Tag Archives: MfW&CC

General Quaker interest, MfW+Creative Conversation, NFN Events, Non-theism

MfW + Creative Conversation Thursday 7th September

Leave a comment
Dear Friends,
We hope this note finds you well.  We are back from our summer holiday and hope you will join us for our next Quaker Meeting and Creative Conversation in September.  
7 September’s QM+CC at 7PM BST/2PM EDT by Zoom, will introduce the concern, Thank God for Nontheism.
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

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 email clerk@nontheist-quakers.org.uk to register
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

General Quaker interest, MfW+Creative Conversation, NFN Events

MfW + Creative Conversation – Thursday 1 June – Building Community

2 Comments

My sincere apologies for not posting this before the meeting! Posted now for completeness of the record. Sorry I was unable to attend due to travelling at the time.  More to follow and see you in September! Trevor

A friendly reminder!  This is our last QM+CC till we resume in Autumn.  If we miss you, have a brilliant and enjoyable summer.  Take care.

Yours,
NFN QM+CC working group

1 June’s QM+CC will introduce the concern Building Community.

Please arrive early, as the Meeting will start promptly at 7PM BST/2PM EDT.  The Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM.
Format:
• Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM (UK time), please arrive early.
• 7PM: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting.
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Concern introduced; followed by interactive discussions in break-out rooms and in the plenary with all participants.
• 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
You will automatically receive Zoom links to subsequent Meetings, approximately one week beforehand and a reminder the day of.  There is no need to re-register. 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.

You will automatically receive Zoom links to subsequent Meetings, approximately one week beforehand and a reminder the day of.  There is no need to re-register. 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.

See you soon!

In Friendship,
The QM+CC Working group (Gisela Creed, John Senior, William Purser, and Kiera Faber)
Nontheist Friends Network

General Quaker interest, MfW+Creative Conversation, NFN Events, Non-theism

MfW+Creative Conversation Thursday 4 May – Are Nontheist Quakers Humanists?

4 Comments
Dear Friends,
We hope this finds you well.  Many thanks to John Richter for inspiring participants to reflect and share diverse perspectives during April’s Meeting.
Please join us for our next Quaker Meeting and Creative Conversation in May.
4 May QM+CC at 7PM BST/2PM EDT by Zoom, will introduce the concern, Are Nontheist Quakers Humanists? (A conversation between Friends).
For additional context and preparation, we encourage you to enjoy a talk delivered by Andrew Copson, executive director of Humanists UK (British Humanists Association), from NFN’s July 2021 conference, That’s the Spirit! – Dimensions of Spirituality.
You can also read David Boulton’s QUG pamphlet ‘The Faith of a Quaker Humanist‘.
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 Additional information about our QM+CC can be found on our website. If you are interested in attending and have not registered, 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 ALL are welcome to attend Nontheist Friends Network events regardless of Membership, beliefs, and/or religious affiliation. If you would like to support NFN and our endeavours, please consider renewing your membership, becoming a new member, or making a donation by filling out our Membership and Donations Form.  Thank you in advance for your generous support!
Conferences, General Quaker interest, NFN Events

Meetings of interest to NFN members.

Leave a comment

Our next Meeting + Creative Conversation is due on Thursday 2nd March at 7pm UK time. https://nontheist-quakers.org.uk/events/

Nontheist Friends in America are having their next meeting online: “The next NTF online gathering will be at 4-5:30pm ET on February 26, the last Sunday in February. We will be responding to The Atheist’s Guide to Quaker Process: Spirit-Led Decisions for the Secular by Selden Smith (Pendle Hill Pamphlet #472). Happily, the author will be with us. He is eager to hear what you have to say.”

I think this will be 9-10.30 pm in UK, Ireland and Portugal and 10-11.30 pm in most of Europe but please check with a time converter from Eastern Time (East coast of USA).
You can find details on their google group: https://groups.google.com/g/nontheist-friends  (if you can’t access this you can email Robin Alpern <robin.alpern@gmail.com> with an explanation of your Quaker/nontheist interest to ask to join.) (Their website appears to be down again at present).

The Quaker Universalist Group (QUG) are having their next meeting for worship and sharing  on Wednesday February 15th at 7 p.m. It will be introduced by Hazel Barker under the title The Power of Intention. https://qug.org.uk/february-meeting-for-worship-and-sharing/

We are still looking forward to volunteers coming forward to organise an NFN Conference. In the meantime, QUG’s upcoming conference is at Woodbrooke: Friday May 12th to Sunday May 14th (At Woodbrooke and online) on the topic How creativity expresses and enhances spirituality across the world.
 https://qug.org.uk/conferences/conference-2023/

 

AGM, General Quaker interest, Non-theism

A nontheist Christmas?

2 Comments

Quakers don’t famously do Christmas. (Consider the word order and absence of commas).

What more could you expect for Xmas except a Bumper Post? (This is it).
Tim has posted the details of the AGM and I will post the details for the intervening Meeting and Creative Conversation, which have already been sent out by email, soon.
For the AGM I’ll just remind everyone about the Constitution and:
8. Any proposed amendments to this constitution must be sent in writing to the Clerk at least 20 days* before the AGM. The Clerk will circulate them at least 10 days before the AGM. Only the AGM may authorise amendments. (* ie. by 30 December email clerk@nontheist-quakers.org.uk).

It might be an idea to look at the Constitution now.

I have been reading Rhiannon Grant’s Quaker Quick Hearing the Light, (the metaphors are deliberately mixed).  A 60 page masterpiece (if that’s not incorrectly gendered) which I thoroughly recommend.  It’s I suppose a sort of follow up to Telling the Truth about God of which I’ve lent two copies as soon as bought so haven’t read yet.  Rhiannon’s belief in God is carefully explained and her position does not seem very far from that of ‘nonbelieving’ NFN members.  For more on this topic on this website see here.

This article on the Death of God by a Catholic writer might give more food for thought: https://christogenesis.org/the-death-of-god-and-the-rebirth-of-god/

As does this take on the ‘Divine‘ by Quaker nontheist Sam Barnett-Cormack.

Remembering Os Cresson’s Quaker and Naturalist too, Friends may find this website of interest: https://religious-naturalist-association.org/welcome/

If you want to treat yourself (or a Friend) for Christmas (and into February), this new course from Woodbrooke on the Gospel of Mary may be just the thing.  Meanwhile, the Bishops may have something to say about same-sex relationships.

Bearing in mind the recent poll (or was it a census result?) about declining religious belief in the UK, this latest post from Chuck Fager on the situation in the USA, is worth a read.

Now, please don’t let’s forget the poor billionnaires this Christmas as The Equality Trust (with Quaker connections – think The Spirit Level) write; their report is also written up in the Grauniad. (I’d favour 90-95 pence in the pound myself as used to be the case in the USA and I think the UK in the 60s or 70s). (A testimony to Equality?)

Not quite finally, here is Frank Cranmer’s post ‘What has Religion got to do with “Corporate Purpose”?’ on the Law and Religion blog.

If you fancy something scandalous for Christmas, here’s a book or two in another offering from the Church Times.

And finally, for Christmas, a nice picture of Suella Braverman.

Hope that will do for now.

General Quaker interest, NFN website, Non-theism

Tonight’s meeting Thursday 3 November 2022 7pm

5 Comments

A friendly reminder!

See you soon.
-NFN UK

3 November’s Quaker Meeting and Creative Conversation will introduce the topical conversation, “Spiritual practice among nontheist Friends” at 7PM UK time by Zoom.  (Please note:  On 30 October the clocks go back in the UK and they will be on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).  If you are in the US or Canada, the Meeting will be at 3pm EDT/12pm PDT, because the clocks don’t go back until 6 November.)
Summary: There will be opportunity for Friends to share experience of their own spiritual practice and how it contributes to being Quaker.
This will be followed by a short presentation of findings from a Woodbrooke Eva Koch project in 2021 which included a study of the variety of personal spiritual practice of 25 Friends.

November’s Format:
• Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM (UK time), please arrive early.
• 7PM: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting.
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Concern briefly introduced for preliminary sharing in facilitated break-out rooms followed by further reflection and inspirational sharing in the plenary.
• Conclusion Presentation: Sharing of Eva Koch project findings 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
You will automatically receive Zoom links to subsequent Meetings, approximately one week beforehand and a reminder the day of.  There is no need to re-register. 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.

General Quaker interest, NFN Events, NFN website

A little teaser

Leave a comment

An NFN newsletter planned for July now looks to be forthcoming by the end of the month – so we’ll call it our August newsletter.

If you would like to send in any news, articles, book reviews, opinions, comments or quaker anecdotes for inclusion in this newsletter, please send them to me trevor at humber dot co dot uk, preferably by the 25th July – quite a tight deadline.

There will be an update by Kiera Faber (our membership clerk) on behalf of the QM+CC Working Group, which is comprised of, William Purser, Kiera Faber, Gisela Creed, and John Senior, looking forward to re-commencing the Meeting and Creative Conversations on 1st September.

They say (don’t they?) that ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’ and if you’re missing our NFN Creative conversations whilst we have a break in July and August, our Friends at the Quaker Universalist Group (QUG) are beginning similar meetings in July and August starting tomorrow:
Daniel Flynn will talk under the title My spiritual journey, from obedience to choice. Some of you may remember Daniel, an American Quaker in Brussels, from ‘Nontheist approaches to religious language’ and other courses at Woodbrooke.
https://qug.org.uk/qug-monthly-worship-and-sharing/  You will have to email QUG quick if you want to join at 7pm tomorrow (Wednesday 20th July).

If you followed the themes at Yearly Meeting or attended the Swarthmore Lecture by Helen Minnis (Glasgow meeting) you will likely find the Quaker Podcast featuring Edwina Peart, Inclusion and Diversity Coordinator, and Rebecca Woo, Campaigns Coordinator, about the reparations conversation that is just beginning amongst British Quakers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tq7XpGPwnI  (audio not video) a useful introduction to this topic.

 

Conferences, General Quaker interest, NFN Events, NFN website, Non-theism

What’s ‘appening? – current affairs

2 Comments

I think that after 3 weeks (to the day) another post would be timely.

Our next Meeting for worship and Creative conversation is next Thursday 2nd June at 7pm where we will consider “Humanists and Quakers – How do we differ, and what are the similarities – an interactive evening”.  For full details and registration see here. (Sorry about the old link last 5 days – now correct I hope).

We have established, in addition to the Creative conversations Working Group, 5 further Working Groups that I know of (18 April) according to those who put their names forward. Some are more active than others as I mentioned in the previous post ‘No more NFN Conferences‘.

NFN Newsletter

The NFN ‘Newsletter’ Working Group has 4 names to it: Bryan Osborne, John Senior, Catherine Carr and myself Trevor Bending. This has not been active but may come to life if we try to produce a Newsletter for June as suggested previously. All Friends, NFN members, SG members and other sympathisers are invited to contribute (see that ‘previously’ link) and you may hear further after Britain Yearly Meeting 2022 has finished.

Quaker Faith & Practice revision

The Quaker Faith & Practice revision WG held its first meeting on the 18th May, hosted by Steven Goldblatt (NFN Treasurer) and attended by David Boulton, Chris Thomas, Gisela Creed, Bryan Osborne and myself. It was decided that updates would not be provided from this group until some clarity is discerned about what we hope to achieve. I won’t continue to participate in this group (for other committments) and am not sure if Bryan will for the same reason although he was able to help us off to a good start with a presentation and some insights from a meeting held with the BYM Quaker Faith & Practice revision Group by Cambridge AM. That presentation showed up later in the YM session on QF&P this week. If you want to contribute to the BYM Revision Groups deliberations you can do so in the following ways: Read BDRC reports to Meeting for Sufferings on this page https://www.quaker.org.uk/resources/quaker-faith-and-practice/revising-quaker-faith-practice
– see also creative project “Open to new light” on Padlet and other social media links on that page.
Ideas and pieces of writing can be submitted using this online form:
Q f&p: submit ideas for the next revision – QForms
https://forms.quaker.org.uk/qfp-idea/
or contact BDRC committee secretary, Michael Booth, by email to qfp@quaker.org.uk or write to him at Friends House.
(BDRC stands for Book of Discipline Revision Committee).

(Quaker faith & practice can be found online here https://qfp.quaker.org.uk/ (and it is more up-to-date than any printed edition))

Or, you can give your ideas about a nontheist contribution to QF&P revision to the NFN WG here:
nontheistfriend@gmail.com
preferably with ‘NFN Quaker Faith & Practice revision WG’ in the subject line.

Helping Woodbrooke ‘design’ nontheist courses

The “Helping Woodbrooke ‘design’ nontheist courses” Working Group consists of Tim Regan, Catherine Carr and Chris Thomas. I have heard no more about this since I withdrew on 23 April.

Website Working Group

The Website WG consisting of Chris Thomas, Ella Dorfman, Tim Regan and myself (Trevor) has probably been the most active with I believe at least 4 meetings (and lots of emails and ‘Slack’ messages) so far. I think you will probably hear more about this from Tim next Thursday evening (and/or by email) with an invitation to help by participating in surveys or interviews.

NFN Conference Working Group

This was dealt with in my last post. The Group has only Catherine Carr (from the SG) and myself. I believe at least half a dozen people would be needed to organise a Conference (but see that last post). There was only a limited response to that post and no-one came forward to help organise any kind of Conference. Perhaps, therefore, there will be no further NFN Conferences (some of the most rewarding weekends at Woodbrooke I have been to) until NFN members call for one and come forward to organise it. I’ll keep you in touch!

AGM, Conferences, General Quaker interest, NFN Events, NFN website, Non-theism

No more NFN Conferences? – and other matters

7 Comments

I believe 5 additional Working Groups were proposed at the AGM in February and all those who came forward to express an interest were contacted by our clerk Tim Regan on 18 April to take matters forward. So far, only the Website working Group (6) seems to have been particularly active. (the others being QF&P revision (6 or 7), Conference (2), Newsletter (4) and Woodbrooke courses (4) – numbers in brackets names coming forward).

Whereas 6 people (including 3 members of the Steering Group) put their names forward for the Website group, only 2 people (and I was one of them) came forward for the Conference group – which appears to me to be a bizarre sense of priorities.

Why the concern for the website (which seems to be working fine?) and so little for a future Conference when the latter, whether at Woodbrooke, elsewhere or online, has been one of the annual highlights for Nontheist Quaker activity, support and the AGM?

Am I to take it that NFN members and past or potential future Conference attenders have no further interest in such an event whether in person or online?  I do hope very much that this isn’t the case as I have always very much enjoyed NFN Conferences of which I have attended at least 6 at Woodbrooke and one online (2021 in lieu of 2020 cancelled through ‘covid’).

From my experience of being involved with the QUG (Quaker Universalist Group) Conference at Woodbrooke over several years, last year online and especially the ‘blended’ Conference at Woodbrooke and online this year when I was heavily involved with managing the online component (but most of the work being done by the QUG team at Woodbrooke), I know that organising a blended conference is very much more demanding than organising one online or even just in person.

If we can’t assemble a team to organise a blended conference (rather more than half a dozen perhaps) or an in person only conference (still 5 or 6?) then perhaps we could rise to an online only conference organised by as few as 4 people perhaps?

There might be a ‘Conference-lite’ alternative which would be simply to have (in person or online) a ‘meet-up’ for social exchange, sharing ideas and worship and so on – perhaps a ‘nontheist retreat’? – organised by just the participants themselves with only 2 or 3 people taking on some prior planning, bookings etc.  Online this might seem little different from our monthly ‘Quaker Meetings with Creative Conversations’ although it could be over a weekend with more time together. In person would be quite a different experience – and perhaps even that could include the possibility of ‘dropping in’ online.

Does anyone else in NFN feel the need for a Conference (or ‘meet-up’) – or should I go back to bed?

I really would appreciate some feed-back on this – whilst you are preparing your articles for a future newsletter.

Oh, by the way, I mentioned ‘other matters’ – the ‘Conversation’ last night on ‘How do I as a nontheist Quaker relate to deeply Christian Quakers‘ went extremely well with some very interesting contributions, particularly, I thought, those from Jean Wardrop and David Boulton. I will try to return to this later but if anyone else who was there would like to write up something for the website now, that would also be most welcome.

General Quaker interest, NFN Events

How do I, a nontheist Quaker, relate to deeply Christian Quakers? 5May 2022

4 Comments

Thank you for registering for our Quaker Meeting and Creative Conversation, organized by the NFN, UK.

The Working Group has rotated the kaleidoscope, and through each twist, will bring you a different experience monthly.  
For 5 May, the Query, “How do I, a nontheist Quaker, relate to deeply Christian Quakers?”, will be introduced to stimulate discussion and sharing of thoughts and ideas amongst all participants.
Please arrive early, as the Meeting will start promptly at 7PM.  The Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM.
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.

May’s Format:
• Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM, please arrive early. 
• 7PM: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting. 
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Query introduced, followed by a short discussion in break-out rooms, with the remainder of the discussion in the main Zoom room with all participants.
• 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 

You will automatically receive Zoom links to subsequent Meetings, approximately one week beforehand and a reminder the day of.  There is no need to re-register. You may unregister/unsubscribe at any time by replying to this email address.

See you soon. 

In Friendship,
The QM+CC Working group (Gisela Creed, John Senior, William Purser, and Kiera Faber)
Nontheist Friends Network