Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Bristol Meeting

2018 Bristol State of the Meeting Report

Written on:

Bristol Friends Meeting Annual Report
Presented at Quarterly Meeting – May 20, 2018
Camp Onas, Ottsville PA

Bristol Friends Meeting membership continues to be low.  We have had a few meeting with six or eight folks attending, but that is the exception.  Many meetings have had just three people.  We are happy to see a new Quaker couple has moved into the borough, and look forward to them joining us in worship.  We continue to gather once a month, usually on the second Sunday, for worship followed by our business meeting.

It was approved by the Quarter that Bristol Friends become a preparative meeting under the aegis of Fallsington Meeting.  This move reflects the reality of our current situation and provides needed financial oversight for endowments and accounts in Bristol Friends’ care.  The members of Bristol Friends thank the Quarter and Fallsington Friends for their loving concern and generous help.

Jim Fine continues as our treasurer, currently performing his duties from far away Iraq.  Although halfway across the world, his quick responses and active involvement in our affairs makes it feel as if he is still here in Bristol.  We wish him safe travels and look forward to his July return.

Bristol Friends collected many bags of warm clothing, including coats and jackets. These were passed along to families who had fled to our area from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

We worked locally promoting peace and non-violence in cooperation with the Peace Center.  They presented an anti-bullying program in the Bristol schools.

Paul Shaffer attended the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting gathering of clerks at Hockessin Meeting in Delaware.  The clerks spent time working on examples of microaggressions and institutional racism.

Going forward, Bristol Friends Meeting will continue working with the clerk’s committee on small meetings to explore ways to increase our outreach effectiveness. And finally, this October, Bristol Friends will have an extra special event held during Historic Bristol Day…

Historic Bristol Day dig!  Researchers from Bucks County Community College and Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation are conducting ongoing excavations in Bristol borough.  It is just possible that our yard is untouched over the past three hundred years.  The public would be invited to participate in the archeological dig.  Who knows what we could find?

Respectfully submitted,
Paul Shaffer, clerk

2017 Bristol Friends Meeting Annual Report

Written on:

Bristol Friends Meeting Annual Report
Presented at Quarterly Meeting – May 21, 2017

Bristol Friends Meeting membership continues to be low. For the past year, we can count on one hand the number of folks attending our worship. Occasionally, we get help from other meetings, especially Fallsington. We have decided to gather once a month, usually on the second Sunday, for worship followed by our business meeting.

Starting late in 2016, the meetinghouse was able to provide storage space for furniture and furnishings to help out Syrian refugees. Mercy Ingraham was our link to a group of churches, synagogues and mosques who are sponsoring Syrian families. Over a period of weeks, furniture was gathered and stored in the meeting house. When the family was just about to arrive, a large truck showed up, and a dozen people carefully loaded all the furniture into the truck. In this way we were able to help not one, but two families of Syrian refugees find new homes in Bucks County. Sadly, it appears that there won’t be any more Syrian refugees for a while.

Jim Fine has returned from his travels abroad, and the meeting is grateful that he is our new treasurer. Jim is also volunteering as a translator with the Syrian refugee family who needs most help with English. He and Mercy are very active in the refugee support group, the Bucks County Interfaith Coalition for Refugee Resettlement.

About a week ago, hateful white supremacist posters were found throughout Bristol Borough. The Peace Center has requested the use of Bristol Friends Meeting to organize a community response to these hateful posters. We are happy to host this community gathering, with the potential for upwards of 50 people.

Going forward, Bristol Friends Meeting will continue working with the clerk’s committee on small meetings to explore ways to increase our outreach effectiveness. We have the potential for a monthly renter. And finally, this summer the new Bristol docks will open on the Delaware, so Friends will have the opportunity to arrive by boat.

Respectfully submitted,

Paul Shaffer, clerk