The spiritual state of the meeting is sound. We are recovering from loss, but also energized in other ways.
We continue to meet twice a week with zoom options available for Firstday worship and zoom only options for Second-day discussions. Some topics included:
- Have you ever experienced a miracle?
- Gun Violence
- The Indian Child Welfare Act
- Christian Nationalism
- Internet Safety, and
- Sustainable Food.
We continued supporting CODI, a non-profit which strives to optimize independence by assisting individuals with disabilities in reaching their fullest potential. We collected donations throughout the year.
We also started collecting donations for migrant workers early this year. We are grateful to Medford meeting for their help in coordinating the delivery of donations.
Equal Exchange was also well supported throughout the year.
We are in the process of developing a land acknowledgement, acknowledging that land we enjoy is the homeland of the Lenni-Lenape Tribe.
Volunteer work for Family Promise of the Jersey Shore was also provided. The First Presbyterian Church of Tuckerton needs people to spend the night in the building as an “overnight host”.
We also supported, Vote Forward, a targeted “get out the vote” effort to encourage fellow citizens in underrepresented communities to vote.
January 15th, on Martin Luther King’s birthday, an African American clerk was installed. The new clerk is not a member of the meeting, but the nominating committee felt she meant to be clerk. It was an emotional morning. The former clerk served with tremendous faithfulness, love, and dedication. The nominating committee generated a very moving minute to acknowledge her service and sacrifice.
January 18th, we were informed that a former attender passed away. His family was very influential in building the meeting house. February 4th, we held a Memorial Meeting for Worship in the 1828 Meeting House from Woodstown, which does not have heat. That meeting house held a special meaning for the family of the deceased. A zoom service connected the current meeting house and the 1828 meeting house, 100 feet away. People from other countries were also able to participate via zoom.
Hosting this event was a catalyst to spruce up the meeting house. That energy hasn’t dissipated and a fresh concern for the upkeep of the meeting house has been birthed.
The meeting is on the cusp of establishing various committees to distribute responsibilities in an orderly manner. Attendance for worship on First day generally runs between 10 and 12 people with 1-3 people attending via zoom.
