Westport Monthly Meeting’s Ministry and Counsel asked the Meeting to try a new method for writing the 2010 State of Society. We decided that instead of Worship or Worship Sharing we would “just talk” about the four themes offered from the 2010 annual sessions: the call to forgiveness; the call to strengthen our ability to love and to build our community; the call to name cultivate and exercise gifts of ministry, eldership, and leadership; the call to undertake clear leadings for witness;
1. The call to forgiveness;
We found that forgiveness is hard, takes a long time, and almost always includes a form of judgment. It comes more easily to some than to others. One member asked if there were things that couldn’t be forgiven. Most of us wish that things were different or that we had progressed further than we actually have. We were reminded that “forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past”. We can try to have any negative energy be redirected into something positive.
2. The call to strengthen our ability to love and to build our community;
We all feel that although our numbers are small, our worship is sustaining and we have strong committees. You can see and feel the love and affection we have for one another. Some of us spend more time than might be productive remembering those who are not in meeting. What we need to do is to focus on those who are here, or might join us. We need to be careful that our central concern remains to be about our shared worship, not our numbers. We are clear that our current worship times provide renewal and nourishment. We also feel the depth of our silent manner of worship. For the sake of discussion, could we envision different possibilities, more music, sermons, Bible reading? What else might enhance our worship? Might this be a way to bring in new attenders/members? Would a formal program like Quaker Quest be useful? Would a facilitated workshop on membership give us tools for outreach? Does anyone have the time to commit to exploring new ways of bringing in new members?
3. The call to name cultivate and exercise gifts of ministry, eldership, and leadership;
What Westport does well is to recognize that we have in our meeting members with gifts in leadership, ministry and eldership. We are seen within NEYM as a model of how a meeting can provide support and oversight to our public Friends. We recognize that we are not perfect at it, but the way we are going about it is generating a lot of interest. Public ministry often involves traveling. Although we miss the presence of these valued Friends at First Day, we are enriched by the sharing of their experiences among a wider body of Friends.
4. The call to undertake clear leadings for witness;
Some of us feel guilty that we are not a more active voice about the needs of our local and global communities. We need to be reminded that we can’t do it all. Westport supports a member with a concern rather than a general concern or a request. Although we receive many requests, we only answer those that have spiritual vitality for us. It is enough that we commit to sustaining our current work.
For 2011: What we learned is that our members are very busy. Although the discussion was lively, we are either reluctant, or saddened to suggest it reflects Westport’s spiritual health. Those of us who are active in the life of Westport Meeting, are often involved in Quarterly, and Yearly Meeting too. Several times a year our First Day attendance is decreased or expanded by the NEYM retreat programs.
Part of our spiritual health is reflected in the attendance at this discussion. Even with the enticement of pizza and sushi, 9 adults and two children stayed after meeting. We received one written response. Two of the adults left with the children. This left 7 members, 4 of these were M&C members, one an attender.
We find a lot of love in our meeting and are concerned about our diminishing membership. We know from Westport’s history that membership ebbs and flows. We yearn to reach out to bring more like-minded folk to us from our communities. We have budgeted funds designated for membership outreach, but to date we have no clear idea who is willing or how we are going to do this and other work.
Approved May 22.2011