Tag Archives: News

General Quaker interest, MfW+Creative Conversation, NFN Events

MfW + Creative Conversation Thursday 5th October – A slow intro to decolonizing qism

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Dear Friends,
We hope this note finds you well.  Many thanks to David Parlett for inspiring a plenary discussion that was robust and personal ‘Thank God for nontheism‘ on 7th September.  We hope you will join us for our next Quaker Meeting and Creative Conversation in October.  
5 October’s QM+CC at 7PM BST/2PM EDT by Zoom, will introduce the concern, A slow intro to decolonizing qism

with tom kunesh of Nashville Friends Meeting Tennessee

 
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: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 us 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

 

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

MfW + Creative Conversation Thursday 7th September

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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, Publications

Articles and newsletters

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No newsletters have been produced since August 2022. This is because the general view (of members and Steering Group) seems to be that newsletters are no longer necessary given our regular monthly meetings online and email communications. But see Tim’s comment below. In addition, we have no-one who wants to produce one. It is possible that occasional newsletters may appear in future – probably in email form.

But do have a scroll down through NFN Articles from 2012 to 2023 here, (https://nontheist-quakers.org.uk/articles/) where you will also find all the newsletters from 2013 to 2022.

General Quaker interest, NFN Events

Nontheist Friends (NTF) – Stateside News

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Mary Pagurelias and other nontheist Friends in America are establishing further regular online meetup groups.

Mary wrote recently:
1. NTF Discussion is a Monthly Sunday Gathering. There is a “planning” or “steering” committee that has a basic function of keeping us organized . Anyone who attends this Monthly Discussion can and is welcomed to offer a topic, query, reading, etc and can adjust the time of the gathering.

2. Our Tuesday “contemplative group” meets twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 4:00 PM EDT.

3. A Saturday “contemplative group” will be meeting for the first time this Saturday, July 8 at 11:00 AM EDT.

4. Anyone who wants to start a group in their time zone at an hour and day that is most convenient for them. So, Izzy, Gerry, Trevor, Elizabeth, et. al. can have one that meets their needs.

What we see here is that we are building a wonderful world-wide community … something we have all been craving for far too long.
Build it and they will come… (I have no idea who said that but it is true.)

LOVE
Mary

To convert EDT (Eastern Daylight time I think) to British Summer Time, add 5 hours or 6 hours for Central European Summer Time.

Friends can get in touch via the NTF google group: https://groups.google.com/g/nontheist-friends?hl=en  and see the NTF website here: https://nontheistfriends.org/email-discussion

News from the NTF website (which updates automatically from their RSS Feed I think) can be found at the foot of the right-hand column here (on a laptop) but their most recent update is from December 2021! These items are reproduced here (and should all open in a new tab or window):

General Quaker interest, MfW+Creative Conversation, NFN Events

MfW + Creative Conversation – Thursday 1 June – Building Community

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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?

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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.

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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/

 

General Quaker interest, NFN Events, Non-theism

Next meeting: Thursday 1 December 2022

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(early notice this time!)

Dear Friends,

Many thanks to Rosemary for inspiring a compassionate and keening listening Meeting in November.

1 December’s Quaker Meeting and Creative Conversation will introduce the concern,  “Ideas for Creative Conversation Topics” at 7PM UK time by Zoom.

Summary: What topics would participants like to see covered in future Creative Conversations?  If you have a suggestion or interest that you would enjoy hearing discussed, this is a perfect time to share those thoughts.
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 or email the clerk 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 

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 becoming a Member by filling out our Membership submission form and contributing £10.  Thank you in advance for your generous support!

 

General Quaker interest, Non-theism

Nontheist Friends in the US begin a monthly meeting

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This is very short notice for the first meeting tomorrow but Nontheist Friends in America write:

Dear Friends,
>
> We hope you’ll join in our new monthly online discussion tomorrow evening, 7-8:30pm Eastern.
> We plan to break into small groups to discuss:
>       • What questions do people ask about nontheist Friends?
>       • How would you like to use this discussion group?

With our clocks going back tonight, that means 11pm to 12.30am (Monday) here in Britain (or Portugal where I am just now) if anyone is interested in joining from there.

(and: 11pm to 12:30am UK seems correct for our 7pm EDT start:<https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/>
U.S. doesn’t fall back until November 6th.
in peace,
aaron)

To join with the zoom link you need to be on their google group:
nontheist-friends@googlegroups.com

http://groups.google.com/group/nontheist-friends?hl=en

Maybe see you there?

General Quaker interest, NFN Events

1 September’s QM+CC will introduce the concern, “Exploring New Ways of Believing and Belonging”

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Tim Regan’s interesting reflections on this meeting can be found here:
https://nontheist-quakers.org.uk/2022/09/10/tims-reflections-on-exploring-new-ways-of-believing-and-belonging-our-creative-conversation-on-1-9-22/

Dear Friend,

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

1 September’s QM+CC will introduce the concern, “Exploring New Ways of Believing and Belonging”, to stimulate discussion and sharing of thoughts and ideas amongst all participants.

Please arrive early, as the Meeting will start promptly at 7PM, UK time.  The Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM.  1 September’s format below.
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.
September’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 introduced; followed by interactive discussions in break-out rooms and 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. 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