Lake Erie Yearly Meeting

The Fall 2007 Bulletin, containing highlights of the minutes from this year's Annual Meeting, is now available on the LEYM website. It can also be accessed via this direct link.

The Executive Committee of LEYM is planning a Fall Meeting to be held October 6, 2007. The location is Kendal at Oberlin, Ohio. Connie Bimber, Treasurer, is handling site arrangements and reservations. She has even put aside two guest rooms, each accommodating two persons, at Kendal for Friday night for those who may need to travel a distance.

There may be other nearby Friends available for hospitality if needed. Suggestions for agenda items or other ideas are welcomed by Shirley Bechill, LEYM Presiding Clerk.

Advancement and Outreach is now providing a template for creating business cards summarizing some key Quaker beliefs. You can get the ready-made template at the A and O Committee page (see bottom of page). Put your own information on the other side. The preset text goes as follows:

What Do Quakers Say?
There is something sacred in all people.
All people are equal before God.
Religion is about the whole of life.
We meet in stillness to discover a deeper sense of God’s presence.
True religion leads to respect for the earth and all life upon it.
Each person is unique, precious, a child of God.

A two-page collection of quotes from the 2006 Queries exploring Discernment have been posted to the Ministry and Nurture Committee page. They can be accessed directly via this link.

The LEYM Earthcare Committee now has a multi-page section on the Lake Erie Yearly Meeting website that provides much good information about living in harmony with our environment. To have a look, visit the homepage for the committee directly via http://leym.quaker.org/earthcare/ or click on the "LEYM Committees" menu item in the site's sidebar menu, and then click again on "Earthcare Home".

New content has been added to the "About Us" section of LEYM website thanks to the efforts of the Advancement and Outreach Committee. You can view the items (listed below) as individual PDF files or see them woven into the content of our section explaining LEYM and broader Quaker practices.

The New Items Include:
Brief on Quaker Worship (PDF)
Brief on How Quakers Conduct Business (PDF)
Brief on Quaker Beliefs in Action (PDF)

A copy of the Travel Reimbursement Request or Donation In Kind form has been posted to the Finance Committee of the LEYM site if you need a copy. It can be downloaded here.

A "Request for Voucher" form is now available for use by LEYM members requesting a check for reimbursement of expenses. Find it in the Finance Committee page (under the LEYM Committees menu area).

Just posted to the Advancement and Outreach section of the LEYM site: Readings on Quakerism: Where to Start - A short article printed in the Winter 2006 Bulletin.

Each year the Ministry and Nurture Committee of Lake Erie Yearly Meeting recommends a set of queries to the Monthly Meetings for their reflection, and requests that a minute or statement from the Meeting be developed and sent back to the committee. These statements from the monthly meetings then become part of a summary statement to the Yearly Meeting. In 2005, 11 meetings responded to the following queries: "In what ways has the Living Presence awakened my faith and turned me around? As a Meeting how do we support each other in being faithful?" The newly posted document provides a summary of Monthly Meeting responses. Get it here and from the Ministry and Nurture Committee page (see LEYM Committees section of the website).

Suggested Guidelines for State of the Meeting Reports have been posted by LEYM's Committee on Ministry and Nurture. They are available here and from the Ministry and Nurture Committee page (see LEYM Committees section of the website).

Representative Meeting, March 4, 2006
Registration, Overnights, and Directions
Pittsburgh Friends Meeting House
4836 Ellsworth Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 398-1195
ericstarbuck at att.net

Lunch will be offered for a contribution of $6 per person for those who have registered in advance. Child care will also be provided for those who notify us in advance.

Schedule for Saturday, March 4:
Registration and simple breakfast ....8:30 am
Meeting for Worship ........................9:00 am
Announcements ................................9:50 am
Committee Meetings ......................10:00 am
Lunch ........................................... 12:15 pm
Meeting for Business ...................... 1:15 pm
Adjournment ................................... 4:30 pm

Executive Committee
A meeting of the Executive Committee (YM officers and committee clerks) will be held at Pittsburgh Friends Meeting on Friday evening, March 3, starting with a simple supper at 6:00 pm, with meeting to commence at 7:00.