December Friends Newsletter 2023
December Friends Newsletter 2023
December Friends Newsletter 2023
Queries for Twelfth Month – the Meeting House. They have received valuable
advice from a Friend at Herndon Meeting who is an
Meeting for Business expert in this field. Friends expressed their gratitude
• Are our Meetings for Worship with a Concern to Adam and to Chuck Hough for all their research
for Business held in the spirit of worship, and accepted their recommendation as appropriate
understanding and forbearance? for Goose Creek. However, Meeting is facing
some heavy capital costs this year and we need to
• In what ways do we each take our right share of
proceed prayerfully as we consider an investment
responsibility in the service of the meeting?
in a hearing-assistance system at this time. We will
• Do we humbly set aside our own preconceived be making some big decisions about our budget and
notions as to proper action, seeking instead our spending in the early part of the New Year, and
Divine guidance as to the right course? about taking care of health and safety issues; hearing
• When direction seems lacking, is this seen as a assistance should be folded into those discussions. It
challenge to a more prayerful search for truth? is important that we allow ourselves to be led by the
Spirit as we go forward.
• Is the Meeting aware that it speaks not only
through its actions but also through its failure We will invite the Mount Olive Baptist and Agape
to act? Church communities to our Christmas activities on
December 17.
Friends approved June 9, 2024, as the date for our
Twelfth Month Monthly next Book Sunday.
Meeting for Worship with Since there will be morning worship on Christmas
a Concern for Business Eve this year, a Meeting for Worship will not be held
in the evening.
Lark Mason’s memorial meeting will be held under
the care of Meeting on January 13, 2024, at 1 pm. We must have two adults present with each group of
our children for every occasion on which they gather.
Friends heard a first reading of committee
For Second Hours, the committee sponsoring that
appointments for 2024. This was a draft, not a final
month’s gathering have responsibility for providing a
document. Allen Cochran will remain as Meeting
FAV. The Clerk offered to help out with finding FAVs
Clerk and Judy Ross will be Assistant Clerk.
for business meetings.
Catherine Cox will continue as Recording Clerk and
John Unger will be the new Meeting Recorder. Brian
Burgher will remain as Treasurer. A corrected draft
of committee members will be sent to Friends via
email and a more final version will be presented for
approval next month.
Adam Robinson presented the Tech Subcommittee’s
recommendation for a hearing assistance system in Continued on next page ☞
Goose Creek Friends Newsletter | December 2023 | Page 2
December 17 – Christmas
Celebrations at Goose Creek!
4:30 Bonfire and tree trimming
6:00 Potluck dinner
Meeting News
Were you able to be present when Viktoriia, Adam
and Amy Robinson’s foster daughter from Ukraine,
spoke beautifully after Meeting about what she
and her sister Yuliia experienced in Ukraine after
the Russian invasion, and about what it’s been like
adjusting to life in the US? This was only the first
of the presentations Viktoriia has given in the area,
and now she and Yuliia have been interviewed for
a wider audience. Adam Robinson writes: “This
is the news story about Viktoriia and Yuliia I
mentioned in Meeting today. It aired on all Sinclair
Broadcast Media properties in 90 markets across 40+
states. We’re super proud of these girls. Please feel
free to share it however you like. The main purpose
Mark your calendar for our annual in creating it is to raise awareness of the ongoing
Goose Creek Christmas celebration! Ukraine situation.” – See the story on WJLA ABC
News’ website: https://bit.ly/3Tce0sW
The festivities kick off at 4:30 pm with the lighting
of a bonfire and tree-trimming by the children. Indya Kincannon has written to say that her mother,
Claire Kincannon, died this past August. Claire
The potluck will begin at 6:00 pm and
attended Goose Creek Meeting for many years, and
will be followed by our gift exchange,
Indya was married under care of the Meeting. Our
carol sing, and candle lighting.
sympathy to Indya and to the rest of Claire’s family.
A reminder: All gifts should be simple and
Kelsey Parris and Greg Argarten, with their son, Ellis,
homemade. If you wish to participate in the gift
welcome the arrival of baby, Hazel, on November 2,
exchange, please place your name and those of
2023 in New Orleans, LA. Hazel is the granddaughter
family members (including “adult” or a child’s age)
of Eleanor “Dody” Welsh and the great granddaughter
in the box on the table at the back of the meeting
of Sara Welsh.
room and withdraw the same number of names from
the box ASAP! When you’ve made your gift, tag it
with the recipient’s name (and yours).
Hope to see you on the 17th!
Page 4 | December 2023 | Goose Creek Friends Newsletter
DONATIONS
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Consensus – a secular method, involving a rational process and Goose Creek Friends Meeting to
producing general agreement. The authority is the group. Sense of Brian Burgher, P.O. Box 105
Lincoln, Virginia 20160 - OR -
the Meeting – a religious method involving a spiritual process and
donate online: http://www.goose-
producing a spirit-led decision. The authority is God as discerned by creekfriends.org/please-support-
the group in worship. – Arthur Larabee, 2002 goose-creek/
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