Third Haven Friends Meeting Worship and Ministry Committee 2021 Annual
Report:
The Worship and Ministry committee faithfully meets monthly, often on the Wednesday before the monthly meeting for business. This year the committee has continued to meet virtually. For most of the year, the committee, as well as the Meeting, has had to work through the pandemic with all its limitations and possibilities. We have noticed our gatherings have increased in numbers over the year especially with the return of in person meeting for worship in the old Meeting House this Spring and the return of First Day School this Fall.
The worship and ministry committee is charged with many responsibilities. First being a container for the care of our meeting for worship. Throughout the year, members have rejoiced in experiencing deep moving silence and finding strength in the spoken word. The worship and ministry committee is responsible for reading the query out loud every month during meeting for worship. It also organizes members to be weekly greeters at our doorstep on the day of meeting for worship. The worship and ministry committee often holds adult religious educational opportunities. A recent example of this was the worship sharing held on Oct 31 with emphasis on committee work and clerked by Adrienne Rudge. There were approximately 20 participants. For the upcoming year, the committee is excited to sponsor another educational opportunity for deepening the spirit in developing Trust Circles. Attenders Clinton and Kathryn Pettus will guide participants with committee member Jon Slocum acting as facilitator.
Another important and well received monthly offering this committee has sponsored throughout the year is the sharing of individual spiritual journeys. These are well attended and deeply moving and are held after coffee time on the first first day of each month. Committee member Mark Beck has been instrumental in keeping these presentations fresh and continuous. The following members shared their spiritual journey during the last year: Tom Corl, Connie Crow, Adrienne Rudge, Doreen Getsinger, Larissa Kitenko and Nancy Robbins. The next spiritual journey sharing will be Feb 2022.
Two other related groups under the care of this committee are the Jungian Dream group and the Experiment with Light group. The Jungian dream group meets twice per month with seven regular attenders. The January 14 meeting will be open to people interested in joining the group. The Experiment with Light group meets twice per month for guided mediation and discussion.
The Meeting also approved adopting a local Sister Congregation with Asbury United Methodist in Easton. Throughout much of the year, Asbury has under gone renovations to its buildings and church. They recently held a bazaar at Third Haven. Third Haven friends also contributed financially to their renovations and we look forward to holding joint worship and fellowships with Asbury in the upcoming years.
For the early part of 2021 the meeting met together solely on zoom and although sometimes technology posed hardships to silent worship, we were still able to come together and share, enjoying the chat rooms afterward. Greater fellowship, connection to Spirit and each other began when weather warmed, vaccinations became available and the old Meeting House opened its doors and windows wide for in person worship.
This committee started this past year with eight members. We had two members leave mid-year. The 2021 worship and ministry committee members were Jon Slocum, Catherine Cripps, Janet Kemp, Steve Meixner, Deb Danser, Mark Beck, Sandra Herbert and Susan Claggett, Clerk. The committee remains strong in its devotion to the integrity of spirit and the overall spiritual life of the Meeting.