Notes From Beloved Community House

A Whirlwind Recap

2011-07-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

My apologies for the lack of updating recently. So much has been happening in the past few months!

Since I last posted, the three of us went to Farmington-Scipio's Spring Gathering. On the shore of Seneca Lake, we enjoyed getting to know so many of our community members better. Franklin and I (Helen) helped out with the kids and led an intergenerational games night on Friday, and Anna led a Bible Study on Saturday. There was so much joy, and wonderful conversations, throughout the day.

Our recent youth retreats have gone incredibly well also. We had a High School retreat on Gender and Sexuality called "He, She, Ze... Me?" in which we were blessed with the presence of some wonderful adults and young adults to help Franklin and I give as well-rounded a discussion on issues of gender and sexuality as possible. Two Friends from PYM were adult presences all weekend, leading one workshop on trans issues and other on spirituality and sexuality. Two lower case friends from Ithaca came and did a workshop on our society's perceptions of our bodies and our sexuality, a person's sexuality throughout their life, and the different spheres of sexuality. Despite it being a very talk-intensive retreat, our youth attenders remained engaged and contributed wonderful insights in some very thoughtful discussions.

At our most recent youth retreat, "Creating Your Way," we played with every kind of creative expression we could fit in - creative writing, storytelling, theatre games, culinary arts, crafts, and movement.

Most recently, Franklin and I attended Friends General Conference Gathering in Grinell, Iowa. Franklin spent nearly all of his time with the High School group, so you'll have to ask him personally about his experience. I spent my mornings working with the youngest age group (birth to 2.5 years), and my afternoons with the Adult Young Friends group. It was great to hear about what people my age are doing, as well as attend AYF Business Meetings, meeting for worship, and games.
Before Gathering officially started, I attended an AYF retreat which focused largely on discernment. Topics ranged from personal discernment and using your community to help you in that (or helping others with personal discernment) to the role that discernment as a group plays in Quaker business.
I found myself particularly challenged by the idea of waiting in the spirit for a group to come to a sense of the meeting when the issue is one that I might feel strongly about personally. How do you embrace the process when you feel that you know the truth? How did early Friends faithfully sit while their community members spent decades discerning whether or not Friends could hold slaves? How do you tell someone whose ancestors were enslaved that those years of discernment were necessary? Are there issues we are laboring with as Friends today that require some to continue suffering as we work towards sense of the meeting?

Next week is NYYM Summer Sessions on Lake George, and I am looking forward to it immensely. I've made the decision to take a year off from working with Junior Yearly Meeting, and to try to be more involved in the worship groups and business. I've also been working hard on the materials for YFIR's display table. It will include general information about the program, but also a photo album from our retreats, and a collection of testimonies of gratitude from you all.
Here is a sneak peak and some of the testimonies we've received, be sure to check out our table for more!

“As a family, we're re-imagining our relationship to a faith community. As a mom, I am grateful for you helping my daughter find deep strength and meaning in her young self - the best defense against poor choices, peer pressure, and depression! She gets SOO excited now when it's retreat weekend!”

“YFIR has really meant a lot to me these past few times I’ve come; it’s a great way to meet new people and to form new perspectives and ideas. I dearly enjoy all the laughs and great fun that naturally occur, but also the engaging discussions that have let me get to know other people’s opinions. I would like to sincerely thank all the hard workers who make these retreats possible.”

“The program has breathed new life into Perry City Meeting, the fruit of which is growing steadily. I think the adult ministry in particular has planted strong roots.”

“The YFIR program has meant building connections with wonderful young adult Friends, learning new thing about myself and my spiritual journey, and benefiting from their vision and hopefulness for Friends. Thank you!”

One last thing! Many of you have been asking us what YFIR will look like after Franklin, Anna, and I leave at the end of August. As of right now, we do not have any applicants to take our places. If you know anyone who might be interested, please give them our information. This does not mean the end of the program, however. The NYYM YFIR committee is working on plans to have guest facilitators come do youth retreats, and when we get new interns, the program will be there for them.

Check out the wonderful promotional video made by one of our attenders and NYYM committee member, Abe Kenmore!

Gratitude

2011-04-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hello F(f)riends!

As you may have heard, we owe a debt of gratitude to New York Yearly Meeting. Last weekend, at Spring Sessions, we received enough money to finish the year of 2011, and were approved to have a permanent line in the NYYM budget! This is great news. A big big thank you to all of you for your support in the past few years, and for showing that support at sessions last weekend.

We now embark upon a gratitude project. Of course, the three of us are very grateful to NYYM for its support, but we are not the only ones affected by the YFIR program. Our program touches many many people - the youth that attend our retreats, the folks that are part of Anna's adult religious education classes, those who have taken us into their homes when we travel, everyone who has contributed financial, emotional, and spiritual support, you are as much a part of this program as we are. I want to thank NYYM, but I also want to give you the chance to thank them.

Over the next few months I will be collecting expressions of gratitude from those touched by our program. This can be in the form of stories or anecdotes, pictures, or even just a sentence saying something about why YFIR is important to you. I'm hoping to put this all together for our table at Summer Sessions. Please send your contribution to yfirinterns@gmail.com or by snail mail to 599 Trumbulls Corners Rd, Newfield, N.Y. 14867. Please include your name and monthly meeting.

If you are a youth attender, you'll have the chance to help me put this all together at our upcoming retreats - so think about creative ways to express our gratitude!

2011-03-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Tonight we had vegan cream of mushroom and spinach soup for dinner. We thanked PYM (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting) for the mushrooms, and NYYM for the spinach. How did this come to be?

Franklin, who is on NYYM's Young Adult Concerns Committee (YACC) spent this past weekend in Purchase, New York, where he and other members of YACC lead a retreat for Young Adult Friends in NYYM. The theme was "Opening Our Hearts: Deepening Connection Through Vulnerability."
Here is the description provided by YACC:
Connection is what we're all here for - as humans, and as Friends. Connection to ourselves, to others, and to our spirituality. Fear and shame prevent and unravel connection, making us doubt that we are worthy of connection and afraid of rejection. Vulnerability is at the core of these fears, but it is also the wellspring of joy, faith, love, and belonging. This weekend we'll explore how vulnerability can enrich our spiritual and emotional lives, and how to find the courage to live vulnerably: to take on endeavors with uncertain outcomes, to say "I love you" first, and to have faith in that which is unknowable.

Franklin brought back to BCH with him the food leftovers from the retreat, only to open the refrigerator and find that it had already been stocked by leftovers from my adventure in Pennsylvania.

Why was I in Pennsylvania this past weekend? Well, back in November when Franklin and I went to the Young Friends Consultation in Indiana, I met Stephen Dotson. Stephen is PYM's Middle School Friends Coordinator. We talked a little about our respective work, and Stephen invited me to be a FAP (Friendly Adult Presence) at one of his retreats. YFIR's schedule being what it is, the first weekend that worked was in March. On Friday I packed up my air mattress and headed to Harrisburg, PA, using a GPS that I borrowed from my parents (that my sisters and I got them for Christmas, and that they carefully keep in a box on a shelf so that it doesn't come to any harm, or use).
It was really wonderful to observe the differences between PYM's MSF (Middle School Friends) gatherings and YFIR and Powell House retreats. I learned a few new games and approaches to scheduling, and shared (or tried to) about Put Ups and Molly's Game with them. The youth, and other FAPs, were incredibly welcoming and hilarious. I'm hoping to get some of the FAPs that I met to come and AP at a few YFIR retreats. It was a joy to connect with other Young Adult Friends with a leading to do youth work, to share past knowledge and build new experience together.
And, to bring the story full circle, I was sent back up the Susquehanna to Newfield with leftover mushrooms, peppers, carrots, and cucumber.

Franklin and I, while recovering from the past two weekends of retreats, are planning another retreat for this coming weekend. It's a Middle School Retreat - Finding the Inner Me. Here is the blurb:
A large part of connecting with others comes from our ability to connect with ourselves. We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with messages about who we should want to be, what we should want to look like, and what things we should want to own. These external voices can be so loud that it can be hard to hear the internal voices of our souls. This weekend we’ll talk about ways to turn down the volume of the outward noise and search for avenues into our inner selves...

We're still excepting registration, so if you or someone you know would like to attend, please e-mail us at yfirinterns@gmail.com by Wednesday. Hope to see you there!

Be Still and Listen: snow and spiritual nurture

2011-02-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

Hello beautiful beings,

We have gotten a lot of snow at Beloved Community House. It's snowed pretty much non-stop for the last two weeks, but this morning as Franklin and I got ready to go to Meeting at Perry City it had not only stopped snowing but also looked like some of the snow and ice might be starting to melt.

(our snow covered garden)

At Perry City Friends gathered before Meeting, to discuss some of the upcoming spiritual nurture workshops. Friends requested that we change the order of the workshops and added a new topic: What is the Spiritual Aspect of Money? : Finances, Tithing, and Covenant Donation.

We also get a date for our first workshop, which will be:

Fellowship Among Friends: How do We Pray Alone, How Do We Pray Together?

A Meeting should be a spiritual fellowship of Friends. Yet a common problem faced by most Meetings is that a member could attend for years without knowing the spiritual stories and experiences of the Friend sitting next to them.

We will meet at Perry City Meetinghouse.

On Sunday February 13th and 20th at 9:15 am - 10:30 am

we will discuss such questions as:

How do we facilitate nurturing conversations about our spiritual lives?

How do we deepen our spiritual lives together?

How do we talk about our differences in a loving way?

Extra Reading: http://unwaveringbandsoflight.blogspot.com/2006/07/missing-jesus-train.html

http://robinmsf.blogspot.com/2009/10/theology-and-covered-dishes.html

(Friend Betsy next to this morning's brainstorming)

Friends should feel free to join us if they can.

Peace and Joy,

Anna.

Trusting in the Slow Work of Sourdough, Our Communities, and God

2011-01-25T08:20:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Helen here. I'm going to share some pictures that I took at Powell House last weekend throughout this post to break up the words.

This past weekend, Anna and I attended a retreat at Powell House led by Christopher Sammond titled "Trusting in the slow work of God." One of the perks of being a Young Friends in Residence is that we are able to attend Powell House retreats for free. I'm really grateful for this, as I would not otherwise be able to afford to go. I've been to two already, and I hope to be able to do more. Anyway, I was struck this weekend with how open the group was to sharing personal stories and revelations with such a large group (more than forty, some had to stay in the ACC). One of my favorite activities was creating a life map of spiritual, vocational, emotional, and otherwise important life events. It was interesting to see the variety of ways in which people chose to map their lives, and incredibly powerful to hear about people's revelations and observations about the process. It came to me that "trusting in the slow work of God" means not just believing that God will be at work in my life, but realizing that God always has been at work.

The topic of "Trusting in Slow Work" has brought to mind something that was said two weekends ago when YFIR presented at Farmington-Scipio winter gathering: that Young Friends in Residence has been an exercise in trust. The pilot program started a year and a half ago based on a dream of what it could be, and without the funding to complete a full two years. Since then the program has grown in unforeseen ways, thanks largely to the trust that individuals and groups have put in the interns and the committees that support us. Thanks to Farmington-Scipio, we now have the funds to continue until the end of August 2011.

Another aspect of trust has been on my mind recently. At our last retreat, we had three new attenders. As one mother was dropping off her daughter, an eleven year old who was not Quaker, and did not know any of the youth at the retreat, it struck me: this woman is putting so much trust in me right now, to care for her daughter for a whole weekend. And I know that, when I was eleven, you couldn't have paid me to spend a weekend without anyone I knew in a strange place with new people all talking about a religion I had barely any knowledge of. But here they were. And by the time her mother came to pick her up at the end of the weekend, the girl was telling her that she wished the retreat were a whole week long.

One last trust topic: sourdough. This fall I became interested in sourdough, a process by which (ideally), you can bake using only the yeast that occurs naturally in the air. I'd neglected my sourdough starter for a while, so yesterday I took it out and tried to make bread. When baking, you trust that all of the elements will come together to make what you're trying to make, or at least something edible. I don't fully understand sourdough, but I have to trust that the bread will rise even if I don't understand why. Unfortunately, yesterday, I was cooking on the stove top while the bread was in the oven, and somehow accidentally turned the oven off part way through. The result was a dense, doughy, but still delicious bread that we ate with grape lavender jam from our CSA. I guess I'll try again today. If you want to learn more about sourdough, check out this site.

The only thing to do is to come together and ask “how is God working among us right now?”

2011-01-19T05:41:00.000-08:00

Hello all you wonderful beings,

(Friends having a little fellowship time before we started class)

Over the last year and a half I have been blessed to teach two adult religious education classes attended by Friends from Perry City and Ithaca Meetings.

The first class which started in November 2009 was called “The Theological framework for Quaker Traditions and Prophetic Witness,” (nicknamed Quakerism 101 and 202 by those Friends who took it.) This class ran almost every week starting at 9:30 am-10:30 am on Sundays before Meeting at Perry City Meetinghouse, until June 2010.

I then taught “Quakerism and Mystical Traditions: A history of radical theology,” (Quakerism and Mysticism for short) from September 2010 - December 2010. This class was also well attended by Friends from Perry City and Ithaca and met at the same time and place as the class before it.

Both classes where a wonderful experiences for me and I felt blessed to spend time with the Friends who attended.

For 2011 I have felt lead to do something different though. Under the prayerful guidance and support of Perry City Ministry and Counsel I will be offering a series of workshops on spiritual nurture issues.

These workshops will meet at Perry City Meetinghouse at 9:30 am-10:30 am. Some workshops will be single Sunday morning session some might be several consecutive sessions long depending on the need.

A planning session will be held on February 6th at 9:00 am Sunday at Perry City Meetinghouse to solidify the schedule. Workshops should start soon after.

The topics of the workshops will be:

Meeting For Worship: Deepening the Space
Fellowship Among Friends: How do We Pray Alone, How Do We Pray Together?
Fellowship Among Friends: A Community More then One Hour A Week
Meeting For Worship With A Concern For Business: Deepening the Space
Greeting The Stranger: Newcomers and Hospitality
The Many Parts of the Church: Naming of Gifts and the Work of Friends
How High Is Our Hedge? : Our Quaker Community and Our Secular Communities
That Still Quiet Voice: Nurturing Vocal Ministry
Some Quakers Have Pastors: Understanding and Nurturing Community Between Monthly Meetings and Wider Quaker Community

Each workshop will include a brief reading but there will be no required text and no fees. These workshops are designed to be less academic and more prayerful planning sessions where we work together to come up with ways to deepen and nurture our communities around these issues.

For more information about the specifics of each workshops visit my Quaker blog Raised in the Light. If you have any questions feel free to email me at anna.e.obermayer AT gmail.com

Peace and Joy,

Lets Talk About Food!

2011-01-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

Hi all you beautiful beings,

As some of you may know out of the four YFIR interns I do the cooking for the youth retreats. For every retreat I plan out a menu, do the food shopping, cook the meals and manage the meal crews. It has been for me on of the best parts of the program. I also cook a lot at Beloved Community House because I love to cook and we eat communal meals together every day.

For the youth program we YFIRs have made the commitment to buy as much local foods as we can, to eat seasonally whenever possible and to buy fair-trade when we can. Every retreat is vegetarian with always a non-dairy or vegan option. We are lucky to live in the Ithaca area where we can get local fruits, veggies, dairy, bread, honey, maple syrup, flour, and soy products. We can get sugar, coffee, tea, and chocolate fair-trade. It only costs a little more money to be much more ethical with our food choices.

At Beloved Community House we also have a commitment to eating and buying local and fair-trade the CSA shares that Friends have donated the money for has allowed this to be possible on our lower income. At Beloved Community House we also eat vegetarian and often vegan.

Some Friends have voiced interest in seeing recipes for some of the delicious food we eat at the YFIR youth retreats and around the Beloved Community House. So on my personal blog I have begun writing down recipes to some of the food that I make. If you want to check it out I hope you enjoy it.

Peace and Joy,

Anna.

December in the Beloved Community House

2010-12-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Helen here. It's been a snow-filled December here in Newfield. We recently hosted a Christmas Party for nearby members of our community, and enjoyed listening to Christmas Carols, making paper snowflakes, drinking hot cider and eating tasty treats.
We've been battling the cold with delicious food made from fruits and veggies from our Community Supported Agriculture Share. We recently experimented with crepes (which are harder to make than my mom made them look) topped with peaches and blueberries from our winter fruit share, which provides us with frozen fruit, apples, and cider every other week. Special thanks to Purchase Meeting for funding our winter vegetable CSA share. We are well supplied with root vegetables, squash, and even broccoli!
Our next retreat is this weekend, an AVP workshop led by Jens Braun. It will be a great experience for our attenders, as well as us - I've never done AVP, and so I'll be learning along with our youth.
Three new exciting additions have been made to our household this month. We have a beautiful tree, decorated with homemade ornaments. Thanks to a kind donation to our house, we were able to buy a new vacuum cleaner (it's light-weight, specially made for households with pets, has a five year warranty, and it's purple!), as well as a large white board. On the white board, we have an outline of things happening in the upcoming week, as well as individual to-do lists. It feels good to cross things off of the list that I've accomplished, and having it there for everyone in the house to see makes sure that I am held accountable for the responsibilities I've taken on.We wish you all a Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Thank you all for your support in 2010.

Winter and Spring Retreats!

2010-11-18T08:27:00.000-08:00

Warm Heart, Warm Hands January 7-9, ages 11-14
There are as many was to heal as there are to be hurt. In all cultures around the world there are healers who are known for their abilities to cure and mend. This weekend we’ll explore our own healing powers through many different techniques, such as massage, healing touch, meditation, and energy work.

The Friendly Firebrand: Social Action February 25-27, ages 11-14
Rebellion is a hallmark of adolescence. Challenging authority is also one of things that Quakers are best known for. This weekend we’ll look at examples of people, some of them Friends, who faced great adversity for causes they believed in. We’ll explore different ways to take a stand, in our personal lives and in the larger world, and try to find constructive and positive ways to stand up for ourselves and what we believe in.

Green Eggs and Hamlet March 11-13, ages 14-18
What do Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss have in common? They are both known for inventing words, creative use of language, and storytelling abilities. This weekend we’ll try our hand at all of these things. We’ll look at different forms of poetry and practice poetic writing. We’ll explore different storytelling styles and techniques, and when we can’t find the right words, we’ll make new ones!

Finding the Inner Me March 25-27, ages 11-14
A large part of connecting with others comes from our ability to connect with ourselves. We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with messages about who we should want to be, what we should want to look like, and what things we should want to own. These external voices can be so loud that it can be hard to hear the internal voices of our souls. This weekend we’ll talk about ways to turn down the volume of the outward noise and search for avenues into our inner selves...

Thank You for Being a Friend April 15-17, ages 11-14
What makes a good friend? Why is friendship important? How do friendships change as you transition from childhood to adolescence? How do you deepen the friendships you have, and how do you form new ones? How do you say “no” to a friend and how do you know when to let go. We will tackle these questions and more this weekend, as we examine the complicated world of friendship.

He, She, Ze... Me? May 13-15, ages 14-18
Society is constantly telling us what it means to be a man or a woman, and what forms of sexuality are healthy or unacceptable. This pressure is often felt most keenly at adolescence, when we are going through the physical transformation from child to adult, and are beginning to explore our sexuality. This weekend we’ll examine some of the assumptions and stereotypes about gender and sexuality and discuss some of the safe and healthy ways we can explore our identities.

Creating Your Way June 10-12, ages 11-14
There are endless forms of creative expression, and many ways to express yourself within each form. Some like to sing in choirs, some in karaoke bars, and others in the shower. Haiku, limericks and sonnets are all very different, and are all poetry. This weekend, we’ll explore as many ways to express our creativity as we can. We hope that you’ll come prepared to share your favorite ways, but also to try new ones. So bring your instruments, your journals, your scrapbooks, your dancing shoes, and anything else you might need, because we are going to have some fun!

To Register email us (at yfirinterns@gmail.com) and we'll send you a printable registration form OR pick up a copy of our new beautiful blue brochure and check inside for a hard copy of the form.
Mail in your registrations to:
The Beloved Community House
599 Trumbulls Corners Rd.
Newfield, NY
14867

Recent Travels of the Young Friends in Residence

2010-11-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

Anna facilitated her first retreat a few weeks ago, "What Makes You Come Alive?" I (Helen) wasn't there for it, but from what I hear they had some great discussions about shared spiritual practices, and they each got to make a super cute t-shirt with depictions of what makes them come alive.

Franklin and I were not at that retreat because we were in the Hoosier State for a Young Adult Friends Consultation on creating a cross-branch inter-visitation program. Surprisingly enough, no one made an acronym for that. What would it be? YAFCOCACIP? That has a certain ring to it, I guess. Anyway, we drove all the way to FUM headquarters in Richmond Indiana, and had a great weekend talking with other Young Adult Friends about what intervisitation means to us, what our experiences have been, and what we might like to see in a more structured intervisitation program. There were Young Adults from all over the country, and all different kinds of Quakerism. It seemed like people had a lot of ideas, and I'm hopeful for where it may go in the future. Special thanks to Emily Stewart and Wess Daniels for planning and facilitating the consultation, and to the Quaker Hill Retreat Center for hosting us. Also, to the residents of Miller Farm, Thornburg House, and the Darby ladies of Brick City for giving Franklin and me a place to stay!

A few days after we got back from Indiana, we all found our way to Flushing, Queens for NYYM Fall Sessions. Natalie worked with the children's program in the morning on Saturday and Franklin hung out with the teen group all weekend. We all had the opportunity in the afternoon session on Saturday to present to the body. The weekend was challenging in many ways for us and for others involved in our program, but we were very grateful for the vocal support from many of those present, and to have the opportunity to share about our experiences with the group. So many people took the time to share, both with the group and with us personally, how much they appreciated the work that we are doing. It means a lot to us to know that we have your support.

We are all looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with our respective families, but will be back soon to prepare for our December retreat. We're really excited for this one! It's an Alternatives to Violence Program weekend for ages 11-18, led by Jens Braun on December 17th-19th. Hurry and register your child, this one is filling up!

Fall Updates!

2010-11-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!We have been having a wonderful fall here at Beloved Community House. Our house now full with four interns, we have been working hard to strengthen our community. A favorite way of doing this is through sharing food. We have dinners together almost every night, and sometimes spontaneous pancake breakfasts. Recently, we've been coming up with creative ways to eat the massive amounts of butternut squash we receive from our local CSA. So far we've had curried red lentil and butternut soup, squash pie, squash bread, and squash pancakes.

Last week we attacked the task of preparing our garden for the winter. Natalie, our garden-guru, spearheaded this effort, and helped us think about what we want our garden to look like next year.Franklin works on clearing and turning over beds.

Natalie and Anna put up a branch that we can grow vines on next year.

This Halloween, the Young Friends, plus f/Friend Aaron Lindop, got dressed up together and went out on the town. There was a lot of hubbub as we all ran around getting ready - Franklin carefully trimming his beard, Anna borrowing pants and a neck tie, and Natalie and Helen spending more time on (and putting more product in) their hair than they care to admit.Franklin and Aaron

Helen, Natalie, and Anna

Fall and Winter Upcoming Retreats!!

2010-08-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Play Us A Song September 10-12
Playing games and singing songs are big parts of our community. Since we're just starting out, we need to build a repertoire so that we don't get bored, singing the same songs and playing the same games over and over (even Kung Fu can get old if you play it all the time). To that end, we'll spend this weekend teaching each other new games and new songs. Bring any fun games that you know, and make sure you're prepared to show the group how to play. Is there a song that speaks to you, or that you just think is really pretty? Make sure you know the melody and the words! Keep in mind that we're trying to build a safe, nurturing, inclusive community when you decide whether or not a game or song is right for this weekend. In addition to singing and playing, we'll talk about why music moves us, what makes a game fun, and why different games and songs suit different times.

First Annual YFIR Film Festival October 1-3
This retreat, for 14-18 year olds, will essentially be a weekend-long film festival. It's a chance for us to relax, decompress, and enjoy each other's company. The YFIR interns will pick some films, others will be chosen by the attenders. To avoid being total couch potatoes, we'll play active games between films. To exercise our minds, we'll have some discussions about the effects of media on society, portrayals of sexuality and violence in film and television, etc. The focus of the weekend, however, will be to cut loose - something that teenagers have far too few opportunities to do.

A Gathering Together October 15-17
Autumn is a time of great contrast. As leaves die they reveal their beautiful colors, and the bounty of the harvest portends the lean months ahead. This weekend we'll celebrate the beauty and plenty of the season while mourning the loss of warmth and light as the earth prepares for the slumber of winter. We'll spend time outdoors looking for signs of the changing seasons and perhaps do some harvesting (apple picking?). We'll talk about what this time of year has meant for different peoples throughout history and across the world, and what it means for plants and animals. We'll talk about the cycle of life, and death as a natural part of that cycle. But mostly we will celebrate this beautiful season with fun games and activities, good food, and good company.

What Makes You Come Alive? November 5-7
What are you thankful for, what makes you come alive and brings you joy? How do you express these things? What activities most enliven your soul? Do you pray? How, and to who/what? In the month that our country celebrates Thanksgiving, we want to take a look at the different ways in which we give thanks. In her debut as a facilitator, Anna is going to lead us in examining various kinds of prayer. We'll sing, meditate, make art, and explore other forms of communion.

AVP Workshop December 17-19
Guest facilitator Jens Braun will be leading us in an Alternatives to Violence Project workshop. For those of you unfamiliar with AVP, it is system of games, exercises, and discussions that helps participants learn to deal with conflict non-violently. This weekend should be really informative and a lot of fun.

Letter From the YFIR Interns Regarding the Youth Retreats

2010-05-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The Young Friends In Residence youth program is under way and building steam! In the few retreats that we've had, we've begun to build a vibrant, nurturing community of truly exceptional youth. We've participated in deep discussions, cooperated in group exercises, played in the snow, and displayed some impressive skills at cabaret. We'd like to take a moment to thank all of the people who have helped this community to grow. We have had a number of amazing adults share their talent, energy, and spirit: Donna Beckwith acted as a co-facilitator at our first retreat; and Alexander Haines, Alex Kramer, Ginny Haines, Rick Townsend, and Shirley Way have all joined us as Adult Presences. We have had a beatific Butler to help Anna keep the kitchen running smoothly: Amy Willauer-Obermayer. Some terrific teens have joined us and shared their light, experience, and passion with the group as Junior Counselors: Gabe Obermayer, Kayla Clark, and Risa Pomerselig. Of course, a great thanks is due Perry City Monthly Meeting for the use of the meeting house and the support of our little program. Most importantly, we want to thank our awesome attenders, who have opened up to one another, have shared their youthful vigor, imagination, and insight, and who have generally made it a joy to be part of this budding community.

We're off to a strong start, but we could use more help and we'd love to get more of you involved. If you're aged 11-14, we'd love to have you at one of our upcoming retreats. If you're aged 14-18, we'd love to have you join us a Junior Counselor, or as an attender at one of our high school retreats. Older than that? Have no fear, there's plenty you can do as part of our community! You can join us as an Adult Presence and take part in our sessions, or you can help keep us happy and well-fed as a Butler.

You can support us in other ways as well. Spread the word about our program to people who haven't heard of us, within the Society of Friends and elsewhere. Of course, donations are always welcome - the program costs money to run, and we don't charge any registration or attendance fees. Donations don't have to be monetary - perhaps you have something on our wish list that you could spare. Or, if you have something that might be useful that isn't on our list, contact us.

Finally, if you have any questions about the program, suggestions, advice, or well wishes, we'd love to hear them.

Peace and Joy,
Anna, Franklin, and Natalie

Supporting Young Friends In Residence Program

2010-05-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

Because there is no fee for any of YFIR's ministries, we rely on Friends' financial support to allow us to do this work and to live as released Friends.

If you are led to donate money to the program, please write a check out to New York Yearly Meeting and note that it is for the Young Friends In Residence Program.

Send the check by mail to:

New York Yearly Meeting Office
15 Rutherford Place
New York, NY 10003-3705

If you want to support the program by donating items, check out our wish list:

YFIR Program Wish List

1. Bandanas, scarves
2. Items for a costume box
3. Balls (soccer, basketball, tennis, juggling, yoga, etc.)
4. Art supplies (paints and brushes, chalk, paper, glue, tape, staplers, etc.)
5. String, yarn, rope, etc.
6. Song books (Rise Up Singing)
7. Large throw pillows
8. Instruments (maracas, drums, recorders, etc.)
9. Tools (hammers, screw drivers, buckets, brooms, etc.)
10. Sleds
11. A digital camera
12. Black and color printer cartridges
13. Large plastic or glass storage bins
14. Blankets, pillows and bed sheets (all sizes)
15. Bibles
16. Coloring or craft books
17. Children's short stories books
18. Theology or other religious themed books
19. Kitchen chairs
20. Large serving bowls and plates
21. Word games (banana grams has been requested by the kids)

We sincerely thank everyone who has helped and supported us and this program!

Peace and Joy,
Anna, Natalie, Franklin.

Beloved Community Bible Study (at 7:00 pm the last Tuesday of each month)

2010-05-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

The Day of Pentecost (May 25th)
Acts 2:00-3:00

Faith Through Works (June 29th)
The Letter of James (all the way through)

The Woman At the Well (July 27th)
Gospel of John 4:00-5:00

God’s Community of Love (August 31st )
The First Letter of John (all the way through)

The Coming of the Kingdom of God (September 28th)
Revelation 21:00-22:00

Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (October 26th)
Luke 10:40-10:41 and John 11:00-12:00

The Sermon on the Mount (November 29th)
Gospel of Matthew 5:00-6:00

Note On Reading: feel free to do the reading before coming to the Bible study sessions. However you by no means have to do so. If you do decide to do the reading ahead of time, try not to over think it. Read the passage and then set it aside and do something else, or sit with it in silence for a while. Try to acknowledge and then set aside any preconceived interpretations or baggage you might have around the passage. Always keep in mind that while a passage might not speak to you it might be deeply meaningful to someone else in our group so always come to the text and our sessions with respectfulness and an open mind.

YFIR’s Intentional Spiritual Community (draft)

2010-05-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

YFIR interns are expected to live together as they work to create and affirm an intentional spiritual community that nurtures them and supports the interns in their ministries. This community is based upon a document that states the values and ideals that all the community member hold in common. The community is further strengthened by common practices that all the members commit to participating in.
1. (Doc.):
This document will be a list of commonly held ideals and beliefs of the community. Because the current members of the community span all different branches of Quakerism and communicate in very different spiritual languages this process is a lengthy one.
2. Practices Held In Common:
• Household money is shared communally
o All food and household items bought with the household money are shared communally where appropriate.
o The household money is held in a joint bank account that all community members have access to
o Stewardship of all YFIR money is a responsibility shared by all community members
o Large decisions regarding money must be made by the discernment of a house meeting and any appropriate committees.
• Community members meet once a week for 45 minutes of shared worship/time to sit with the week’s struggles and joys
o This can include worship sharing afterwards
o And a shared meal
• At least one meal a day is cooked and eaten communally
o Some form of thanks will be given before the meal
• Once a day community members check in with each other about their physical, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing.
• Household chores are done communally by all community members
o Both daily and monthly chores will be assigned to each community member during a house meeting held within the first two weeks of the community member joining the program.
• Beloved Community House is an open space, which is meant to be used by for hospitality and hosting events. YFIR interns should discern what events and gatherings should be held at Beloved Community House as apposed to Perry City Meetinghouse. The use of Beloved Community House as an open space should never negatively impact any member of the community, community members will be mindful of the amount of space and ‘down time’ each member needs.
• The community members commit to living simply and lightly upon the earth.
o This will be reflected in their treatment of:
• The house
• The yard
• And the community’s choice of and buying method for food and household items
• Respect of and interest in each community member’s ministry by the other community members is a sign of our shared goals and care for reach.
• Community members commit to not partaking in drugs of any kind (unless specifically proscribed by healthcare provider) including tobacco while living at Beloved Community House.
o Community members also discourage the use of drugs of any kind (unless specifically proscribed by healthcare provider) including tobacco by those visiting the community.
o Community members also live with respect for the Quaker caution against the use of alcohol
o Community members live in a way that is mindful of the stewardship of their bodies and their commitment to caring for themselves and each other
• Household meetings are held concerning the community and work of the YFIR program. These meetings will be held in good order in the way of Friends
o Meetings regarding the good order of the community or workings of the program will be modeled after meeting for worship with a concern for business.
• One community member will be appointed as acting ‘clerk’ before the meeting
• A time will be picked in advance and agreed to by all community members
• Each meeting will only address up to three aspects of the community or work of the program
• If business items exceed three, more meetings can be convened
o Meetings regarding ministry of an individual community member or ministries held in common by the community will be held in the model of worship sharing.

3. Process For Reevaluating of (Doc.) and Common Practices
Those who make up the intentional spiritual community of Beloved Community House believe that every community is an organic, growing endeavor, which must change and evolved over time. Therefore when a new member joins the community, the whole community will undertake a process to make sure that change and/or reaffirmation happens as the Spirit guides us.
(Doc.)
• Within the first two weeks of a new member joining the community of Beloved Community house a time of worship sharing will be arranged. During this time all members of the community will meet and share together in worship and reflection around the (Doc.) of the community. They will discern to the best of their ability whether the Spirit is guiding them to change or reaffirm this document.
• If the worship sharing leads the community to believe that the (Doc.) needs to be changed to reflect the evolving nature of the community an Anchor Committee meeting will be convened within one to two weeks of the worship sharing.
o Once convened the Anchor Committee will facilitate deep worship and conversation between the community members to discern the exact changes needed
o As many Anchor Committee meetings will be convened as needed to complete this work.
Practices Held In Common:
• To evaluate or reaffirm practices held in common a set of house meetings and worship sharing will be convened with in the first two weeks of a new member joining the community.
o A house meeting(s) will be convened to discuss and discern new members’ roles and responsibilities regarding household chores, errands and money stewardship.
o A time or times for worship sharing will be convened to discern whether a new member has any sort of blocks (emotion, physical or spiritual) that might stand in the way or them participating and/or agreeing to any of the community practices.
o Another worship sharing will be held to discern if the new member or community has a whole feels the need to add, remove or change any practices for the community to hold in common.
• We as a community affirm that the Spirit moves among us at every moment and that we live in expectant waiting for continuing revelation. Therefore every four-to-six months the community will meet for a session of worship sharing followed by a communal meal during which time they will reevaluate practices held in common and discern if Spirit is calling them to add, remove or change practices.

4. Regarding the Interns and Community:
• The intentional spiritual community of the Beloved Community House is not a static, unchanging entity. Instead it is a living community of people bound together by their shared commitments to the Religious Society of Friends, Young Friends In Residence Program, each other, and enriching the world. As such each intern is required to take an active, nurturing, enlivening role in the life of the community.
• Each interns is advised to live in a constant state of discernment with themselves, each other and their Elders to live into their understanding of the gifts they bring to Beloved Community House, the ways they change this community and the way this community changes them.
• The wellbeing and growth of each intern is something that community as a whole has a responsibly to care for and nurture. Every community member has a commitment to respect, and care for every other community member and be respected and cared for in return.
• We aim to live with joy and deep caring and share both that joy and that caring with the world.
• We endeavor to live into a community that reflects our radical and ever-changing relationship with the Spirit and the world.

Upcoming Youth Retreats!

2010-02-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

Winter Wonderland: February 19-21st  
Friends, join us in celebrating the snowy season! We'll take advantage of the fun aspects of winter: sledding and making snow-people and anything else we can think of, while taking the time to wonder about the meaning of this time of year. How is our experience of winter different from those who lived a hundred years ago, or those who live in other parts of the world? We'll talk about what we do to keep from getting bored or depressed in the dark months, and explore how different plants and animals adapt and sometimes rely on the cold weather. We'll spend plenty of time playing and exploring outside, followed by time drinking hot cocoa in front of the fire. We'll once again have Anna's tasty food and Franklin's bedtime stories, but we'll also welcome Natalie to the group. She just arrived from Ecuador, which has a very different winter experience from upstate New York, and she's a whole lot of fun.

Creating a Safe Space: March 12-14th
We all need a place to feel safe - safe from physical violence, but also from ridicule, judgment, and embarrassment. We're hoping to build just such a space in the YFIR program, and we want you to help us to do that this weekend. We'll nurture our budding community through trust exercises, cooperative strategy games, and group discussions. In addition to creating a safe space in our community, we'll explore ways to extend that feeling of security to the outside world - we'll talk about dealing with bullies and the role friendship plays in building safe communities.

YFIR!? Because… April 16-18th
Calling all high schoolers: we need your help! We are building a program of retreats for 6th-9th graders that would greatly benefit from your gifts and experience. We also want to have a few retreats a year for 9th-12th graders (those 9th graders get to have all the fun). As the first of these, this weekend will focus on the Young Friends In Residence Program - how it came about, where it's going, and what role this age group can play in it. The weekend will include some Junior Counselor training, so that those who are interested can help us facilitate other retreats, but there will also be lots of games, discussions, and free time to enjoy each other's company and to explore our new home at the Perry City Meeting House

Living Planet April 30th-May 2nd
It's great to be alive, and this weekend we'll celebrate the new life emerging this time of the year. We'll explore our surroundings and look for signs of new life and new growth as the world shakes off winter's embrace. We'll get our hands dirty and our thumbs green planting things (maybe even a tree, since Friday is Arbor Day). We'll talk about different ways in which people throughout the world and time have observed the changing of the seasons. We'll also discuss ways in which life on Earth is connected, and what we can do to keep our planet healthy. We will learn, explore, share, and most of all, celebrate!

You Are What You Eat June 18-20th
This weekend will be all about food. We'll talk about what food is (do we all consider the same things to be food?), where it comes from, and how it affects our lives. We'll explore our place in the food chain and how our appetites change the world around us. We'll discuss dietary restriction - biological, personal, religious, and cultural. We'll look at different rituals based on food, and how food has brought about war, slavery, new technology, and great prosperity. We'll be eating local food, and we'll talk about what that means, as well as help Anna prepare it. Be sure to bring your taste buds and appetites.

H2Oh yeaaah! August 6-8th
Our bodies are mostly water, water covers more than 70% of the Earth, and yet millions of people don't have access to clean water. This weekend we'll talk about where water comes from, who has it, who doesn’t, and why. We'll talk about why we (and other forms of life) need it, and the properties that make it special. We'll also take the time to enjoy it - we'll explore the creek behind the meeting house, take bucket showers, and throw water balloons. Water: let’s talk about it, play in it, drink it, change it, and…

Contact us at YFIRinterns@gmail.com for registration sheets, or if you have questions.

Not Enough Tables

2009-12-17T18:22:00.001-08:00

It is strange the things you find out you need or don't have when you move. We (myself and Franklin) have been moving into the Beloved Community House piece by piece for nearly four months now. As little bits of the house get fixed up and cleaned we move into more of the house.

Whenever people ask me what we need I always say tables. It's true we do need tables, little ones for the bedrooms and the living room and at least one big one for the main room/planning room. It seems such an odd thing not to have enough of but there you have it.

YFIR Wishlist

Beloved Community House:
end tables
a dining room table
chairs (kitchen, living room)
desks
lamps
dressers
throw pillows
blankets
rugs
bookcases
Quaker or interfaith related posters or prints
Quaker or religion related books
dvd player
something to listen to music with: stereo, boom box, ipod dock
a framed or otherwise wall mountable house prayer or prayer of hospitality

Youth Program:
art supplies
drawing supplies
games: bananagrams, jenga, apples to apples. . .
large pillows/cushions for retreats or foam and fabric to make them
easel for flip charts
photocopier

~ Anna

YFIR is… Quaker In-Reach and Spiritual Outreach

2009-12-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

The Young Friends In Residence (YFIR) is an emerging program for New York Yearly Meeting! This is a dual program for young adults and 6^th – 9^th grade youth.

The young adults serve as Quaker interns living in intentional spiritual community for two years. They participate in the local meeting in addition to facilitating the youth retreats. The youth retreats, modeled after Powell House programs, offer 6^th – 9^th graders a stable and affirming space to experience Quaker spirituality and to nurture one another.

The YFIR Interns work with their host Meeting (Perry City Monthly Meeting) region and the Yearly Meeting to deepen the Spiritual life of the wider Quaker community. YFIR interns hope to travel to monthly meetings across the Yearly Meeting, actively participate in Quaker gatherings, and to serve on committees. Interns also hope to deepen their own personal callings to ministry.

The YFIR Interns are currently living in Beloved Community House in Newfield, NY and offer hospitality there. They also welcome any Friend willing to come and help make Beloved Community House a more welcoming and nurturing place. Stay tuned for upcoming work parties.

The current YFIR Interns are:

Natalie Braun: Natalie comes from a big family of Quakers, but more specifically from a family of five who live in community at the Quaker Intentional Village in East Chatham, NY. She is fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel all over the world, and is currently studying ecologically sustainable and regenerative methods of farming and living, as well as community healthcare practices and birth in different cultures with Goddard College.

Natalie came to the Young Friends in Residence program through her long and loving connection with the Powell House Youth Program and her work on the Young Adult Concerns Committee of New York Yearly Meeting. She is thrilled to be a part of this young and growing community, excited to begin co-facilitating conferences, honored to be a part of creating joyful and powerful connections with the youth of our Yearly Meeting.

Anna Obermayer: Anna is a member of Binghamton Community Friends Meeting. She attended Earlham College and graduated with a degree in history in May 2009. She has a long history of service work and believes serving one’s community is an intrinsic part of our beliefs as Friends. She considers herself a Friend in the Spirit of Christ and writes a Quaker blog, Raised In the Light (http://www.raisedinthelight.blogspot.com) She also labors with a concern for open communication among different branches of The Religious Society of Friends and has done so for several years. At the moment she coordinates the New York Yearly Meeting prayer list.

She joined the YFIR program to spend time working with her religious community and deepening her own personal spiritual life. Anna works as cook, coordinator and registrar for the YFIR youth programs.

Franklin Crump: Franklin Crump is very excited to be part of the experiment that is the Young Friends In Residence program. Franklin has been involved in work with youth for many years, both in the New York Yearly Meeting community (as a Junior Yearly Meeting volunteer and as an Adult Presence and co-facilitator at Powell House) and the outside world (working with former street kids in Nicaragua through a Quaker NGO and teaching theater at a youth theater in Troy, NY, and at an after school program in Keene, NH). As an YFIR Intern, Franklin is looking forward to facilitating youth conferences with Natalie Braun.