In the spirit of simplicity, the narrative will be kept…well…simple. We are a small but not yet microscopic meeting on the western edge of Caln Quarterly Meeting. We wrestle with dwindling attendance with 6 to 12 folks coming through the doors on First Day. We have an aging demographic, however there are bright spots with a family on some days and new attenders/seekers arriving through finding us on social media. Through the pandemic, Zoom enabled us to reach out to distant worship groups and relatives and those who preferred staying home. We continue this technology. The continued presence of our meeting is like many other small meetings: dependent on a core of lifelong members who are committed to opening the door on Sunday morning and the hope for rescue by social media. We are in essence one committee and address items, issues, problems and needs as they arise. Growth and perseverance can be equated to children and young Friends in meetings to which we are in need, but alas not to be at this writing.
We are sitting well financially at present with enough money through contributions and mutual fund to keep the place running. With diminishing numbers though certainly limits income from our contributors. The building is paid for. It needs indoor work and improvements, but we are addressing this as an ongoing agenda and action topic.
As a small meeting, opportunities for outreach into our community come into play. We volunteer, become members on boards, affiliate with community groups to address racism, immigration, LGBQTA+ issues and refugee families. Examples are sending handmade Valentines to Veterans, putting together health kits for the Mennonite Community Center for sending to people in need, working on a book sale for Legal Services to help immigrants maneuver through their legal problems. Our Adult Education programs have enjoyed outside speakers bringing their field of interest to us.
The life blood of any meeting for worship relies on its members/attenders being familiar with the testimonies, the advices and the Queries of Quakerism. Quaker history is a valuable steppingstone toward a path of listening to that “small voice.” This history lets us illuminate the present and guide us through this chaos and turbulence. Coming to Meeting for worship, knowing there is safety and a place for a small community seeking connection through the quiet and the anticipation of the Spirit moving us, is really what sustains us. We have found that even though we are small and threatened by “being laid down,” we cannot let this define us and take away what is possible through meditation. So we continue to breath the air of community and memory and the individual journeys that got us to this place.
