If any NFN Friends are interested in India, the Bhagavad Gita or Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, they might like to have a look at the next QUG meeting for worship on Wednesday 19th June at 7pm UK time.
All posts by Trevor
QM + Creative conversation – sharing our spiritual journeys – Thur 6 June 7pm
Dear Friends,
We hope this note finds you well. Many thanks to Catherine Carr for sharing her creative conversation around Doubt and encouraging self reflection and introspection through various modalities.
We hope you will join us for our next Quaker Meeting and Creative Conversation in June.
Please note this will be our last creative conversation before we take a summer holiday for the months of July and August.
The 6 June QM+CC at 7PM BST/2PM EDT by Zoom, will offer an opportunity to share about spiritual journeys. We will invite participants to focus on one specific aspect that has had significant meaning in shaping their sense of self.
General layout:
• Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM UK time, please arrive early.
• 7PM UK time: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting.
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Different participants will introduce a thought provoking, occasionally debatable question, brief statement, and/or reading. This will be followed by an inspired discussion amongst all participants for creative exchanges and opportunities to disagree.
• Conclusion: Thoughts and a few moments to share silence.
• After Announcements the Zoom Room will remain open for friendly chats and community.
• Duration:1hr:30m-2hr:00m
• Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM UK time, please arrive early.
• 7PM UK time: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting.
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Different participants will introduce a thought provoking, occasionally debatable question, brief statement, and/or reading. This will be followed by an inspired discussion amongst all participants for creative exchanges and opportunities to disagree.
• Conclusion: Thoughts and a few moments to share silence.
• After Announcements the Zoom Room will remain open for friendly chats and community.
• Duration:1hr:30m-2hr:00m
Additional information about our QM+CC can be found on our website.
If you are interested in attending and have not registered for our Creative Conversations, please reply to this email. Our QM+CC Zoom links go out to registered participants only, thank you.
If you previously registered, there is no need to re-register, you are on the list. You will automatically receive Zoom links to this and subsequent Meetings, approximately one week before each Meeting and a reminder the day of. We ask that you please do not share the Zoom link with interested Friends, but encourage them to email the Clerk (clerk@nontheist-quakers.org.uk) to register. You may unregister/unsubscribe at any time by replying to this email address.
In Friendship,
The QM+CC Working group (Gisela Creed, John Senior, William Purser, and Kiera Faber)
Nontheist Friends Network, UK
John Senior’s Spiritual Journey
NFN Friends may like to know that our very own (may I say that?) John Senior will be speaking to the Quaker Universalist Group next Wednesday about his spiritual journey (on zoom).
If you would like to be there, please register there:
‘Our (QUG) next meeting for worship and sharing is on Wednesday May 15th at 7.00 p.m. It will be introduced by John Senior who will be talking about his spiritual journey. John uses a variety of words to describe his journey, including Buddhist, Quaker, Nontheist and Universalist. A reminder and joining instructions will be sent out two or three days before the meeting.’ If you do not have the joining instructions and would like them please send an email to contact@qug.org.uk
NFN AGM 2024 7pm Thursday 23 May (online)
Message from NFN clerk Tim Regan
The Nontheist Friends Network AGM, previously announced during notices after the last two Creative Conversations, will be at 7pm UK time on Thursday the 23rd of May. The AGM is open to all members of the network. Do let me know if there is anything you would like to add to the agenda, and I will send round a Zoom link nearer the time. Tim
And don’t forget our next ‘Creative conversation’ on Doubt tomorrow evening 2nd May.
QM+Creative conversation-Doubt-Thursday 2 May 7pm
Dear Friends,
We hope this note finds you well. Many thanks to Philip Gross and Kiera Faber for sharing their collaborative creative conversation in April; drawing our attention to the space between words and images.
We hope you will join us for our next Quaker Meeting and Creative Conversation in May.
2 May QM+CC at 7PM BST/2PM EDT by Zoom, will introduce a concern around Doubt by Catherine Carr.
General layout:
• Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM UK time, please arrive early.
• 7PM UK time: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting.
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Different participants will introduce a thought provoking, occasionally debatable question, brief statement, and/or reading. This will be followed by an inspired discussion amongst all participants for creative exchanges and opportunities to disagree.
• Conclusion: Thoughts and a few moments to share silence.
• After Announcements the Zoom Room will remain open for friendly chats and community.
• Duration:1hr:30m-2hr:00m
• 7PM UK time: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting.
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Different participants will introduce a thought provoking, occasionally debatable question, brief statement, and/or reading. This will be followed by an inspired discussion amongst all participants for creative exchanges and opportunities to disagree.
• Conclusion: Thoughts and a few moments to share silence.
• After Announcements the Zoom Room will remain open for friendly chats and community.
• Duration:1hr:30m-2hr:00m
Additional information about our QM+CC can be found on our website.
If you are interested in attending and have not registered for our Creative Conversations, please reply to this email.
If you previously registered, there is no need to re-register, you are on the list. You will automatically receive Zoom links to this and subsequent Meetings, approximately one week before each Meeting and a reminder the day of. We ask that you please do not share the Zoom link with interested Friends, but encourage them to email the Clerk (clerk@nontheist-quakers.org.uk) to register. You may unregister/unsubscribe at any time by replying to this email address.
In Friendship,
The QM+CC Working group (Gisela Creed, John Senior, William Purser, and Kiera Faber)
Nontheist Friends Network, UK
Bolivian Quaker Study Tour
I have been asked to draw attention to this tour organised by the Bolivian Quaker Education Fund.
I understand the closing date is being moved to 1st May, otherwise full details here (and above as pdf): https://www.bqef.org/news/2024-quaker-study-tour-now-forming-quakers-in-bolivia-climate-change-impacts-amp-adaptation
QUG Conference and Centering Prayer
We (NFN) have not had a conference for some time. If NFN Friends are interested in the ‘Future of Religion’ (and Quakerism) they might like to attend the QUG Conference on 19-21 April.
In person attendance at High Leigh is now full but there are still online places available at £40. (There is a form to complete). Full details here: https://qug.org.uk/conferences/conference-2024-the-future-of-religion-worldwide/
If any NFN Friends are interested in Centering Prayer, at the next QUG MfW and sharing on Wed. 17th April at 7pm, Peter Bone, facilitator of the Chichester Centering Prayer group, will talk about Centering Prayer. (Relevant to Meditation as discussed at our NFN meeting on 4th January). A reminder and joining instructions will be sent out two or three days before the meeting. To register for this, email contact@qug.org.uk
MfW + Creative conversation Thursday 4 April – Exploring silence through collaborative arts.
Dear Friends,
Many thanks to Rosemary Kirk for sharing in March and opening up space for participants to consider their own deep convictions and feelings.
We hope you will join us for our next Quaker Meeting and Creative Conversation in April.
4 April’s QM+CC at 7PM BST/2PM EDT by Zoom is titled Exploring silence through collaborative arts.
Poet Philip Gross and artist Kiera Faber invite you to share and reflect on a taste of their creative conversation spanning over two years, weaving unexpected connections across time.
General QM+CC layout:
• Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM UK time, please arrive early.
• 7PM UK time: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting.
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Different participants will introduce a thought provoking, occasionally debatable question, brief statement, and/or reading. This will be followed by an inspired discussion amongst all participants for creative exchanges and opportunities to disagree.
• Conclusion: Thoughts and a few moments to share silence.
• After Announcements the Zoom Room will remain open for friendly chats and community.
• Duration:1hr:30m-2hr:00mAdditional information about our QM+CC can be found on our website.
• Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM UK time, please arrive early.
• 7PM UK time: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting.
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Different participants will introduce a thought provoking, occasionally debatable question, brief statement, and/or reading. This will be followed by an inspired discussion amongst all participants for creative exchanges and opportunities to disagree.
• Conclusion: Thoughts and a few moments to share silence.
• After Announcements the Zoom Room will remain open for friendly chats and community.
• Duration:1hr:30m-2hr:00mAdditional information about our QM+CC can be found on our website.
If you are interested in attending and have not registered for our Creative Conversations, please email clerk@nontheist-quakers.org.uk for the zoom link.
If you previously registered, there is no need to re-register, you are on the list. You will automatically receive Zoom links to this and subsequent Meetings, approximately one week before each Meeting and a reminder the day of. We ask that you please do not share the Zoom link with interested Friends, but encourage them to email the Clerk to register. You may unregister/unsubscribe at any time by replying to this email address.
In Friendship,
The QM+CC Working group (Gisela Creed, John Senior, William Purser, and Kiera Faber)
Nontheist Friends Network, UK
MfW + Creative Conversation Thursday 7 March – See heaven in a grain of sand
Dear Friend,
We hope this note finds you well. Many thanks to Elaine Green for sharing in February. We were grateful for the conversation and introspection.
We hope you will join us for our next Quaker Meeting and Creative Conversation in March.
7 March QM+CC at 7PM GMT/2PM EST by Zoom, will introduce the concern, See heaven in a grain of sand, by Rosemary Kirk.
Title inspired by Auguries of Innocence poem by William Blake.
General format:
• Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM UK time, please arrive early.
• 7PM UK time: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting.
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Different participants will introduce a thought provoking, occasionally debatable question, brief statement, and/or reading. This will be followed by an inspired discussion amongst all participants for creative exchanges and opportunities to disagree.
• Conclusion: Thoughts and a few moments to share silence.
• After Announcements the Zoom Room will remain open for friendly chats and community.
• Duration:1hr:30m-2hr:00mAdditional information about our QM+CC can be found on our website.If you are interested in attending and have not registered for our Creative Conversations, please email as below.
If you previously registered, there is no need to re-register, you are on the list. You will automatically receive Zoom links to this and subsequent Meetings, approximately one week before each Meeting and a reminder the day of. We ask that you please do not share the Zoom link with interested Friends, but encourage them to email the Clerk (clerk@nontheist-quakers.org.uk) to register. You may unregister/unsubscribe at any time by replying to this email address.
In Friendship,
The QM+CC Working group (Gisela Creed, John Senior, William Purser, and Kiera Faber)
Nontheist Friends Network, UK
NTF Meeting tonight and QUG Meeting tomorrow
Very short notice but NFN Friends might be interested in the North American Nontheist Friends session at 4pm EST today (9pm GMT I think):
Hope you can join us, Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 4:00 Eastern Standard Time for our contemplative sharing session. Our hope is that James Riemermann will be with us to talk about his chapter “Mystery: It’s What We Don’t Know” in Godless for God’s Sake.
(“Nontheist Friends (Quakers)” <nontheist-friends@googlegroups.com> or email Ann Sidone <annsidone1@gmail.com> for the link).
Tomorrow night at 7pm, the Quaker Universalist Group (QUG UK) are meeting to listen to a talk from Lee Drummond about Animism and an earth-based spirituality.
https://qug.org.uk/diary/?event_id1=4033
Details of our own meeting at 7pm on Thursday 7th March to follow soon (if you’re signed up, you’ve already had the email).
Nontheist Friends Network 