Quaker Women's Conference is happening this November 10-13, but the early bird deadline is September 1... which is coming right up. If you miss it you can still register though.
There are the info brochures right below. Note the change in formats, so that there's a pre-conference spiritual preparation retreat on Thursday. Kathryn Damiano's leading it, and she's a gem.
Heart 'o Hills Conference Center is the charming camp where QWC met in 2009. It's comfortable, the food was very good, and it has lovely walking trails through beautiful hills and trees. We meet in the Cherokee Conference Center and stay in motel-like facilities. We're very pleased to be able to meet there again in 2011.
If you'd like a glimpse of the facility, here's the page:
Heart o Hills Conference Center
Registration is now open for the November 2011 Conference. Email Registrar Gail Fletcher at 'okfletch@gmail.com' for information about attending this wonderful event.
QWC - Quaker Women's Conference - Sisters will meet July 15-16 at Heartland Meetinghouse in Wichita to refine "the plan" for November's conference. Planning retreats are really beautiful... meeting sister Friends and worshiping together as the retreat develops.
It's coming along very nicely, but the conference is only 4 months away. Sure hope we're prepared in time.
Registrar Gail is getting into gear. If you haven't received a brochure with details yet reply to this post and somebody will get you one.
Greetings Sisters in the Spirit...
The Planning Committee from last year's wonderful Quaker Women's Conference issues an invitation to Quaker women. Next month we'll hold the retreat that kicks off planning for the next conference, that will happen in November of 2011. Women from both programmed and unprogrammed traditions will participate, and if you are a Quaker woman from any Quaker tradition, you are invited to be part of it.
2011 seems like a long way off, but many things will happen between then and now. Before November 2011 this committee will have formed deep and lasting friendships, and explored the movement of Spirit in a profound way. If you'd like to participate. Sister of the conference who'd like to join in the planning process are invited to contact Gladys by replying to this post. The planning process is one of the most interesting things that happens around this conference. Your contribution could be make the conference even better.
By: Pamela Draper
Photo left: Pam demonstrates "silly"
In order to hear another’s perspective, one must be an open channel; to the other person’s needs, expressions, to your own, and to the great comfort and direction of the Spirit. That is at the center of the biennial Quaker Women’s Conference: being vulnerable, open-minded, porous. As a religious society, we must strive for this to do Spirit’s work.
I am a 25-year-old convinced Friend. I am a member in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, which is solely affiliated with Friends General Conference. I practice unprogrammed Meeting for Worship and have a liberal perspective on social justice.
My roommates were also relatively new to Quakerism. One small difference: they came from the Mennonite tradition! On my first night at the conference, I walked out into the mild, quiet night air and marveled: what was Quakerism, again?
Over the next three days, my heart was moved, my mind challenged, my soul refreshed. I met radical women of every type imaginable: psychologists, mushroom farmers, social workers, missionaries, survivors, artists and teachers; women whose lives spoke of faith, spiritual risk-taking and love for community. I made a wonderful connection with my plain-dressing, teenage roommate – creating music, taking muddy walks to sit by the river. We found that we had many things in common: we’d both been homeschooled and loved music and being silly!
I was astonished daily by the amazing variety of beliefs among us. I had never before been to a multi-branch Quaker conference where we actually acknowledged our differences. I remember often being challenged by a spiritual principle that diverged from mine and feeling the slow, internal shutting-down process that is so natural to us. Like all judging, it is a coping mechanism we use to protect our feelings and our sense of identity. I would begin to “pull the shutters” in my heart and mind, disengage, tune out. But then, the faces of women I had eaten lunch with or taken a walk with would serve as an appeal to be present, as they were. Timely, loving promptings of Spirit allowed me to “let down my heart.” Opportunities to share in small groups were halting, but seemed to say, “This is it! Here’s your chance!” It was time to be an open channel. To my surprise, this had more to do with my breath than anything else. The key was in not allowing my body to shut down, giving off an air of aloofness, which can start a chain reaction in a group setting of . I found when I could train my body to reflect open listening and acceptance, my mind wasn’t far behind.
I found programmed worship to be surprisingly comforting. This could be because of my familiarity with it, having grown up in Baptist/Methodist traditions. Having an order of service that included singing, readings and prepared messages was familiar to me. The prepared messages were stories about God’s infinite love (the theme of the conference) and speakers spoke from their direct experience. Having silent worship time after the programmed part of meeting was incredibly rich. I felt the ongoing softening of my heart, the open-channel making. This “spiritual storytelling” – sharing that of God in yourself – was not what I had imagined programmed worship would be. It was natural, Spirit-led and honest.
Workshops were incredibly diverse, spanning from “Reiki for Self-Healing” to “Scripture Reading in the Manner of Ohio Conservative Friends.” These were also chances to connect to the common sacredness we share across the branches. It was delightful to see this cross-pollination of inspiration. Our open mic night included readings from the Tao Te Ching, Christian poetry and the singing of peace rounds. All of our expressions were received with appreciation, no matter how different they were.
Tina Coffin, who was FWCC regional coordinator of the South Central region, started the Quaker Women’s Conference in 1999. A regional gathering was in the works, but was challenging due to the differences between yearly meetings. Then the women got together and things started to happen! Since then, gatherings have happened bi-annually and are always planned by women from the different yearly meetings that are represented at the conference. This year’s attendance included members from South Central, Mid America, Illinois, Great Plains, Iowa (Conservative), Ohio and Philadelphia Yearly Meetings. Many women come time and time again, but it is always open to all.
This gathering of women is an area in our society where blessed bridge-building is happening and where love is abiding. We are called to know that of God in one another. To see how Spirit is active throughout our Society and what we can do to enrich one another’s work. When we strive to be open channels, in body, mind and heart, the Spirit of God can
To All Friends Everywhere:
Greetings from the sixth Quaker Women's Conference on Faith and Spirituality. Sponsored by the central states Yearling Meetings of Great Plains Yearly Meeting, EFC-Mid-America Yearly Meeting and South Central Yearly Meeting, the conference was held at Camp Heart O' Hills near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, on November 5-8 2009.
As crimson and ocher leaves trembled above us in the autumn light, forty-three programmed and unprogrammed Quaker women came together to reflect upon "the infinite love of God" and to follow the example of George Fox in "speaking to all conditions." Jennie Isbell, representing Earlham School of Religion, joined us as an active participant.
The conference aimed to help us draw closer to God and each other, to build bridges across the spectrum of Quakerism, to strengthen Quaker witness through women's voices, and to trust that the inward Teacher, the Christ Within, the Inner Light, the Holy Spirit would be present to guide us.
Presenters of the first program, "Two Journeys, One Ocean," modeled and then engaged us in a frank and loving dialogue between programmed and unprogrammed Friends.
In programmed worship Friday night, a Friend inspired us with her testimony of God's light holding her as she journeyed through and recovered from breast cancer. For her this journey was "Not About the Ocean. It's About The Light."
The second program session, "A Journey From The Ocean of Darkness to the Ocean of Light" featured one Friend's account of the importance of her faith during a series of extra-ordinarily difficult family-related crises. Another Friend described the work of Evangelical Friends Church Mid-America in supporting Kibimba Hospital in Burundi.
Throughout the weekend we shared aspects of our spiritual journeys in the small home groups that provided a more intimate place for us to reflect upon the themes of the conference. Here we could discuss our thoughts and feelings about each presentation, practicing the candor and compassionate listening the conference encouraged.
Friday night coffee house provided light-hearted fun together and enjoyment of our sisters' musical, story-telling, and creative writing talents. On Saturday morning one Friend led us through a series of playful and invigorating physical exercises which, if practices regularly, could keep us strong physically and support our spiritual fitness as well.
There were many workshop opportunities. Some of us found our inner actor in the improvisation workshop. Other workshops addressed reactions to the Iraqi refugee situation, provided an opportunity for scripture reading in the manner of Ohio Conservative Friends, taught skills in compassionate communication and compassionate listening to help identify our special gifts.
There was opportunity to do yoga each morning and a workshop on using Reiki for self-healing. Some of us spent an afternoon at the Cherokee Heritage Center in Talequah where we learned about the Cherokee Nation's history and its cultural and spiritual traditions.
An informal songfest ended our last night together, offering another opportunity for sharing joy.
Throughout the weekend we had ample opportunities to worship together. We worshipped in the style of Friends in programmed worship on Friday, in unprogrammed worship on Saturday, and on Sunday in a blended worship incorporating both programmed and unprogrammed elements. We shared meals, talk and laughter. We shared photo opportunities and awards of flowers especially commemorating our 10th year (6th biennial conference). We learned from and listened to each other in structured and unstructured settings, helping us achieve the goals of drawing closer to God and each other, and building bridges across the spectrum of Quakerism.
Submitted by Epistlists Elisa Dale and Kathleen Cairns
Approved by the Sisters of the Conference November 8, 2009
Registration for this year's Quaker Women's Conference is open now. If you've attended the conference before you should be receiving the registration brochure soon. Registration deadlines are August 15 for the early bird special ($15 discount), and September 1 for the final deadline.
These may seem like early deadlines, but many thing need to happen after your registration is received.
Because this is a "participant-led conference," and part of the goal is to get to know each other better, after you register a conference planner will contact you about the active roles you may wish to take. Some are very simple (sing in the choir, fix coffee), others more complex and require stronger leadership commitment. Your level of participation is up to you.
To help us get to know each other, you'll get an opportunity to respond to a thoughtful Open Response Query by writing a brief essay. This is always a simple but profound way to explore your own experience in relation to the conference theme. You'll be asked to return the Query, and your response will be shared with other women as we prepare to attend the conference. Sisters of the conference say that it's a lovely way to meet other women before we even arrive. When we get to the camp we realize that we know these women already, from their essay. It's been wonderful.
If you have not attended before, please let us know you want to come. Send a registration request to registrar Sara Scribner at SaraBScribner@aol.com . We're getting excited. Look forward to seeing you in November.
