Third Haven Friends Meeting Worship and Ministry Committee 2024 Annual Report:
Participation at meeting for worship at Third Haven Friends Meeting has been about 25 to 35 members, attenders and visitors each week. We have continued to hold hybrid meetings since the pandemic. Vocal ministry is variable as Friends wait to be moved by the Spirit. Ministry seems to have become more frequent since the committee started reading excerpts from the queries during each meeting for worship. Our Wednesday meeting for worship attracts a dedicated group of participants, usually 4-7, with a few also joining on Zoom. Silent worship is profound.
We are holding a series of discussions—Reading the Gospels as Friends—facilitated by meeting member Terry-Thomas Primer, now focused on the Gospel of John. These meetings were held monthly, attended by 5-7 members and attenders in the first half of 2024. These will resume in 2025. We have largely run through the members who are willing to discuss their Spiritual Journeys, with some having presented more than once for this popular program. We have a few groups that meet independently in the meeting facilities, in ways that nurture Spiritual growth. These include a writing group, and a Jungian dream group.
In October, we began a series of 4 programs on building and maintaining relationships across perceived differences in the manner of Friends. These are led by Clinton and Kathryn Pettus. The first was for Third Haven Friends. Subsequent sessions are based on the experience of other meetings, including Alexandria (Virginia) Friends Meeting in November.