The 2022 calendar year has been highlighted by the Abington Quarterly Meetings rebounding and meeting the challenge of the Covid -19 pandemic. We met at several of our monthly meetings to attend to the quarter’s meeting for worshipful business. All were shared virtually!
Gwynedd Monthly Meeting brought forward their Minute acknowledging the land they take care of, known as Gwynedd Monthly meeting was part of Lenni-Lenape Tribe’s ancestral home.
The Minute was approved with happiness to hear the sense of reconciliation.
Byberry Monthly Meeting approached the quarter to support their 2020 Shoemaker Grant proposal. The quarter approved supporting and participating in the grant proposal by Byberry.
It was thought immediately, that the grant could help AQM fund our own coordinator.
Our quarter & monthly meetings have been supported those actively engaged in AQM.
The AQM Worship & Ministry Committee keeps us aware of the faith & practice of each of our monthly meetings. The AQM Fund Committee can make grants available to our Monthly Meetings. Richland MM received a grant to make upgrades to their property. Our AQM Newsletter Editor, Chris Mrozinski has been doing a great job keeping us engaged to share what’s going on at our respective Monthly Meetings. Our AQM Treasurer’s have been supporting our Monthly Meetings and our Quarter, I want to Thank Tom Armstrong, Jennifer Jones and Linda White. Our AQM trustees are the stewards of our restricted funds.
Their treasurer, Ron Hazelton is instrumental in assisting the Home & Care committee’s work. He helps Rebecca Cratin, our Home & Care Administrator, in making funds available from our restricted funds, that were endowed to help our elderly members and members in need.
The Home & Care Committee’s clerk, Bonnie Miller, shared, “we are grateful to be able to facilitate the assistance, that helps members of our Monthly Meetings live safely.”
The AQM Youth Support Committee supported Joe Schatz & Stephanie Hunt-Rushie, Co-Directors, of our Junior Friends Conference event. It took place at Camp Innabah, in Spring City. June 19-24 2022. This event was more of a camping style, using cabins. The facility offered Family style Meals, Campfires, swimming outdoors and outdoor meeting for worship. Twenty-six students attended: 15 Junior friends, 9 Middle schoolers and 2 high schoolers, in the Faith & Leadership program. The event went so well, we have already penciled in for 2023 at Camp Innabah. We are blessed to have people who are committed to have a vibrant Youth program available to our children.
The AQM Communication Committee, has been very active supporting all the monthly Meetings in the quarter. With helping them set up their own new websites, offering technical help in weekly meetings. This committee has also developed a new website for the quarter. We are blessed that Bob Reiff has stepped up to be our Website administrator. This summer the committee recommended we consider hiring a communications coordinator. We formed ad hoc committee to explore what we could accomplish by hiring someone in this capacity. At our last MFWB we decided to form another committee to wrap up the details of the scope and job description, to hire someone to help our monthly meetings grow.
Early in the year we were blessed by PYM’s giving quarterly meeting a portion of their Shoemaker Grant, It is to help our Meetings grow. We used the money to support our communications committee, which helps our monthly meetings, have a web presence.
The spirit of this faith community is illuminated by our Holy Spirit, who lights the way to meet our challenges. I give thanks to all who serve for their meetings, to make AQM, their platform. For lifting up Concerns and Seasoning action. By the grace of god we find our way forward. Kelly Green, AQM clerk
