Albany Friends Meeting Web Site
Welcome to the Albany Friends Meeting (Quakers)
727 Madison Avenue, Albany, New York 12208
For information call: (518) 436-8812
To contact us by e-mail
Meeting for Worship Sunday, 11:00 A.M. Visitors are
always welcome
Quaker Worship
Our meeting for worship is unprogrammed, which means that
we gather in
prayerful silence with neither clergy nor liturgy. The faith of
Friends rests on the
belief that each of us has that of God within.
Stillness is an integral part of the
meeting for worship as all of us try to
"center down" in the gathering silence and
to be open to the living word of
God. Listening together, we experience ourselves
and each other as
spirit-filled and spirit-led.
Any who feel that God requires them to share the "Light" given to them may
rise
and speak. The form of vocal ministry in meeting for worship may vary:
a prayer,
a spoken message, a song, a reading from the Bible or other source
of inspiration.
Afterwards the silence should resume. Speaking in meeting is
not an occasion for
dialogue or debate, and, normally, a person does not
speak more than once during
the meeting. We try to enter each meeting for
worship resolving neither to speak
nor not to speak, but to await the
inspiration that grows out of the silence.
Meeting is closed when a designated Friend "breaks meeting" by shaking hands
with and welcoming the neighbors sitting nearest. Others shake hands with
those
nearby, and meeting is officially ended. Our meeting has an additional
short period
of "after thoughts", during which additional messages in the
spirit of worship may
be shared. We then share joys and concerns; greet
visitors and ask them to
introduce themselves; and make announcements. This
is followed by light
refreshment.
Our children's meeting is a special program for young people which takes
place
upstairs during part of the meeting. Children may join in part of the
hour of silent
worship, or for the full meeting for worship. We encourage
and enjoy the
participation of children in meeting for worship. Child care
is available for
preschool children during meeting.
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Beliefs in Action
Quakers attempt to live by our testimonies to the
importance of honesty, simplicity,
peace, justice and equality. We try to
demonstrate these testimonies in our daily lives.
Much of our ministry is
carried out within our families, places of work and through our
community
involvements. Sometimes we succeed in advancing our testimonies.
But, many
times we feel we have a long way to go to bring our beliefs and our daily
practices together. Not all members and attenders of Albany Friends Meeting
are
social activists. Yet, the Meeting as a whole is very supportive of
efforts to work for
peace and social justice.
During the Vietnam War we had a Peace Center in our Meeting House. During
the 1980's our Meeting was very involved in the Central America Sanctuary
movement. Members of our Meeting have participated in delegations to Central
America, South Africa, and the Middle East seeking peace, justice and human
rights. A number of Meeting members are very involved with the Alternatives
to
Violence program, which offers workshops on nonviolence in area prisons.
Most
weeks Amnesty International letters are available after meeting for
members and
attenders to send. Our Meeting welcomes lesbian and gay members
into full
participation in the Meeting, including marriage under the care of
the Meeting.
Members of our meeting are active in local organizations
working for peace,
women's equality, an end to the death penalty and racial
justice.
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Table of Contents
Seekers Welcome
Very few of Albany Friends Meeting's members and
attenders were raised as
Quakers. In our Meeting for Worship are found
former Methodists, Catholics ,
Baptists and Jews, as well as many other
religious groups and denominations.
Some have had no religious upbringing.
Others have previously experienced
religious alienation. Consequently we
have a wide range of religious thinking
within our Meeting.
Minute
Albany Friends Meeting invites and welcomes all seekers of the
Light to participate
in the life of our Meeting. We are blessed that
Meeting members and attenders
come from many religious traditions. We
honor both Christian and Universalist
Friends. We value both liberal
and orthodox religious practitioners. We treasure
both reasoned and
intuitive religious insight. We respect both intellectual and
mystical approaches to truth. Approved 2/14/93
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Our Structure and Activities
Business Meeting
The basic unit in the Religious Society of Friends
(Quakers) is the Monthly
Meeting, so named because it is governed by a
Business Meeting held once a
month. Albany Friends Meeting is a Monthly
Meeting. At the Business Meeting,
which is conducted in the spirit of
worship, committee reports are heard and
discussed, and decisions about the
life of the Meeting are made. All members and
attenders are welcome to
attend the monthly Business Meeting .
Committees
Early Quakers believed that every Friend is a minister and
opposed the
practice of hiring clergy. Unprogrammed Meetings today, like
Albany Friends
Meeting, have no paid ministers. Instead, responsibility for
the work of the
Meeting rests with committees made up of members and
attenders. Our
committees include:
Ministry and Counsel
The Ministry and Counsel Committee is responsible
for the spiritual care of the
Meeting, including the functioning of the
meeting for worship. It plans for the
religious education for adults,
including special educational meetings and
discussions.
Nurture and Oversight
The Nurture and Oversight Committee attends to the
health and well-being of
members and attenders of the Meeting. The committee
helps members and
attenders at times of personal crisis. It oversees
marriages, memorial services and
requests for membership. It conducts
outreach to the public and nurtures the
communal life of the Meeting.
Trustees
Trustees are responsible for the financial aspects of the
Meeting, including raising
and keeping track of funds. They take care of
repair and upkeep of the meeting
house, appoint our meeting house residents,
and arrange for use of the meeting
house by outside groups.
Peace and Service
The Peace and Service Committee works to implement the
Meeting's concerns for
peace and justice. It acts as a liaison to community
groups, plans educational
meetings and from time to time takes on a
particular peace or social justice
campaign or effort.
First Day School
The First Day School Committee is responsible for
planning and implementing an
educational program for the Meeting's children
and youth. It suggests curriculum
materials and recruits adults to work with
the children. It also administers
scholarships for youth to attend Quaker
events and conferences.
Hospitality
The Hospitality Committee coordinates refreshments served
after meeting for worship,
potluck meals, and food for special occasions.
Library
The Library Committee maintains the order of our library and
arranges for new book
and pamphlet acquisitions.
Fund for Suffering
The Fund for Suffering provides assistance to people
who are experiencing
financial hardship due to their having taken a
conscientious stand consistent with
Quaker testimonies.
Newsletter
The Newsletter Committee publishes a monthly newsletter,
September through
July, which includes a calendar of events, minutes of the
Business Meeting, and
news of members and committees.
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry Committee leads monthly hymn-singing.
It provides music for
our monthly programmed meeting and for other events,
such as weddings and
memorial services.
Nominating
The Nominating Committee prepares an annual slate of officers
and committee
members to serve the Meeting.
Garden Committee
The Garden Committee plans and facilitates landscaping
work on the Meeting
House grounds.
John Cooke Fund Task Group
The John Cooke Fund Task Group prepares
proposals concerning the
investment and use of the funds left to the Meeting
by John Cooke in his will.
Other Activities
Among regular meeting activities are:
Quaker Studies Program
In the fall and spring of each year we have a
bi-weekly Quaker Studies Program in
which Meeting members and attenders read
and discuss selected religious or
Quaker writings.
