Friends Beliefs Class Open to everyone Starts Sunday, January 15th 9:30 a.m. and continuing for approximately 6 weeks during Sunday School. Bangor Liberty Friends Church Ann Nichols will lead the class. Please let Ann or Dean know if you are interested in attending.
Tall Oaks Lodge Thank you to everyone for your generous giving to the new Tall Oaks Lodge at Camp Quaker Heights. The building is in place and volunteers will be needed soon to work on the interior (painting, carpet and flooring installation) and the basement.
New Year’s Prayer
A whole new year is mine today. . . May I be wiser, Lord, I pray!
I’d strengthen friendships, old and true, And learn to cherish new ones, too; To keep on learning and to grow A little better as I go.
To cast aside each grudge and grief, And hold fast to a firm belief That life is joyous, gracious, good, When lived in terms of brotherhood!
To welcome fun, and play a while, To lighten work with happy smile! To thank the Lord and every day Remember Him, and kneel to pray In gratitude for strength and health And blessings which are all my wealth!
This year’s a gift from God to me To spend, or use, or set me free. . .
A whole new year is mine today. . . May I be wiser, Lord, I pray! Lolita Pinney Auld Lang SyneAnother year is now behind us as we have just ushered in the New Year 2006. When we look back on 2005 we can see all the blessings we’ve received and all the mistakes we’ve made too. Each New Year brings with it the blessing of a fresh start and reminder of God’s grace. Even though the only thing that really changes on New Year’s Day is the date, for some reason we seem to associate a great deal of significance to the day for reasons other than that. The New Year brings with it the making of resolutions to change certain habits or to lose weight or to ___________________ (you fill in the blank). These resolutions are good ideas and most are beneficial to our personal health and well-being. Some, such as to improve our personal devotional life or to attend church more regularly are even beneficial to our spiritual well-being. When a person is resolute, they are determined to follow through. New Year’s resolutions are a great concept, but for most people they don’t usually last very long. The reasons behind those resolutions not lasting can be varied, but for most people it is as simple as trusting in the wrong person for the strength to enable them to fulfill their resolution – themselves. There is only person who has the strength and power to enable any one of us to fulfill any resolution we may make in life no matter how trivial or serious it may seem – Jesus. There is a resolution we should all make every day of our lives; to allow Jesus to help us and guide us in every step we make and every breath we take. That’s not saying that we have to consciously ask Him to help us walk and breathe. It is possible for a person to be so close to Jesus that you instinctively know what you should do because He is living in and through you – It’s what we call being Spirit-filled. The Bible tells us that it is God’s desire that none should perish and that all would be saved (paraphrase of 2 Peter 3:9) and because of this desire He has made His own resolution that one day He would return His creation – humanity – back to “Auld Lang Syne”, which means “The good old times” according to Webster’s. God has resolved that through His Son’s life, death, and resurrection humanity would be enabled to partake of His grace through faith and eventually would receive the hope of heaven that comes from a life of faith lived in God’s grace. So, should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? If that auld acquaintance is sin and/or sinful habits then the answer God has is yes!
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
As we enter this New Year may we be both challenged and comforted by the fact that we have a God who has provided for us a way to strip off the old and embrace the new. A God who desires more than anything to bless His children as we faithfully look to Him for our strength, guidance, peace, and resolve. Happy New Year! Dean
Thank You
We thank each one of you for making our Christmas a merry one. You have made us feel like family and we cherish the love shone to us. Thank you for the many blessings of fellowship, friendships, and gifts! May each of you be blessed richly as you follow God’s will in 2006. Dean, Amy, Emily, and Hannah
Dear friends and supporters, Another semester is almost completed here at the Friends School. With record enrollment at both schools of over 1100 girls and boys, our staff has worked exceptionally hard to provide our Ramallah youth with academic and personal challenges to better enable them to encounter the world in which they live. Our achievements are realized despite the continued political and social injustice facing the Palestinian people and resulting in increased emotional and economic hardship on our school community. In the midst of this, the Ramallah Friends School continues its struggle to provide normalcy and a value-led education while re-assessing the ever-changing demands of our students. This requires constant vigilance on our part so that we may strive to fulfill our goal of helping to develop bright and talented leaders for the future. Thank you so much for your generosity and support. We wish you and yours a happy and healthy New Year. In friendship, on behalf of the Friends School Community, Joyce Ajlouny, Director
Dear Friends in Christ, We would like to thank you for your financial support for Friends Disaster Service in the past year. We have been overwhelmed with the gifts that have come in to allow us to continue to help others who are in need. Your gift will be used to help others who have lost their homes or have been forced to move out of their homes while theirs is being repaired or replaced. We also want to thank those who sent baked goods to Wiggins, Mississippi while Nancy and I were there. We were very faithful in eating them for breakfast, break, lunch and supper. This was such a nice gesture for those in your church who provided them. May God continue to bless you for your faithfulness. Sincerely, Dan and Nancy Ritchie IAYM Friends Disaster Service
“A smile is the lighting system of the face and the heating system of the heart.” - Barbara Johnson
Children’s ChurchWe will meet on January 8th and 22nd to learn about stewardship and our church budget. Service projects will be thanking HOC shelter monitors and emphasizing giving to the food box. All children age 4 through grade 5 are welcome to participate.
Bangor USFWWe will meet at the church at 9:30 on January 17th to repair Bibles, make tray favors and do some church cleaning. Bess and Naomi will bring soup and Margaret the dessert. Our business meeting will follow the afternoon program, which will be given by Ann. All ladies are welcome to join the fellowship.
December HOC Report22 people were involved in our Dec. 29th meal for 58 guests. The menu included liver and onions or hamburgers, seasoned potatoes, green beans and bacon or creamed asparagus, apples and bananas, cakes, pies, cookies, milk and coffee. Nine men, women and children were monitored in the overnight shelter. Thanks to all who helped with this ministry. Our next responsibility will be Thursday, January 26.
Library LedgeCheck out some Laughs!The library emphasis during January is humor. Doctors say laughter works wonders for their patient’s health and well-being. It’s also one of the most inexpensive, non-fattening, contagious ways to relieve stress! Pastors declare the most effective Christians find something to laugh about no matter what comes their way. Look for She who Laughs, Lasts!, Seriously, Life is a Laughing Matter, Quaker Chuckles, Humor for the Heart or the Chonda Pierce DVD Have I Got a Story for You! Check out these and more on the library ledge!
“We cannot really love anyone with whom we cannot laugh” - Agnes Repplier
“A good laugh is like manure to a farmer – it doesn’t do any good until you spread it around.” - Michael Pritchard
Missions NewsAs we begin a new year let us be in prayer for our mission fields around the world, that God will reach out to each of them and hold them in His Love. Today we especially are in prayer for Friends Missing in Iraq. Four members (Tom Fox, Norman Kember, James Loney and Haarmett Singh Sooden) of the Christian Peacemakers Team (CPT) were abducted on November 26th in Baghdad and are still missing. The Christian Peacemakers Team is an organized non-violent alternative to war. Friends around the world are shocked and saddened by the disappearance of these men. They are not spies as claimed by the ‘Swords of Righteous Brigade’ and are not supporters of the US coalition in Iraq. These four Friends are not missionaries and they deeply respect the religious traditions of all the people they work with, including the Muslim and Christian people of Iraq. They only want to respond to the Love of God by putting their lives at risk by doing what they can to insure that people who are victimized by conflict are heard and heeded. Friends have strongly supported the work of the Christian Peacemakers Team and are pleading with the group of people holding these four men to release them. Their colleagues and their loving families are anxious and fearful and wish to have them safely home as soon as possible. We can pray for these four men, that they are covered by God’s love and that Jesus will work through them in miraculous ways. Pray also for the ones holding them against their will, that their anger and frustration may be transformed by God’s love. It has now been over a month since these men have been taken hostage with no news. But that could be a good sign, that those holding these four men are thinking carefully about what to do. We just pray that they think this through carefully and make the right decision in releasing these men. -BLFC Missions Comm.
“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” - Victor Hugo
February 18th Banquet Sponsored by Iowa Quaker Men Vennard College, University Park, IA Noon Guest Speaker - Jess Settles former Iowa Hawkeye basketball star Cost $10 if paid reservation is postmarked by Feb. 11th $12 at the door $5 for children 4-10 The banquet is open to everyone!
Friends Disaster Service will hold a silent Auction Fundraiser at the Quaker Men sponsored Banquet on February 18 when we (men, ladies, boys and girls are all welcome) gather at Vennard College to hear Jess Settles. If you can provide crafts, baked goods, items or services for the auction, please let Margaret Good know. All help would be appreciated.
THANK YOU to everyone from Ministry and Counsel, Christian Education, and all members of the congregation who had a part in making our Christmas Eve Children’s Program and Candle Lighting Service so special. We also want to thank everyone who helped decorate the church for Christmas, including the luminaries and tree, those who brought poinsettias and to those who provided the new candleholders and candles, and many other things!
Christmas Adopt-A-Family Report 14 families and individuals provided gifts, funds or food for our shared church families. A single mother, 2 children and a newborn baby, and an 84 year-old widowed lady were given several gifts and a food basket. Both were very appreciative, giving us hugs and many thanks. The Junior Youth and their families adopted a grandmother and 3 grandchildren. Five other individuals and family units in our church adopted and cared for a family unit themselves. Also $50 was donated to HOC for their general budget. 178 family units were adopted this year. They represent 602 individuals. In 2004, 149 family units were adopted. Thanks to all who helped to make Christmas a happier time for these families in need.
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