Call to Fall Fellowship

Fall Fellowship

Nov 3-5, 2023

The Roots and Fruits of Quaker Testimonies

In Person at Temescal Canyon & via Zoom

Dear Friends,

Many Friends expressed how nourished they felt by attending, either in person or by Zoom, Pacific Yearly Meeting’s annual session this past July.  I encourage you to read the epistle that came from the 77th annual session, which Centered the Voices of the Next Generation.  I hope Friends from Southern CA will feel nourished when we gather this November for our Quarter’s Fall Fellowship.

We are reminded that Friends have diverse identities, life experiences, and faith traditions. Some Friends come from generations of Quaker ancestors, other convinced Friends have Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, mono or polytheistic, or non-theist backgrounds.  As an inclusive religion and community of seekers, we strive each day to live with integrity and to listen for and see that of God, the Divine, the Light in all.  

Foundational to our experiential faith community are the Quaker Testimonies which we contemporary Quakers have come to “package” as the SPICES: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, Stewardship or Sustainability.  Yet we can ask, are these our only testimonies?  Are there others?  What is a testimony?

The centering theme for this fall’s quarterly gathering is “Back to Basics – The Roots and Fruits of Quaker Testimonies Then and Now.”  Paul Buckley, a traveling Quaker minister and author will share with us his perspectives on the Quaker Testimonies in two presentations based on his recently published Pendle Hill pamphlet, Quaker Testimony: What We Witness to the World.   Paul’s presentations will look at early Quaker testimonies, what he considers the 5 essential characteristics of a testimony, how early Friends testified, and the more contemporary evolution of the Quaker “SPICES”.

In addition to our keynote presentations and worship sharing on Saturday and Sunday mornings we will have interest and affinity groups, wonderful children’s and teen’s programs, a meeting for healing, time for fellowship, hiking, possibly singing, plenaries, community night, and worship.

Please mark your calendars and SAVE THE DATE for SCQM’s Fall Fellowship to attend either in person on the beautiful grounds of Temescal Gateway Park in the Pacific Palisades, just north of Santa Monica, or via Zoom.  Full schedule and details to come soon.

In peace,

Jane Blount
SCQM Clerk

Save the Date!

Southern California Quarterly Meeting

Nov. 4-6, 2022 Fall Fellowship
In Person & Online

Dear Friends,

The clerks’ committee is happy to announce that we will be holding Fall Fellowship in a blended, On-site, and Online format.  Please mark your calendars for the first weekend in November to once again gather at Temescal Canyon Gateway Park and from the comfort of your home.  Friday night, Nov. 4 will be on zoom, and Saturday and Sunday will be blended. 

All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend Fall Fellowship. 

This year’s theme, Weaving Ourselves Together, Seeking Wholeness

gives us an opportunity to weave the threads of our individual lives, our community connections, our curiosities and yearnings, our experiences of hurt, healing, and joy, and our spiritual seeking into a tapestry of the whole.  Worship Sharing, often the heart of Friends gatherings, will be a central focus this year with an offering on Saturday morning from Georgia Daniels.  She will guide us into deepening our engagement with Worship Sharing as Spiritual Development.

We are still planning the interest groups and will provide full gathering details soon.

The Children’s Committee is looking forward to creating an intergenerational experience with the help of teachers and volunteers with a wide age range. If you have curiosity, patience, and a joyful soul you may be the person we are looking for! If you’re interested in teaching, or just strumming a guitar so we can sing together, please contact Louise Sherikar by email at  louise.sherikar@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing everyone at Fall Fellowship!

Jane Blount, Clerk
Southern California Quarterly Meeting