Sunday, February 6, 2022
Friends prepare for the state of meeting report to be presented at South Central Yearly Meeting
Each year, local meetings and worship groups prepare a 'state of meeting' report to be presented at the Yearly Meeting. Our practice is to consider a set of queries presented at a series of forums. They are as follows:
- Worship: How does the spirit illuminate our meeting’s worship? How do we encourage ministry and seek to deepen the spiritual life of the meeting and of individual Friends?
- Meeting Community: How does our meeting’s community reflect its corporatespiritual strivings? How do Friends care for one another in time of spiritual or material need? What role do children play in the meeting community?
- Religious Education: How has study deepened our faith and our understanding of what it means to be a Quaker? How have we explored issues of faith with newcomers, seasoned Friends, and children?
- Testimonies: How have we, as a meeting, witnessed to Friends testimonies? How has our meeting stood, by faith, against injustice and helped those in need?
- Decision Making: How is the good order of Friends used among us? How does the Light illuminate our meetings for worship with attention to business? How does our meeting deal in love with the inevitable differences that arise from diverse leadings and points of view on issues of faith and practical matters?
- Intervisitation and Outreach: How has intervisitation and involvement with Friends outside our meeting affected our meeting’s spiritual growth? How have we reached out to seekers and the community around us?
- Membership Changes: How has our membership changed? How has this affected the life of our meeting?
- Racism: How has your meeting discerned it's role in racism on an institutional systemic level and a personal level? Are there people of color that participate in the life of the meeting? How responsive has your meeting been to issues that predominately impact the people of color and to issues that have been raised by people of color in your meeting?
- Concerns: Does our meeting have concerns that have not been adequately explored in answering the queries above? How have these concerns affected our meeting’s spiritual and community life?