NORTHERN YEARLY MEETING

171810th street E.

Menomonie, WI 54751-3405

May 27,2002

Greetings to Friends Everywhere!

Northern Yearly Meeting gathered from May 24 -27, 2002 at the Lions Camp in Rosholt, WI for our 27th annual session with the theme "Circles of Peace." More than 200 of us celebrated in a full circle from worship and prayer through service to play. Our newly formed Ministry and Nurture Committee helped us focus on our theme by introducing queries at the beginning of each business session. " As we reach out to help bring peace in the world, how are we resolving the conflicts we have with others in our families, our meetings, our Yearly Meetings? Are we living in the life and power 'that takes away the occasion for fear and gives the courage in the midst of conflict to speak the truth with love? " " How can I speak the truth in love when I feel no love? Unless you speak the Truth there is no love. " "We desire to welcome all to our monthly and yearly meetings and we affirm that we cherish one another, yet we acknowledge that we are challenged by our diversity. How do we find the Divine in Living out the complications of our community? "

The plenary presentation by Deborah Saunders addressed the theme through her Saturday evening presentation "Going Inward to Serve Outward." Deborah encouraged us to pay attention to our roots, to celebrate our ancestry ...that only when we are at peace within ourselves are we able to live the Truth. She challenged us to let go of our fear and reach out to each other across the difference of language and tradition. When we yield to the power of the Spirit, God will surely work through us transforming us and giving us strength. Her words were clear beacons as we labored together over several important issues facing the Yearly Meeting.

In our worship we heard the longing for the transforming power of love to bring peace to our troubled world. On First Day our worship centered on joys, sorrows and memorials for Friends whose lives blessed the Yearly meeting during its formation. We particularly celebrated and will miss the joyful spirit of Francis Hole as well as Peter Sample and Nathaniel Sample, all of Madison Monthly Meeting.

Our business sessions were spiritually focused as we became clear that the YM was ready to be more intentional in the way we communicate with each other. Worship sharing helped the Children and Youth Committee discern its next steps and helped the Yearly Meeting recognize our responsibility to continue to lift up and support this committee's important and precious work. The sixth chapter of our Faith and Practice was approved (education.) We approved the creation of a database directory and new job descriptions to focus the work of the clerk, recording clerk, and assistant clerk between sessions. We

also approved a new position of Corresponding Clerk to improve communications with the 35 monthly meetings and worship groups of Northern Yearly Meeting. The Executive Committee was asked to explore the need for a Peace and Social Concerns Committee. We approved minutes in support of the AFSC Campaign of Conscience for the people of Iraq, and the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Act (House Resolution 1186.)

We found God in our midst in the presence of Emma and Aminda Arevalo, our visitors from ESYM. We joyously agreed to continue our three-year-old relationship with El Salvador Yearly Meeting. We recognized that being open to a new friendship with an Evangelical Yearly Meeting is a challenging and blessed opportunity. Lt calls us to be open to differences within ourselves, within our Yearly Meeting and between ourselves and our new Friends. We also heard the Epistle from Friends General Conference's Ministry on Racism Committee. It is difficult for us to know how to take up this work; we simply know that we are called to do so. We trust that God will continue to show US the way and are grateful to the FGC committee for its work.

We had ample time for fellowship among the business and worship sessions. This is a new facility for our session. The camp is well run and gracious in every aspect and we are grateful for the staff and beautiful surroundings. We sang, laughed, danced, boated and visited with old and new Friends. On an early morning walk, three young Friends were blessed with the presence of a sleeping fawn as the sun rose. We are grateful for these opportunities to work and play together uniting in the Spirit in ongoing "Circles of Peace."

In God's Peace,

Christopher Sammond. Clerk