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Friends United Meeting |
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Quaker Life
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| Valiant for Truth | Contents |
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By Patricia Edwards-Konic A most exciting event is happening—a first for FUM—two Kenyan leaders have been appointed to field staff positions in the Ramallah Friends Schools! (The full story is found in the FUM news section on page 5.) As the idea of Global Partnerships moves from an idea approved by the entire General Board (Richmond and Kenya) to reality, new things are happening. God is unfolding new avenues of ministry and new people for service. The largest body of Quakers worldwide (Kenya) is taking the call of Matthew 28:19 seriously and going forth into new places in the world. The FUM Global Ministries staff is taking seriously the cross-cultural call of all Friends worldwide and appointing them. When I travel to Ramallah this fall, interviews with these two men will be high on my priority list! I can hardly wait! They did not seek to leave Kenya and go to Ramallah for self-serving reasons—not for the recognition to be the first Kenyan field staff serving outside of Kenya. They answered a call by God on their lives and stepped into opportunities of service already offered by FUM. Working globally in partnership is still in its infancy. There are bugs to be worked out and mistakes to be made. But surely a new day is dawning for Friends United Meeting and opportunities to share the Light of Christ in dark places will continue to increase. One of my favorite stories about Mother Teresa was how she responded to those interested in knowing what she was doing. She didn’t explain in detail. She just said, “Come and see.” As you read through the pages of this issue, I invite you to “come and see” some of the varied ways global partnerships are forming. Do they spark interest in you? In what ways can you become involved? As you seek God’s will for your daily life, open your heart to seek how you are to “come and see.” Will you be a new field staff appointment? Will you financially and prayerfully support the staff serving the two FUM offices in Richmond, Indiana and Kaimosi, Kenya who enable these new ministries to bloom and flourish? As you plan to join the international gathering of Friends at Triennial this month, prepare yourself to “come and see.” What a marvelous time to be a member of Friends United Meeting! _________________________________ On the Cover Hands of all sizes and colors join together in global partnerships, an FUM priority. Recognizing we are dependent upon one another, we receive each other’s gifts to celebrate the Kingdom of God among us. Photo www.designpics.com.
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8 Developing Value Led Global Community Colin South The author states, “Our partnership will grow and bloom when we acknowledge together our common humanity, that Christ is at the center of our community, that the Holy Spirit is our guide and that Love must be the prime motivation for our relationships.” Gladys Kang’ahi An excerpt by a Kenyan Friend from Walk Worthy of Your Calling: Quakers and the Traveling Ministry, a Friends United Press book. 12 Global Partnership as Spiritual Adventure Elizabeth Cazden New England and Cuba Yearly Meetings have embarked on a journey of building bridges since 1991. Read how their story unfolds. 14 The Duruma: Friends Ministry in Kenya Moses Adika A ministry of Kenyan Friends to the Duruma people near the coast of Kenya. Their goals for evangelism and church growth are amazing! 15 What Do You Say to a Man Who is Dying? John Hishmeh One of the benefits of being in Ramallah for John Hishmeh was having the opportunity to meet and be with extended family members. He reflects on the death of his uncle in Palestine and his role as a nephew. 16 Footprints Pam Ferguson Winchester Friends Meeting (Indiana) celebrated Earth Day with footprints throughout the meetinghouse. They also used reflections written by Mary Kay Rehard (see next article). Mary Kay Rehard An excerpt from Mary Kay Rehard’s March “Reflections on Simplicity in Kenya” which was used at Winchester Friends, Indiana. A pamphlet with all the articles is available this summer. ______________________________________ Features 4 News from Friends United Meeting 18 Salt and Light Through the Eyes of God Nancy Thomas 19 Soul Food Finding the Sense of the Meeting Kelly Kellum 20 Peace Notes 22 News 23 Reviews 26 Passages 28 Classifieds 30 Meeting Directories 33 Friends United Meeting Member Yearly Meetings 34 Viewpoints
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