Quakers are hiring all over

A number of Quaker organizations are hiring in the near future.

Canadian Friends Service Committee – Peace Program Coordinator (new), Events & Indigenous Rights Assistant (updated)

Canadian Friends Service Committee (CFSC) is the peace and social justice agency of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Canada. They are hiring a Peace Program Coordinator, a part-time position, and an Events and Indigenous Rights Assistant, a full-time position based at the national office in Toronto.

The deadline to apply for both positions is 17 February 2022. For details, see on the Peace Program Coordinator job posting and the Events and Indigenous Rights Assistant job posting on the CFSC site.

The Friends’ School in Australia – Principal

The Friends’ School in Hobart, Australia, is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced educators who are members of the Religious Society of Friends for consideration as the next Principal (Head of School), starting in January 2024. The long lead time for international candidates who may have to progress through various Tasmanian and Australian regulatory requirements and to transition to the Australian school year.

For details, see on the job posting on the Friends’ School site.

Klamath Falls Friends Church in Oregon – Interim Pastor

Klamath Falls Friends Church in Southern Oregon are currently searching for an interim pastor. Applications are due 31 January. For details, see the job posting at the top of their homepage.

Online Quaker Conversation Circles & More

Restore your souls, rebuild your Meeting. CYM Education & Outreach has decided to focus on offering restorative Quaker practices in 2022 – with the first session involving Quaker Conversation Circles.

A Year of Quaker Practices 2022

This first event will take place on Saturday, February 12, 2022, with a 90-minute online workshop that introduces Canadian Quakers to Conversation Circles from the Quaker Religious Education Collaborative. Come and learn about this exciting new way to hold deeper conversations about topics that matter to you and your Meeting. All the details are farther down.

For the next event, on 19 March & 2 April 2022, we are bringing Tracey Martin back online to guide us in Hope as a Practice. There is a cost for this workshop, as Woodbrooke Quaker Learning charges for tutor facilitation.  Given that Tracey Martin is based in UK time zone, that workshop will start at 9:00 AM PST / 10:00 AM MST/ 11:00 AM CST/ 12:00 PM EST/ 1:00 PM AST/ 1:30 PM NST. The 2-part workshop runs for 2 hours each time and offers loads of experiential contact.

Also coming Spring 2022, we are working with Woodbrooke Learning Team to offer workshops practices on Diversity and Inclusion in Quaker Meetings. The dates and times are still being determined, but there will be 3 consecutive sessions of 2 hours each.

And finally, even when our events are fee-charging, we believe in barrier-free entrance to all of our offerings. For further information, contact Catherine Harding:

Save the Date! Introducing Quaker Conversation Circles

Members of CYM Education & Outreach will join with the Quaker Religious Education Collaborative (Quaker Friends in the USA, non-affiliated) to provide mutual guidance on Quaker Conversation Circles.

Starting in 2014, a group of dedicated American Friends at QREC began to develop online practices that make Quaker meetings come alive together, individually and corporately. This is a Quaker practice with a bit more structure and preparation than regular worship-sharing. It is an online tool that will benefit Canadian Quakers who are spread across this land, often in small- or medium-sized communities. We hope to offer you a way to build connection where you are. Conversation Circles can be used for national conversations, local Meeting, or in small groups.

Our queries are: What is a Quaker? How do we walk in the world as a Friend?

This online workshop will be held on Saturday, February 12, 2022. It will starting at:

  • 10:30 AM PST
  • 11:30 AM MST
  • 12:30 PM CST
  • 1:30 PM EST
  • 2:30 AST
  • 3:00 NST

The workshop is 90 minutes long.

There is no cost. To register, contact Catherine Harding:

All are welcome. Please join us on February 12!

 

Welcoming a new (interim) Secretary

This September, Cameron Fraser completed his work as CYM Secretary, having served in the new role since 2017. The CYM Secretary is a pivotal role, responsible for supporting and enhancing the work of CYM Clerks, staff, and various committees. We are grateful for his service and wish him well as he returns to the field of education for youth.

In the meantime, we are happy to announce the hiring of an interim CYM Secretary, even as we begin the hiring process for a permanent staff person. The interim CYM Secretary is Jocelyne Tranquilla, a member of Halifax Monthly Meeting and a social worker who happens to be on leave this year from her regular employment. We are thankful she will be able work part time for a few months on an as-needed basis.

As a contractor, she will be reporting to the CYM Clerk. If you have any questions regarding this interim role please contact .

Addressing Conflict Among Quakers

News from Western Half Yearly Meeting

Here’s a message describing how things went during the latest gathering for Western Quakers.

Epistle from Spring Western Half Yearly Meeting, May 21-23, 2021

To Friends everywhere,

Greetings from Western Half-Yearly Meeting! We met online again this spring due to the on-going pandemic. We were glad to see Friends from all the meetings in Western Canada, including folks who joined with us for the first time. Our thanks to those that made it possible for us to gather in this virtual way.

In our Friday evening intergenerational welcome activity we enjoyed playing virtual Big Wind Blows by turning on and off our cameras. We broke into small groups in which we were challenged to find three things we had in common, all within only five minutes. 

In Worship Sharing groups, Friends noted how different fellowship feels online – however, these groups helped nurture the spirit of WHYM by connecting new and old Friends in a deep way. 

Business Meeting consisted of a shorter agenda and lively participation from Friends across our region, and we welcomed with joy the news of babies born into our community. 

Special Interest Groups included learning opportunities for Friends on various subjects including: “Project Plowshares – Beating Swords,” “Caring for our own dead at home,” “Small modular nuclear reactors,” and “Creating a virtual play and acting!”

In Memorial Meeting we shared our memories of Friends that have died in the past year. It was a time to give thanks for the grace of God as witnessed in the lives of these Friends.  

On Saturday night Jennifer Preston from the Canadian Friends Service Committee presented on the subject of reconciliation, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and what it means for Friends considering reparations. Through this Friends learned about the CFSC Reconciliation Fund to support community-based efforts of Indigenous people in Canada who are working on cultural and language revitalization. Queries prompted Friends to consider their engagement with reconciliation and that “reconciliation is not a spectator sport.” 

Meeting for Worship was silent except for bird song and a highlight was the joyful presence of a very Young Friend cuddling, crawling and smiling in delight.

Family night is always a time of intergenerational joy and togetherness, and even in the online format gleanings were collected and shared for everyone’s enjoyment!

We are grateful for the ability to gather online, however we are hopeful for the safe return of our in-person gatherings and the new possibilities for remote attendance. We look forward to hugs, balancing, holding babies and hands.

As prepared by the Epistle Committee and shared at Family Night, Sunday May 23, 2021