Encouraging Spiritual Growth March 2018

 

Encouraging Spiritual Growth and Gifts

A weekend held at Friends Center in Barnesville, Ohio

facilitated by Susan Smith and Marcelle Martin

March 16 – 18, 2018

Elders serve to encourage and guide meetings and their members as God’s Truth is being born again in our hearts and lives. Ohio Yearly Meeting has maintained its living tradition of recognizing and naming the gifts and functions of elders in a Quaker community.

This weekend is for people who are exploring their gifts for eldering, as well as for people whose gifts for eldering are already acknowledged in their meetings. We will consider the several roles of elders: encouraging individuals’ spiritual growth and gifts, supporting a prophetic vocal ministry, attending to and naming the movement of the Holy Spirit in the community, spiritual discernment, and prayer. Our weekend will include worship, teaching, experiential exercises, and reflection.

Jack and Susan Smith live among farmers in rural Virginia. Susan has served as an elder in Ohio Yearly Meeting for many years. She has written about eldering, including in Traditional Quaker Christianity, and has offered other workshops on that topic. Susan is a member of Rockingham Monthly Meeting (VA).

Marcelle Martin, a member of Swarthmore Meeting (PA), is the author of Our Life is Love: The Quaker Spiritual Journey. She served for four years as resident Quaker Studies teacher at Pendle Hill and travels in the ministry with a concern for nurturing the spiritual life of individuals and meetings.

Weekend events at Friends Center begin with supper at 6:00 PM on Friday and end with a noon meal on Sunday. Cost for a regular weekend event is $170 per person, double occupancy. Scholarship aid is usually available. Please register at least two weeks prior to the start date.

For more information go to the website of Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative)