Goose Creek Friends

Newsletter December 2019

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

Queries for Twelfth Month: Monthly Meeting for Worship with a

Community Concern for Business: Twelfth Month
• Are love and unity maintained among you? Friends approved with thanks the report
• What helps our Meeting build trust in of the Nominating Committee for 2020,
one another? including the members of the new
Nominating Committee for 2021. Changes
• How do we get to know one another in committee memberships during the
in our spiritual community and in other course of the year will not need to be
religious communities? approved by Meeting.
• How do we make time in our lives for Friends approved with thanks the annual
our Meeting? report of the Library Committee. During
• How do our conflicts have the potential the past year they reviewed the materials in
to enrich the life of our community? the library, gave away books not needed on
our shelves, and accepted recommendations
from committees for new books and other
media. Our catalogue, previously contained
on antiquated hardware and software, has
been restored.
Chuck Hough reported for the Technology
Subcommittee of the Library Committee.
They recommend installation of an internet
connection for Meeting and are investigating
what the best server for us will be. They are
also in the process of defining Meeting’s
long-term cloud storage requirements and
recommend the acquisition of a computer to
incorporate all committees’ spreadsheets and
other information into one Meeting resource.
The subcommittee will supervise Meeting
data and maintain the computer. Friends
approved this report with thanks.

Continued on next page g

Goose Creek Friends Newsletter | December 2019 | Page 2
Our annual discussion of the State of the
Meeting will take place on January 12 at Yearly Meeting:
the rise of Meeting.
Quaker Notices
A Survey from the School
of the Spirit Ministry:
The Ministry serves Friends (and others)
who wish to be more faithful listeners and
responders to the work of the Inward Teacher.
It is grounded in prayer and offers programs
rooted in the Quaker contemplative tradition
of the living silence. We are in a period of
discernment about our role among Friends.
We are praying and exploring where and how
God wants to use us. The leading we have
been given is to listen to what Friends are
hungry for.
In order to begin listening, we have created
a survey and ask that you take 20 or so
minutes to complete it. We would like to get
responses from a diverse range of Friends all
over the US, so please share our survey far
and wide. The online survey can be found at
www.schoolofthespirit.org/survey/.
If you have any questions about the School of
the Spirit or the survey, Catherine Cox would
be happy to talk with you: (301) 471-5330,
blycox@comcast, or in person at Meeting.
A Contemplative Retreat in the Manner of
Friends: February 7-9, 2020, Berryville
Catherine Cox and Rita Willett will lead this
contemplative retreat at Holy Cross Abbey in
Berryville, VA. The retreat is under the care
of School of the Spirit Ministry. For more
information or to register, please visit www.
schoolofthespirit.org/virginia-retreat/ or
speak with Catherine. Brochures are available
in the Meeting House.
Attention All Women of Baltimore
Your presence is welcome at our annual
women’s retreat, February 7-9, 2020.
For more information and to register, go
to: womensretreat.bym-rsf.net/.
Goose Creek News
December 8 will be the last date to donate
to Meeting’s holiday gift cards or cash
for Mobile Hope. We will deliver our
contributions to Mobile Hope that afternoon.
You’ll find the collection box in the small
gathering room
Congratulations to Brom Snyder and Natasha
Dravid on their new baby, Kai Linden
Dravid-Snyder, born on October 23, 2019.
Congratulations also to big sister Maya –
and to Goose Creek grandparents Michael
and Porter Snyder and Aunt Julia Snyder!
HOLIDAY ORNAMENT MAKING
Saturday, December 21
12:00 to 3:00 at the Meeting House
Guidance and supplies will be
available for children to make salt-
dough, felted, and stuffed & stitched
holiday ornaments. There will be hot
apple cider and snacks too.
For more information, to RSVP, or to
help out that day, please contact:
SaraBrown8@aol.com
marianicklin@gmail.com
Continued on next page g

This year’s Christmas
potluck supper
and carol sing
will be held on
Sunday evening,
December 22, at 6:00
Bring a dish to share!
After dinner:
Christmas carols and fun
If you wish to participate in the
exchange of simple homemade gifts
that evening, write your name (and age
or “adult”) on a slip of paper and put
it in the box on the desk in the back
corner of the Meeting room. Draw one
name out. Bring a simple gift for that
person to the potluck supper. Be sure
to include both their name and yours
on the package.
Goose Creek Friends Newsletter | December 2019 | Page 3
EVENTS AT
GOOSE CREEK
IN DECEMBER
Sunday, December 8
Bible Meditation
at the Rise of Meeting
Prepare for the Christmas season
by entering into meditation based
on passages from the Bible.
SATURDAY, December 21
Holiday Ornament Making
for Children, 12:00 to 3:00
(see page 2 for details)
Sunday, December 22
Christmas Tree Decorating
at the Rise of Meeting
Friends of all ages welcome!
Christmas Potluck &
Carol Sing 6:00 PM
Tuesday, December 24
Meeting for Worship
on Christmas Eve
Page 4 | December 2019 | Goose Creek Friends Newsletter

Sundays Facing Bench

Meeting for worship at 9:45 a.m.
december
First Day School at 10:00 a.m. Rich Weidner
Fellowship at 10:45 a.m.
JANUARY
Wednesdays Allen Cochran
Discussion Group at 7:00 p.m. First Day
Calendar School
12/01/19
DECEMBER Advent (teens & elem.)
12.1 Sun. 11 am Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business 12/08/19
12.7 Sun. 11 am Meditation on the Bible Diwali
12.21 Sat. 12-3 Holiday ornament making for children (teens & elem.)
12.22 Sun. 11 am Christmas tree decorating
12/15/19
6 pm Christmas potluck dinner and carol sing
Holiday Traditions, Part I
12.24 Tues. 7 pm Christmas Eve Meeting for Worship (teens & elem.)
12.29 Sun. 11 am Ministry & Oversight Committee meeting
12/22/19
JANUARY Holiday Traditions, Part II
1.5 Sun. 11am Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business (teens & elem.)
1.12 Sun. 11am Discussion: Spiritual State of the Meeting 2019 12/29/19
SPICES in the New Year
BIRTH (teens & elem.)
Kai Linden Dravid-Snyder, born to Brom Snyder and Natasha Dravid, *elem. = elementary age group

October 23, 2019

NEWSLETTER
The Goose Creek Friends Newsletter
“O brother man! is published monthly by the
Goose Creek Friends Meeting,
fold to thy heart thy brother; 18204 Lincoln Road, P.O. Box 105,
Where pity dwells, Lincoln, VA 20160.
the peace of God is there; CLERK
To worship rightly Rich Weidner, 540.554.2747
rich.blacksmith1@gmail.com
is to love each other, ASSISTANT CLERK
Each smile a hymn, Allen Cochran, 540.338.6485
each kindly deed a prayer.” Cochransstone@aol.com
– John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807-1892 TREASURER
Brian Burgher
goose.creek.treasurer@gmail.com
Quaker Jargon of the Month NEWSLETTER EDITOR
FGC, or Friends General Conference: “Friends General Conference is an association Catherine Cox, 301-471-5330
of fifteen yearly meetings or regional groups [including Baltimore Yearly Meeting], and blycox@comcast.net
thirteen directly affiliated monthly meetings … FGC exists to increase communication WEBSITE & FACEBOOK
among unprogrammed Friends, to bring Friends together across yearly meeting lines, to www.goosecreekfriends.org
enrich the spiritual life of the Religious Society of Friends, and to provide resources and https://www.facebook.com/
Goose-Creek-Friends-Meeting-
services to Friends and Friends meetings. It is not a governing body. It does not establish 150892438287560/?rc=p
policy for its member meetings, or seek to speak for the Religious Society of Friends.”
DONATIONS
(from fgcquaker.com) Please direct donations for
Every summer FGC holds “The Gathering,” a week full of workshops, talks, and Goose Creek Friends Meeting to
activities for the whole family. In 2020 it will be held at Radford University in Radford, Brian Burgher, P.O. Box 105
VA, June 28-July 4. A proto-Gathering was held at Goose Creek Meeting in 1892! Lincoln, Virginia 20160