Registration Is Open!

One of the many things to look forward to in the new year is the 2010 Pacific Northwest Quaker Women's Theology Conference.  Those of us on the planning committee have been working on this conference for about a year and a half now and it is hard for me to believe that it will be happening so soon.  Registration for the conference is now open online and we have a great new website, thanks to Sarah P.  I am especially excited about our theme, and I look forward to the ways God will work in and through us as we gather together.

Date:  June 16-20, 2010 at Seabeck Conference Center in Seabeck, WA

Theme: Walk With Me: Mentors, Elders, and Friends

Quotes for Reflection:

In preparation for the conference, each woman is asked to write a brief reflection paper (1-2 pages) on the theme and/or any of the quotes below, and submit the paper online. The papers will be collected and shared only with other women who are attending the conference.

From: 2 Timothy 1:5-7

I’m reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and now, I’m certain, in you as well. That’s why I want to remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God didn’t give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, of self-discipline.

From: Martha Paxson Grundy, Tall Poppies: Supporting Gifts of Ministry and Eldering in the Monthly Meeting, p. 27, Pendle Hill Publications.

Many Friends today are crying out for spiritual mentors, for ministers and elders who are lovingly steeped in our tradition. Some Friends hunger for a deeper relationship with God, for a connection with a divine power that heals and empowers. We long for wise and loving role models and examples.

From: Patricia Loring, Listening Spirituality Vol. II, 1999.

As meetings became settled, elders performed a variety of functions, according to their gifts and leadings. . . . [A]ll gifts and ministries were for building up the spiritual life of the meeting and the Society: directing and re-directing people to the Spirit of God, to the Inward Christ, the Light, the Inward Teacher, the Guide, the one true Priest and Shepherd. It was clearly understood that any member of the meeting might be called to some part of this service, but that some were specifically led by the Spirit at any given time.

About the Conference:

The Pacific Northwest Quaker Women’s Theology Conference draws women from Friends churches and meetings throughout the Pacific Northwest. Our primary goal is to spend time listening to God and to each other. The focus on narrative theology encourages women to share deeply and talk about how the Spirit is at work in their lives.

During the conference, we worship through singing, unprogrammed silent worship, and a message from a pastor. The conference also provides opportunities for women to share their interests in workshops, interest groups, activities, and free time. Home groups provide a safe space for women to reflect, process, and share from their own experiences.

By bringing women together from the different branches of Friends, we hope to discover the best of our faith tradition and take what we have learned back to our faith communities. We also hope that the bonds of friendship we form will extend beyond the conference and help us move toward reconciliation.