NEYM Mid-Year Sessions - April 17-19

[Zach Alexander]

well well well, look at this new idea.... zach

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: NEYM Registrar <regi...@neym.org>
Date: Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 8:34 PM
Subject: NEYM Mid-Year Sessions - April 17-19 - Invitation
To: zdale...@gmail.com


Dear Friend,

You are being invited to worship with all New England Friends in the
first-ever Mid-Year Sessions of New England Yearly Meeting. We will gather
in the Portland, Maine area over the April 17-19 weekend.

Mid-Year Sessions will be convened in response to Minute 52 approved at our
2008 Sessions, which reads in part:

We are mindful that Friends¹ testimony on peace calls us ³to root out the
causes of war from our own lives and from the political and social structure
about us.²

In addition, having heard an expressed sense by many New England Friends
that we need to gather in extended prayer with far less official business,
we plan to do so -- listening together to find what God calls us to do. We
pray that seeking truth out of a spirited silence may empower our actions
and witness as a community.

***

Since we have no historical experience to base judgment on - it is difficult
to judge how many people will attend Mid-year Sessions April 17-19th. We
need to know within 10 days whether to plan for a gathering of under 220
Friends or to plan for an event that can accommodate up to 500 people.

Therefore: Please help us! Respond soon to Regi...@NEYM.org with how many
people in your household are more likely than not to attend.

***

Actual Registration is expected to begin on March 4, 2009. The intention is
to have child-care and financial assistance available (via our normal
Equalization process) so that those issues will not be barriers. Part-time
attendance by some Friends is expected.

Just below this letter is a set of DRAFT queries and a DRAFT Schedule that
we hope will be useful in preparing for the Mid-year Sessions.

We hope very much you will attend Mid-Year Sessions April 17th-19th.

Yours in service,
Linda Jenkins, Presiding Clerk

Called Meeting Planning Group
Bain Davis
Ian Harrington
Cliff Harrison
Will Jennings
Carmen Lavertu
Marge Lippincott
Leslie Manning
Aggie Mitchkoski
Bonnie Norton
Mehmet Rona
Jonathan Vogel-Borne
Greg Williams


Draft Queries

Is substantial transformation of ourselves a condition that The Spirit asks?

Do we believe it is possible for God to lead us to a common understanding of
what we should be doing?

What does it mean ³to root out the causes of war from our own lives and from
the political and social structure about us²?

What actually needs to be said and done to effect transformation in the
persistent ways of violence and societal mismanagement practiced by
humankind?

What exactly needs to be said and done to effect transformation within
ourselves if we have decided that such an outcome is the will of God??


Note: It is expected that various queries when finalized will be inserted
into the Schedule as centering possibilities for each Worship Session.
Friends are invited to offer comments and suggestions regarding the draft
queries.



Draft Schedule

Friday Night

6:30 -¬ 7:15PM
Registration

7:30 - 9:00PM
Opening Worship


Saturday

9:30 ­ ¬ 11:15AM
Worship

11:30AM ¬- 1PM
Small Group Discussion

1 - ¬ 2:15 PM
Lunch

2:30 -¬ 5PM
Worship

6 -¬ 7:30PM
Dinner

8 -¬ 10PM
Meeting for Business or Open Worship


Sunday

9 -¬ 11AM
Closing Worship

11:30AM -¬ 1PM
Lunch

--
Zach Alexander
www.zachalexander.com