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Pastors and recorded ministers from the New Association of Friends and both Western and Wilmington Yearly Meetings gathered for food, fun, fellowship, and fulfilling connections at Quaker Haven Camp in Syracuse, Indiana, October 20–23. The organizers of the retreat gave the gathering of around 30 the gift of time and space. With the days lightly structured around a series of small group encounters which anchored the experience in deep reflection and mutual care and support, participants were free to be as present as able. The small groups operated using an adaptation of the Prayer of Examen. The examen is an invitation to pay careful attention to how the Spirit is moving in each moment of our daily lives, using our attention as a magnifying glass with which to view the seemingly ordinary moments of our lives, seeking to encounter the Divine.
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Prayers for the People and Places of the CaribbeanWe cry out to You, oh God. It is your presence, your Holy Spirit we seek. We pray this storm be met with impediment and frustration and struggle; that it might diminish is size and strength. May your will be done. May in this moment of fear and worry and anxiety as the wind and rain batter the islands of Cuba and Jamaica, as our Friends find themselves in the eye of the storm may they feel the comforting arms of the Holy Spirit wrapped tightly around them in our prayers. May in the coming days our hearts be open to the call of compassion, community and concern. May we find ways to embody your love, oh God. Hear our prayer. —Michael Sherman, North American and Caribbean Ministries CoordinatorI t has been a long and devastating night for so many people in Jamaica, as Hurricane Melissa, one of the most damaging hurricanes ever to strike Jamaica, made landfall, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. Now the eye of the storm is on Cuba, one of the most vulnerable places I know.I invite the global community of Friends to hold all in harm’s way in prayer... praying for protection, peace, and strength amid this unfolding disaster. In the coming days, we will no doubt begin identifying opportunities to give generously in support of those most affected. Friends, thank you for your love and faithful concern.—Kelly Kellum, General Secretary
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Over the past few weeks, the Financial Task Force, Finance Committee, Executive Board, and General Board of Friends United Meeting have each met to carefully review our current ministries, financial realities, and future directions. Together, these bodies have sought to steward FUM’s resources faithfully while preparing FUM for a more sustainable future. Many Friends have also received a letter from the General Board, making Friends aware of FUM’s concerning financial position and the difficult decisions that this reality has required.On Friday, October 24, 2025, the General Board met to receive and consider the Fiscal Year ‘26 budget for Friends United Meeting. The Board discerned that the pathway forward will require a period of restraint, creativity, and strategic restructuring. The following represents some of the significant changes that result from the approval of this budget. Pause of Quaker Life Magazine After nearly seventy years of publication, the Board has made the difficult decision to pause future editions of Quaker Life. This decision was not made lightly but reflects current budgetary realities. FUM deeply appreciates our dedicated subscribers, and our office will be in contact with readers in the coming weeks regarding options related to this suspension. The General Board will also be discerning whether Quaker Life will fit into FUM’s ongoing communications ministries as we seek more sustainable forms of storytelling and outreach. Staff Reductions and Transitions The FY26 budget also includes a reduction in staffing levels, one of the most difficult decisions by the board and administration. We are saddened to announce that Kathleen Wooten, our Web and Social Media Specialist, will no longer be employed with Friends United Meeting, effective December 1. This decision in no way reflects on the quality of her work or the depth of her dedication. Kathleen has served FUM with excellence, expanding our social media presence and strengthening our communications ministry. She will be greatly missed. Please hold our staff in your prayers as they navigate this period of transition with courage and grace.
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John 15:1-4 (NIV)15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. When I read about pruning it reminds me of a time when my grandfather would send us to his coffee farm to help him prune the coffee bushes. In preparation, would sharpen the pruning saw and the pruning shears and head to the farm...
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“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15: 7 ESV) My father depended on a small-scale farm he owned to provide for his family. As a child, I saw how he struggled to plough, plant, tend and harvest his maize crop amidst constantly changing weather patterns. Each year, he trusted in God to get just the right kind of harvest to feed and clothe his family, keep his five children in school and sustain his calling as a Quaker pastor. Every evening before we read scriptures and prayed, Dad impressed on us to trust in God and focus on our education in order to change our family’s fortune...
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Throughout our history, the people known as Friends (or Quakers) keep rediscovering an essential and enduring truth: There is one who speaks to our most basic needs and most significant hopes—Christ Jesus the Lord. Both individually and communally, we are learning to know and follow the Voice that guides us in the way we should go. Together, we seek to understand and obey that truth which sets us free. As a people, we share in the experience of that powerful life which makes all things new. Maybe you are searching for an authentic and transforming faith and community to call home—if so, come in and join us as we seek to know and follow Christ.
Friends United Meeting commits itself to energize and equip Friends through the power of the Holy Spirit to gather people into fellowships where Jesus Christ is known, loved, and obeyed as Teacher and Lord.
