Convergent Friends’ Dinner in Indiana – April 2008

Want to come? If you’re reading this, and the idea of an informal meal with Friends you’ve never met before sounds good to you, you’re invited.

If you're not sure what I mean by "convergent Friends," here's my definition.

So the occasion is that I’m going to the Friends World Committee for Consultation Section of the Americas Annual Meeting again this year. The story of last year’s annual meeting in Providence and the subsequent convergent dinner in Boston are also available here (Will T.), and here (Liz Opp), and here (C. Wess Daniels). Oh, and the article that Wess and I wrote about it for Friends Journal is still online.

I haven’t been invited to speak at the annual meeting this year, but young adult Friend Rachel Stacy will deliver the keynote address. You can listen to her speech from the FWCC 70th Anniversary here. She even wrote a term paper about the brief history of convergent Friends last year. I met her briefly last summer when she was leading a workshop for middle school students and I can say I’m looking forward to hearing more from her.

I’m going to the annual meeting this year because now I’m an official representative of Pacific Yearly Meeting to FWCC. I’m hoping I won’t be so overwhelmed with new and important and exciting stuff this time. I’m looking forward to seeing many of the same people I met last year, and meeting many more new people this time.

Like last year’s momentous trip to Providence and Boston, this is my first trip to Indiana. Well, I did drive through a bit of it when Chris and I moved to California thirteen years ago, but that doesn’t really count. This time, I’m hoping to meet more Friends from the local area.

I am delighted to announce that Quaker blogger and book author J. Brent Bill has offered to host the dinner at his home. He and his wife Nancy live on a farm, not far from the retreat center where the FWCC meeting will be or from the Indianapolis airport. He and I have not yet met in person, but I am really looking forward to the evening.

The usual schedule has been:

Hang out and chat while people are still arriving.
Order pizza. Talk. Eat.
Worship sharing on a topic to be determined as the Holy Spirit moves us.
Eat more chocolate chip cookies.
Pass the hat for the pizza.

This is not a hard and fast rule. I don’t know how well the pizza delivery system works in rural Indiana. We may end up with a different food arrangement. I think Brent was trying to warn me about this.

Put this in your calendar: Sunday, April 6, 2008. The Bill family farm. Exact time is still to be determined.

If you’re interested, please leave me a comment or send me an email (to the address in my profile) and I will send you more details as they are available.