, Carl Magruder and Briana Halliwell at 11 am EST [10 am CST, 9 am MST, 8 am PST];
• Saturday, February 8: Eileen Flanagan at 8 pm EST [7 pm CST, 6 pm MST, 5 pm PST];
• Sunday*, February 9: David Bucura at 11 am EST [10 am CST, 9 am MST, 8 am PST]

*To accommodate different worship schedules, we will also provide a way for meetings to stream the Sunday plenaries later in the day.

How to Participate:

Meetings are invited to register for live streaming access to the plenaries. You will receive one login code and queries will be shared in advance to your designated email contact. For each plenary, you can choose if you want to gather and stream at your meetinghouse or at a member's home. Each time you gather to watch and discuss a plenary creates additional opportunities for sharing - for example, you can plan a potluck and invite members who are attending workshops to share their experience before or after the session. We encourage you to share this opportunity with all your members and attenders, and to invite people in your community who may be interested in the plenary topics. Use the queries we provide or come up with your own to enrich your meeting’s conversation and fellowship. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage in the broader life of our faith tradition and share in spiritual nourishment together.

More Ways to Participate:

On Sunday afternoon, there will be an opportunity for individual Friends who are registered for the Gathering to participate in a Monthly Meeting Sharing time. During this session, Friends engaged with different meeting committees, projects, and working groups will join chat rooms to exchange ideas, including challenges and successes. Find out who is attending this session of the Gathering from your meeting and share ideas in advance, so they can represent more voices from your meeting!

Financial Assistance:

We understand that some individuals may face financial barriers, and in addition to our sliding scale registration, we are happy to offer some financial aid for those who would like to attend workshops, Bible Half Hour, and other events during the Gathering. If this is a concern for someone in your meeting, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We also encourage meetings to consider supporting Friends in your community who may wish to attend.

We look forward to gathering with you in spirit and action this February!

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 [16] 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.

If you would like more info on what is happening at the NH Statehouse, here are some resources.

KSC Happenings is a weekly, action-based newsletter focusing on State House advocacy.  To join go to the website  kentstreetcoalition.org [17].

We aim to provide the tools and information necessary for people to take action on issues and bills of particular importance and concern. Priorities and positions are made in consultation with KSC working groups and coalition partners.  However, we acknowledge and expect that not everyone will agree with every position listed here and we respect and value the right of individuals to make their own informed decisions.

Many organizations are doing critically important work and our goal is to be an added value, without being duplicative or reinventing the wheel.  We highly recommend the following excellent resources for action alerts, reporting, analysis, and commentary:

We have a special opportunity coming up in March and Ministry and Counsel hopes you'll set aside time in your calendar now.  We will not be holding a program on 4^th Sunday in March.  Instead, a very special program is set for 5^th Sunday and we are hoping for a strong turnout.  Friends will be coming from all over our Quarter.  The Meetings in our Quarterly Meeting include Weare/Henniker, Dover, West Epping Preparative Meeting, North Sandwich, River Woods Worship Group (Exeter), and Gonic.  Such an opportunity!  And the program is especially important. 

New England Yearly Meeting is going through changes and needs to hear from Friends far and wide regarding the summer sessions and various alternatives to the current model.  Whether you have ever attended a NEYM summer session does not matter.  How the YM will meet the needs of individuals and Meetings in our changing times matters to all of us.  We hope you will make time to be present on 5^th Sunday in March.  Stay tuned for more information as the weeks pass.

Our Ministry and Counsel is laying down Wednesday evening hybrid midweek Meeting for Worship.  There doesn't appear to be sufficient interest for a Wednesday evening session.  We could try another time or day if Friends let us know their desire for it.  We would do it either entirely by Zoom or hybrid.  Please get in touch with JenniferS [at] concordfriendsmeeting [dot] org (subject: CFM%20Midweek%20Meeting%20for%20Worship) (Jennifer S) if you have an interest in having this happen.  The Monday Evening Meeting for Worship at Lucy N.'s home near the Meetinghouse continues.  For more information about that opportunity, contact RichK [at] concordfriendsmeeting [dot] org (subject: CFM%20Monday%20Meeting%20for%20Worship) (Rich K).

There are other online Meetings for Worship that are generally available to Quakers, unlimited by geography, if that would be of interest. Some of those are listed here.