changeset 87:74674b0f1a91

*** empty log message ***
author ht
date Sat, 26 Mar 2016 12:07:25 -0400
parents 9c5c358ffc96
children 993950eb7130
files Sufferings/2016-02/notes.txt Sufferings/2016-02/sesame.txt
diffstat 2 files changed, 165 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-) [+]
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+http://fwcc.world/plenary-2016/epistle-from-2016-friends-world-committee-for-consultation-world-plenary-international-representatives-meeting
+
+  Although God can fill our hearts, God has no hands but ours to heal
+  this broken world.
+
+----------
+
+CGAG declined to suggest any changes to QF&P as regards how are annual
+budget is determined, as QF&P is about general principles, rather than
+detailed specifications which would require too-frequent updates.  We
+agreed with this, and heard wrt documenting the current budget
+process: Operational plan is the current core of the process, but it
+changes too often to be usefully documented, even informally.
+
+----------
+
+Refugee sponsorship:  Not just Syrian?  Only in the first instance,
+probably (this is still all in anticipation, waiting on HMG).
+ Citizens UK vs. NRWB
+
+Support for QPSW to lend our names to the Citizens UK effort to
+encourage the government's consideration of a Private Sponsorship
+system.
+
+Concerns were voiced about Citizens UK and the risk of a 'third way'
+undermining the existing routes, and about the implication that this
+is not a universal obligation which should be funded by the
+government.
+
+-------------
+
+YM 2016 -- Living out our Faith -- ordinary as well as heroic.
+Preliminary meetings and questions/comments in advance.
+
+Notice deadline for C&YP programmes: 16 March
+
+Registration requested for all those planning to attend, for planning
+purposes.
+
+-----------
+
+What MfS is all about: "general care...;set...priorities [per YM and
+concerns of AMs] to guide YM and AMs;visionary and prophetic
+
+Vision: Our Faith in the Future
+
+MfWfB -- "A MfW with an agenda"
+
+"Right Ordering" -- in life as well as in our MfWfB
+
+Membership (historically) implied accepting the Discipline, does it
+still?  What obligations does Membership carry with it?
+
+Concerns need to be 3/4s baked -- AMs are told if they send something
+to Sufferings, they have to be clear what they are asking Sufferings
+to _do_.  Likewise if an LM sends a concern to AM, they should be
+clear what endorsing it _means_ in practice. "I don't want AMs just
+dropping a dead pigeon on the doorstep of Friends House".
+
+--------
+
+"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans"
+
+Planning to bridge the gap isn't quite the same as being led.
+
+Children's meeting: If you build it they will come.
+
+AMe size is not a goal in itself.
+
+Chair colour as exercising our discernment muscles
+
+Confident Quaker voice3
+
+=========
+
+Sustainability
+
+Large tabular display of goals and state of progress towards them
+
+Some good news "snowball" effects
+
+"Embedding sustainability in all our processes"
+
+Sustainability Gathering 18--20 March Swanwick
+  Getting past the "plateau" of having done the Meeting House, needing
+   to change our individual lives
+
+New project: Nurturing our Sustainability Ministry
--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/Sufferings/2016-02/sesame.txt	Sat Mar 26 12:07:25 2016 -0400
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+Report of Meeting for Sufferings, held in London 2016-02-06
+
+*Introduction*
+
+During our opening worship, extracts from the Epistle [1] of the Friends
+World Committee for Consultation World Plenary meeting held in Pisac,
+Peru, 19-27 January 2016, includng these words:
+
+  Although God can fill our hearts, God has no hands but ours to heal
+  this broken world. [2]
+
+*Annual budget*
+
+Church Government Advisory Group declined to suggest any changes to
+Quaker Faith and Practice as regards how our annual budget is
+determined, as QF&P is about general principles, rather than detailed
+specifications which would require too-frequent updates.  We agreed
+with this, and heard, with respect to documenting the current budget
+process, that the "Operational Plan" is the current core of the
+process, but this changes too often to be usefully documented, even
+informally.
+
+*Refugee sponsorship*
+
+At first several statements of support were made for asking Quaker
+Peace and Social Witness to lend our names to the Citizens UK effort
+to encourage the government's consideration of a Private Sponsorship
+system.  However, "serious reservations [were also] expressed both
+about the scheme itself and the impact this could have on existing
+work with and services for refugees." [3] QPS&W are initiating efforts
+to clarify both the status of the organisation so far taking the lead
+in this, Citizens UK, and the position of the main charities already
+envolved in supporting refugees and asylum seekers.
+
+Our representatives are aware of considerable interest within the Area
+Meeting in participating in such a scheme, and will actively monitor
+QPS&W's progress in this area.
+
+*Yearly Meeting 2016*
+
+Yearly Meeting will be in London, 27--30 May 2016.  We are requested
+to register [4] and to make use of the Spiritual Preparation for
+Yearly Meeting guide [5].  Area Meeting Elders will shortly be
+publicising two local sessions for those considering attending Yearly
+Meeting, to provide an introduction and support for those considering
+doing so for the first time, and to work with the two parts of the
+preparation guide.
+
+*Vision: Our Faith in the Future*
+
+Scottish and Welsh representatives met in a 'house group' to return to
+the new Vision document [6] and our consideration of the state of our
+Area Meetings.  A few of the comments that stayed with me:
+
+   * Meeting for Worship for Business -- "A Meeting for Worship with an agenda"
+
+   * "Right Ordering" -- in life as well as in our Meeting for Worship for Business
+
+   * Membership (historically) implied accepting the Discipline, does
+     it still?  What obligations does Membership carry with it?
+
+   * Concerns need to be at least 3/4s baked -- AMs are told if they
+     send something to Sufferings, they have to be clear what they are
+     asking Sufferings to _do_.  Likewise if an LM sends a concern to
+     AM, they should be clear what endorsing it _means_ in
+     practice. "I don't want AMs just dropping a dead pigeon on the
+     doorstep of Friends House".
+
+Henry S. Thompson, Area Meeting representative on Meeting for Sufferings
+
+[1] http://fwcc.world/plenary-2016/epistle-from-2016-friends-world-committee-for-consultation-world-plenary-international-representatives-meeting
+[2] A paraphrase of part of a poem attributed, controversially, to
+St. Teresa of Avila, _Christ Has No Body_
+[3] http://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/mfs-feb-2016-agenda-papers-final-minutes-package.pdf
+[4] https://forms.quaker.org.uk/bym/
+[5] https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/ym-2016-spiritual-preparation.pdf
+[6] http://old.quaker.org.uk/our-organisation/meeting-for-sufferings/our-faith-in-the-future