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Southeast Region announces January gathering in Jamaica - register now
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January 2-7, 2008, Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Friends everywhere are invited to a unique experience of worship, community and learning with Jamaican Friends. Explore the contribution of Quakers to the history of Jamaica and the importance of Friends' peace testimony in contemporary Jamaican (and US) society. Share in praise, worship and song with Jamaican young Friends. Visit local Friends' meetings/churches.
Please register by November 26, 2007. Air Jamaica has flights direct to Montego Bay from several east coast airports.For more information please contact Southeast Region clerk Tim Lamm.
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| November 30th deadline to apply for next summer's Quaker Youth Pilgrimage!
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Young Friends who will be 16-18 years old next summer and who are looking to spend an extraordinary month-long adventure with young Friends from across the Americas and Europe/Middle East - don't delay! Many adults who once were pilgrims cite the FWCC Quaker Youth Pilgrimage as formative in their growth as Friends. The pilgrimage provides opportunities for worship and fellowship with other young Friends from varying theological traditions; exploration of Quaker history; and time to work together on a specific project.
The 2008 pilgrimage will take place in Scotland, Ireland and England, from July 18 through August 15, 2008.
Applications may be submitted by postal mail or electronically. Deadline for all materials to be submitted is November 30th, 2007.
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| FWCC capital campaign tops $2.1 million mark.
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With several months yet to go, the FWCC campaign is closing in on its goal of $2.5 million. Generous donors from throughout the Section of the Americas - including several churches and yearly meetings in Latin America - have made this possible. Several major gifts are still needed, however, to reach our goal. If you would like to know how you can support the work of FWCC please contact us.
The FWCC Campaign was created to provide ongoing and long term funding. 25% of unrestricted gifts to the campaign go directly to the World Office of FWCC for their work; of that, a portion also supports the FWCC Africa Section. A gift to FWCC Section of the Americas makes an impact on the world-wide work of FWCC!
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| Have you seen the October issue of Friends Journal?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If so, then you know that this special issue was dedicated to the work of Friends World Committee, and it was the Journal's largest-ever issue, at 88 pages! FWCC is grateful to Friends Journal for devoting an issue to our organization.
This issue covers much of the work that FWCC is actively engaged in today, as well as some of the history behind it. It includes articles tracing the movements in the 20th century that led to FWCC's founding in 1937. It also features our work from a global perspective, and reflections on several of our programs, including the Wider Quaker Fellowship, which began as an outreach ministry to interested non-Friends.
If you are not a subscriber to Friends Journal but would like a copy, contact us.
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| New! More triennial worship keynotes now posted on the web.
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The morning worship addresses of two Section of the Americas delegates - María Armenia Yí, of Cuba Yearly Meeting, and Ken Comfort, of Northwest Yearly Meeting - have been added for online viewing. Additionally, the address by Uganda Yearly Meeting's Stephen Wamboka has also now been posted. We invite you to re-live, or read for the first time, the inspiring messages that Friends brought to this summer's triennial in Dublin, Ireland, based on the theme "Finding the Prophetic Voice for our Time," from 1 Corinthians 14:1.
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| Peru YM clerk, others in accident
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Manuela Catachura, first female clerk of the National Evangelical Friends Church of Peru, was in a highway accident that took the life of a young child and seriously injured several yearly meeting members including Manuela. The accident occurred October 12th on the highway between Desaguadero and Ilo. All were traveling in the yearly meeting's vehicle.
Friends who attended the Dublin triennial in August will remember Manuela, who was Peru YM's sole representative to that event. Recent messages from members of the National Evangelical Friends Church of Bolivia who have visited the injured Friends tell that Manuela was seriously injured but appears to be recuperating. Prayers for her continued recovery, and for the recovery of other church members who were injured, and for a family's loss of a child, are requested.
Photo of Manuela with Andrés Donato Tonconi of Bolivia courtesy of Vanessa Julye. |
| Tax-free charitable IRA rollover gifts still possible through December 31st
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Federal laws allow individuals over 70½ years old to make a charitable contribution from their IRA without paying income tax first. Last year's law that made such a contribution tax- free for 2006 continues for the 2007 calendar year. This special provision will end this year unless an extension is passed.
How does this rollover work? Taxpayers aged 70 ½ and over are required to make annual distributions from their retirement accounts, and this money is considered part of your adjusted gross income and thus taxable. A charitable IRA rollover allows you to make a gift directly to a charitable organization without it counting as part of your adjusted gross income, hence it is not taxable. This is particularly useful for those who cannot or do not itemize their taxes for charitable giving, or who have reached their charitable deduction limit. We recommend seeking advice from your tax advisor on how to use this provision to make a direct contribution to Friends World Committee.
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Northeast, Midwest regions energize Friends
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Gatherings of Midwestern Friends in Richmond, Indiana and Northeastern Friends in Connecticut recently took place to explore various topics. The Richmond gathering was led by triennial participants who followed up on the triennial theme, and others talked about 'Convergent Friends.' More than forty Friends from seven different yearly meetings took part.
Those at the Connecticut meeting explored water and its symbolism. They shared stories of memorable personal encounters with water, and then talked about the variety of appearances of water in the Bible. A personal testimony of being led to protect ground water was shared.
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