Notes from Monthly Meeting for Business 12/8/04 Monthly Meeting approved of increasing our annual contribution to New England Yearly Meeting to $2400 for this year. Also, Ministry and Counsel’s request for $200 to buy pamphlets on Quakerism was approved. Nominating Committee asked for anyone who wants to serve on a committee in the coming year to let them know. Our new pew cushions should be here by Sunday December 19th - just in time for Christmas. Meeting approved the Library Committee’s request for $220 to purchase Cross Library 1.7 computer software and book cards and labels sets to use with it. The door between the Social Hall and the Library will be kept open to allow heat to circulate in the Library. The Christian Education Committee reported on plans for the annual Christmas Program during worship on December 19th, and also announced that first Day School classes will be held every Sunday during the holidays. Meeting approved Peace and Social Concerns request for $400 to sponsor Samuel, a student at Kakamega Friends School in Kenya, for this new year (2005), and $500 to purchase a pregnant cow for the School. Annual Meeting January 26, 2005 Committee clerks are reminded to have their annual reports ready for the Annual Meeting for Business, immediately following the Monthly Meeting for Business on Wednesday, January 26th 2005. |
Letter from Dawn and Steve
We continue to be thrilled with how things are going in the Allen’s Neck First Day School. Throughout November, we discussed the light within. We invited the children to hold an image of the light inside them — some felt the light within as a candle, others as the sun, one young girl felt her light within as the moon, still others as lanterns, small fires, light-bulbs, stars.The children drew pictures of themselves illuminated by these different forms of light. We discussed links between the light within and prayer, the light within and kindness. One Sunday, we read Noah’s Ark, and we discussed the light within and also the rainbow — we talked about how we could see a rainbow not only as a symbol of God’s promise, a gift from God, but also how we could imagine rainbows linking the light within each of us to the light within others in our lives.
We believe that one primary reason First Day School has been working so well is because the parents have been so committed. Attendance has been regular, consistent. Parents have been making an extraordinary effort to arrive with their children at Meeting on time, so that the children can experience and be present for those first ten minutes of meeting for worship.
We are now preparing for our Christmas Pageant on Sunday, December 19th. The pageant will be directed by Lindelle. Parents are asked to provide costumes for their children. We have also heard that Santa will be making an appearance after the Pageant on the 19th. Santa will be coming this year with two bags—one with toys for each child, and one which will be empty. We would like our children to bring a gift-- either tube socks or an inexpensive extra large long sleeved flannel shirt —to give to Santa, who will then be able to bring those gifts to the men at Market Ministries in New Bedford. We are hoping to engage the children in this particular act of giving this year.
If you will be bringing children who do not regularly attend Sunday School to the Family Sunday on the 19th , please make accommodations—i.e. bring in an extra wrapped gift for that child—so they will not be disappointed.
Thank you very much!
Allen’s Neck is sponsoring a student at the Friends School in Kakamega, Kenya. He wrote this letter to us.
May you get much greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope you are fine and living well. I am very happy and more than being happy for your love and support that you are giving me. May God bless you all and keep lifting me more higher because I am in form 3 now and 18 years with more love and happiness.
It’s me
Samuel Ashivaga
Page 1 | Page 2 | Calendar| Page 3 | Page 4 | Newsletters