Dear Friend,
A new year has begun, and with it comes new opportunities to build community and deepen our spiritual lives together. Six months from now, we will come together for a week of Quaker worship, workshops, and community for all ages at Niagara University for the 2017 FGC Gathering. Our theme this year, Ripples Start Where the Spirit Moves, couldn't be more timely. If you're not counting down the days as we are, you will be by the time you've finished this month's Vital Friends.
So settle in, grab a cup of tea (or a bowl of Quaker Oats!), and explore the offerings and events of the 2017 FGC Gathering. And don't forget to follow FGC on Facebook and Twitter for important Gathering updates as they happen!
In the Spirit,
FGC Staff
This issue contains:
- Gathering 2017: Meet the Plenary Speakers
- Meet Your Staff: Patsy Arnold Martin
- Featured Resource: Gathering Workshops Page
- Web Extra: Tips for a Non-Quaker at the Gathering
- QuakerBooks Reading List: Six Spirit-Led Activists Worth Knowing
- Among Friends: News and Events from the World of Friends
|
|
|
The Gathering team is excited to present this year's schedule of speakers for our evening Plenary sessions. This July, experience a thanksgiving address from the people of the Six Nations, go on a spiritual journey with the advocate who has worked tirelessly for 30 years to promote and defend the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations system, commemorate the Centennial of American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) with Palestinian Quakers and an Israeli Jew as they discuss their Spirit-led resistance and liberation, and and learn from the clerk of New York Yearly Meeting’s Earthcare Working Group how you can build up the physical, emotional, and spiritual muscle needed to navigate uncertain times.
Meet this year's Plenary Speakers.
|
|
|
Patsy Arnold Martin has served as a teacher, a radio DJ, a public librarian, and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malaysia. Her role as Junior Gathering Coordinator was one she felt compelled to do from the moment she was interviewed at FGC, and one she still sees as vital, fulfilling work.
Learn more about Patsy Arnold Martin.
|
|
|
Workshops offer Gathering adults and high school participants the opportunity to be immersed in a topic with other interested Friends. Friends stay in the same workshop throughout the week, forming a small community within the Gathering. Choose from topics including Dance It Out, Dance It In for Caregivers, Writing Out of the Presence, Tansi: Indigenous Solidarity Across Borders, and Soulful Singing.
Discover Gathering 2017's Workshop offerings now.
|
|
|
How do you get the most out of the Gathering when you're...uh...you know, not Quaker? Our friendly, non-Quaker Communications Manager Marta Rusek has compiled your go-to guide using her experience (along with some helpful hints from the Gathering team) in Tips for a Non-Quaker at the Gathering.
Read the guide on the FGC website.
|
|
|
Seeking inspiration as you advocate for causes you care about? These selections about or written by spirit-led activists are must-reads for Friends and readers looking for role models who weren't afraid to take action in the name of their faith.
View this Reading List on QuakerBooks.org.
|
|
|
In January 2016, FGC's ministry dedicated to helping couples grow together in their Quaker faith and practice became its own entity, Friends Couple Enrichment. Learn about the latest developments for Friends Couple Enrichment, plus updates from Pendle Hill, AFSC, and Friends Journal!
View the full updates on FGC's website.
|
|
|
FGC helps Friends deepen Quaker worship and practice, and supports welcoming and inclusive Quaker communities. Your gift will empower a 35,000-strong community of love and faith.
|
|
Like what you’ve read? Please help us by sharing this newsletter with your friends and Friends by using the buttons below!
|
|
|
|
|
