Goose Creek Friends

Newsletter November 2017

Goose Creek Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Lincoln, Virginia

Queries for Eleventh Month: Monthly Meeting for Worship

Social Concerns with a Concern for Business:
How do I express my faith in action? How are my Eleventh Month
actions grounded in my faith? The Clerk read a letter from Joe Evans thanking us
Is my sense of justice based in love? for our donations to his legal fund and explaining
his hope that he will be released from prison. From
Do I endeavor to face the pain of the world and his letter: Legally, my role in this violent crime
respond to it with forgiveness and compassion? was minimal. Morally, I feel as if I still havent done
Are you concerned for those in our society who are enough in memory of victims such as Nila with
disadvantaged? helping others and re-directing the lives of countless
Do I make an idol of that which I am led to juveniles in hopes that they will reach their potential.
defend? But I will continue to do more in her honor. And in
honor of her family.
How do I avoid demonizing those who march
against my concern? Meeting approved with thanks the annual report of
the Property Committee. It described the work done
Do I take my full share of civic responsibility? on the Meeting House during the past year, including
Do I avoid partisan assumptions and rhetoric? repair and re-laying of the brick and stone sidewalk
Continued on next page !

Goose Creek Meeting House Bicentennial | Saturday, October 21, 2017

Goose Creek Friends Newsletter | November 2017 | Page 2

Continued from page 1

and steps in front of the Meeting House, and the Friends approved a Harping for Harmony concert
placement of a commemorative stone and plaque. at the Meeting House on March 25 at 3pm. The
Some work remains to be done this year, but most new performer will be Paraguayan harpist Nicholas Carter.
projects will be deferred to 2018. Goose Creek funds donated to Joe Evanss legal
Friends approved with thanks the annual report of the fund will be held in escrow for now until they can be
Publications Committee. The newsletter is currently disbursed appropriately.
being mailed to 125 members, attenders, other The next committee clerks meeting will be held on
meetings, and a few interested community groups and February 18. A session to discuss the spiritual state of
individuals. It is emailed to 88 others. the meeting 2017 will be held on January 21.
Meeting approved with thanks the annual report of Committee clerks will soon receive reports on
the Archive Committee. During the past year, the their committees past expenditures and forms for
committee oversaw the conservation of materials, committee requests for the 2018 budget.
created an inventory of the furniture in the Meeting
House and Oakdale School, and provided Friends with Quakerism Sessions
access to historical records.
The November 12 session will be on the history of
Friends approved with thanks the report of the early Quakers and, in particular, their approach to
Bicentennial Committee. On October 21, Goose Scripture. Please, if you can, read the introduction to
Creek Meeting held a bicentennial celebration A Sustainable Life: Quaker Faith and Practice in the
commemorating the building of our Meeting House. Renewal of Creation by Douglas Gwyn. There will be
The celebration was well attended by an estimated a handout on early Friends approach to the Scriptures.
170 people.
These Quakerism sessions take place after the rise
This years Christmas potluck dinner will be held on of Meeting on second First Days of the month, and
December 17 at 6pm. A Christmas Eve Meeting for include opportunities for discussion and personal
Worship will be held that evening, 7-8pm. responses. Reading Gwyns book is not required,
though familiarity with it will enrich readers as well
as our discussions. You may attend some sessions
without committing to be present every month.

From Baltimore Yearly Meeting:

Native Bulletin
If youre a member of the Goose Creek listserv [and
if youre not, consider signing on!], youll have seen
John Unger at the Bicentennial Celebration.

notice of the publication of the first issue of Native

Bulletin. Sara Towe Horsfall, Clerk of the BYM Indian
Affairs Committee, writes that One of [the Indian
Affairs Committees] missions this year is to help
BYM members become more informed about Native
American issues, situations, and simply their presence.
So to that end we are developing this Bulletin. Pat
Powers is the main editor, and I am the publisher
[W]e hope that it develops into a useful tool for you
and others. Thanks to Eric Carlson, who is an active
member of the Indian Affairs Committee, for making
us aware of Native Bulletin.
 Goose Creek Friends Newsletter | November 2017 | Page 3

Young Friends Conference

November 24-26
Stony Run Meeting (Baltimore)
Plan to begin arriving at 7:00 pm on Friday. For
information, check the Young Friends website (www.
bym-rsf.org/what_we_do/yfs/yfcon.html) or contact
Jocelyn Dowling (301-774-7663). Please remember
that the deadline to register and be guaranteed a slot
is two weeks before the conference (November 10).
Any one registering after that date will be placed on a
waiting list and may not be able to attend.

2018 Womens Retreat

January 26-28
Pearlston Retreat & Conference Center
Reisterstown, Maryland (just NW of Baltimore) Bicentennial Celebration
Leaning into our Light on Gender, Race & Sexuality Our Bicentennial Celebration on October
Registration for the conference is now open, and 21 was a great success. We had about 170
closes on January 5. people who came to enjoy the day. It was well
www.bym-rsf.org/events/ymevents/women18.html attended by Friends, friends and neighbors,
neighboring Meetings and churches, Goose
Goose Creek News Creek family descendants, and friends from
the greater Baltimore Yearly Meeting. They
Kelsey Parris and Greg Augarten were married in visited points of interest featuring our history
New Orleans on October 7. Kelsey is the daughter and our continuing story today.
of Eleanor Welsh and Mark Parris and niece of
Beth Welsh. Beth traveled with her daughters and Each Meeting Committee was responsible for
grandchildren to celebrate with Eleanor and her family. part of the day, which made our celebration
dynamic and creative. The food was delicious
Sheila Kryston will represent Goose Creek Meeting at and plentiful. Lunch was a time to visit with
this years Interfaith Roundtable, to be held at NOVA each other.
on November 14.
The program in the afternoon was a reminder
of our roots and recalled the remarkable things
Save the Date! our forebears initiated many times during
dark times. This event was a time of light in
our history. Many people worked endlessly
overseeing details for a day of celebrating our
building and our community.
Carolyn Unger
Bicentennial Celebration Clerk

To whom, many thanks for her

This years Christmas potluck supper
months of work planning this event.
and carol sing will be held on
Sunday evening, December 17, at 6:00
Page 4 | November 2017 | Goose Creek Friends Newsletter

Sundays Facing Bench

Meeting for worship at 9:45 a.m. NOVEMBER
First Day School at 10:00 a.m. Peggy King
Fellowship at 10:45 a.m. DECEMBER
Sheila Kryston
Calendar
NOVEMBER First Day
11.12 Sunday 11 am Quakerism discussion School
11.26 Sunday 11 am Ministry and Oversight Committee Meeting 11/05/17
DECEMBER Voting Rights

12.3 Sunday 11 am Meeting for Worship 11/12/17

with a Concern for Business Stewardship
12.10 Sunday 11 am Quakerism discussion 11/19/17
12.17 Sunday 6 pm Christmas potluck supper and carol sing Care Packages
12.24 Sunday 7 pm Christmas Eve Meeting for Worship
11/26/17
12.31 Sunday 11 am Ministry and Oversight Committee Meeting Jr. Meeting for Worship

MARRIAGE
Kelsey Parris and Greg Augarten, October 7, 2017, in New Orleans, LA

FIRST DAY SCHOOL | NOVEMBER

11/5/17: Voting rights and Equality. 11/26/17: Jr. Meeting for Worship.
This Sunday we will be discussing the Students will gather for a short Meeting
Women Suffrage Movement and Civil for Worship, then have a chance to
Rights and how women and black participate in games. NEWSLETTER
Americans were prevented from voting. The Goose Creek Friends Newsletter
Teen Discussion Group is published monthly by the
11/12/17: Stewardship. In what ways If three or more teens (ages 13-17) Goose Creek Friends Meeting,
18204 Lincoln Road, P.O. Box 105,
do farmers practice SPICES? Students are present, they are welcome to head Lincoln, VA 20160.
will have a chance discuss stewardship over to Allen's shop next door for a CLERK
and other values and plant some acorns. youth-led discussion group. NOTE: no Debbi Sudduth, 540.338.3363
11/19/17: Care Packages. Last month, matter what the topic, the students and dfsud@comcast.net

the children identified to whom theyd FAPs are encouraged to make sure the ASSISTANT CLERK
conversation stays related to Quakerism. Patricia Barber, 301.432.5706
like to send a care package (locally) and patloubar@gmail.com
what theyd like to put in the boxes. Become an official FAP! Please TREASURER
This First Day well pack the boxes and email Maria Nicklin (marianicklin@ Annie Carlson
prepare for delivery! gmail.com) and Cameron Hughes goose.creek.treasurer@gmail.com
(cameron247@hotmail.com) for more NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Catherine Cox, 301-471-5330
information. blycox@comcast.net
WEBSITE & FACEBOOK
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your enemy. When opposing specific actions and abuses of power, DONATIONS
seek to address the goodness and truth in each individual. Please direct donations for
Goose Creek Friends Meeting to
Advices, Baltimore Yearly Meetings Faith and Practice Annie Carlson, P.O. Box 105
(Proposed Revisions, Second Reading, 2013) Lincoln, Virginia 20160