Fall Fellowship, usually held the first full weekend in November, is a time for Friends young and old from SCQM to gather in worship and community, traditionally in the beautiful setting of Temescal Canyon. Keynote speakers enrich our lives with messages from the wider Quaker community, children and teens have a chance to gather, F/friends join in worship sharing, interest groups, meeting for healing, bible study, and fellowship.
Deep in the Well:
Being Held & Heard in
Community & Spirit
November 5–7, 2021 via Zoom
*Or make checks payable to “SCQM” and mail to the following address:
SCQM Treasurer
c/o Gary Wolff
1020 El Sur Ave
Arcadia, CA 91006-4529
INTEREST GROUPS & WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS LINK
Dear Friends,
Let us come together and drink from the Well of Spirit, deepen our faith, and strengthen our community, by listening tenderly and learning from each other and the Light that resides within us all.
There is much in need of attention in our world during this time of climate crisis, racial reckoning, economic injustice, and the continuing pandemic. At times it can feel overwhelming. Last year we gathered just after the election, listened and breathed together in our shared spaces with Hearts Open Wide. This year we had hoped to gather in person but with the unknowns of this evolving pandemic, it is wise to cultivate patience and trust that the ongoing work to which we’re called will continue whether we meet in person or virtually.
Stanford Searl, our keynote speaker, who worked as the Carroll Research Scholar at Pendle Hill in the Spring of 2020, will share his learnings and insights from his research and fifty-five interviews (mostly virtual because of the pandemic) with Friends about the meanings of the Quaker gathered meeting. He will also facilitate a workshop on “The Paradox of Preparation for the Gathered Meeting: Letting Go of the Ego”.
Our gathering begins Friday evening with a session led by the Racial Healing / Justice Network Group. Interest groups include Continuous Revelation: Quaker Testimonies as a Template for Living in Right Relationship, with Mary Ann Percy and Sabbath Economics: Friends and Money with Judith Favor. In addition to Plenaries and Worship, we’ll have worship sharing on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, an Intergenerational Family Night, and Meeting for Healing on Sunday morning.
Several queries arise as I write this call for Fall Fellowship: How do I/we prepare myself/ourselves when I/we enter into worship? What supports our collective, communal experience of the Light?
Can we hold each other and ourselves with compassion, listen well and deeply to Spirit, and to what we are being called to do in this world?
Can we speak what has heart and meaning for us, and yet be mindful of how our words might fall on someone else’s ears and heart? Can we bring our best to the table, be open to learning, and be unattached to the outcome?
May we bring kind attention to our collective inward Light this fall and continue to seek, be open to, and nourished by the Well of Spirit.
In service and with much gratitude and love,
Jane Blount
Clerk, Southern California Quarterly Meeting
Notes on Fall Fellowship
A Virtual Gathering
We are both grateful that we can continue to meaningfully connect via Zoom, and mindful that Zoom fatigue is real, thus we have built embodiment renewal time and ample breaks into the schedule.
Registration Instructions and Deadline
Everyone attending must register, and registrations must be completed by Sunday, October 31st. Registrations will not be accepted after October 31st. Payments should be postmarked by November 1st. Please complete one online registration form per person.
Registration fees
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend Fall Fellowship, regardless of ability to pay. We are asking Friends to pay as led. We suggest an amount between $25 and $40. Please consider contributing the amount that you are able to pay. Online payments can be made via Paypal or by check.
Make checks payable to “SCQM” and mail to the following address:
SCQM Treasurer
c/o Gary Wolff
1020 El Sur Ave
Arcadia, CA 91006-4529
Fall Fellowship Proposed Schedule
FRIDAY NIGHT, NOVEMBER 5, 2021
Time | Event | Activity info |
---|---|---|
7:00 – 8:30 | Racial Justice Network Panel Presentation | Lawrence Alderson |
Saturday, November 6, 2021
Time | Event | Activity info |
---|---|---|
8:50 – 9:00 | Gathering time | |
9:00 – 9:30 | Worship | |
9:30 – 10:15 | Plenary I | Jane Blount, Presiding Clerk |
10:15 – 10:30 | Break | |
10:30 – 11:45 | Keynote Address | Searching for wholeness: Quaker Voices and the Gathered Meeting, Stan Searl |
12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch Conversations | FCL-CA, Peggy Craik |
1:30 – 2:45 | 1st Worship Sharing | M&C facilitators |
3:15 – 4:30 | Workshops / Interest Groups | 1. The Paradox of Preparation for the Gathered Meeting: Letting Go of the Ego, Stan Searl 2. Continuous Revelation: Quaker Testimonies as a Template for Living in Right Relationship, Mary Ann Percy |
4:30 – 7:30 | Dinner Break | |
7:30 – 8:30 | Intergenerational Family Night Variety Show | Coordinated by the Children’s Program Committee |
Sunday, November 7, 2021*
Time *Remember to set clocks back 1 hr | Event | Activity info |
---|---|---|
7:30 – 8:30 | Meeting for Healing | Lawrence Alderson |
8:30 – 9:30 | Breakfast Break | |
9:30 – 10:15 | Plenary II | Jane Blount, Presiding Clerk |
10:30 – 11:45 | Workshops / Interest Groups | 1. Sabbath Economics: Friends and Money, Judith Favor 2. Prison Work, Laura Magnani |
12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch Conversations | Reflection on future of SCQM Peace & Social Order Committee |
1:30 – 2:45 | 2nd Worship Sharing | Breakout Rooms |
3:00 – 3:30 | Closing Worship |