Presented to the Meeting for Business on 7 June 2009

The charge to the Adult Religious Education Committee is to 'foster the spiritual growth and development in the meeting.' A small committee with limited time on our meeting calendar, we have attempted to fulfill our charge.

Exploring Quakerism.
In Fall 2008, as part of a biennial cycle of providing an introduction to Quakerism, sometimes called 'Quakerism 101', the Adult Religious Education (ARE) Committee provided a six-ession class for people new to The Religious Society of Friends, and others. Gail Thomas and Barbara Fichman used Marsha Holiday's curriculum, Exploring Quakerism: A Study Guide, as a basis of the sessions, which were highly successful, helping to build community, expand our knowing, and deepen our worship. Each session had about 12 people - a good number for personal sharing. (A total of 19 attended one or more session.) Good learning about using email throughout the session to remind people of the weekly reflection questions (example: 'What does the Divine Light illuminate in my life?') and encourage attendance, and the use of short readings that most participants could easily accomplish each week. Evaluation comments included 'This class showed a side of Quakerism that is not apparent in Meeting' and 'There was a real feeling of community.'

What Kind of Meeting?
At the same time, we began a series led by Peirce Hammond on 'What makes a vital meeting?' (renamed 'What Kind of Meeting Do We Want to Be?'). For several years, Peirce has set himself the task to identify the attributes of a vital meeting. After much reflection, he identified five essentials: living to vibrance, giving to generosity, insight to depth, openness to vulnerability, and focus to centeredness. The sessions allowed for focused discussion on our spiritual lives and that of the Meeting and were well attended.

As a committee, we discussed the query from the ad hoc committee on our relationship to FUM 'How can ARE contribute to our being a welcoming meeting?' We hope to hold at least one session on the newly published Fit for Freedom Not for Friendship: Quakers, African Americans, and the Myth of Racial Justice. Unless we uncover and explore our unconscious assumptions of privilege, or what is the 'norm,' we cannot be truly welcoming. We trust the whole meeting is seeking for ways to fulfill this goal.

Spiritual Reflection.
ARE is continuing the Spiritual Journeys series, although we have had time for only one this year so far Ð in January, when Mary O'King reflected on how she has been changed spiritually over the course of her life.

ARE held a First Day morning session, led by Jane Coe, on Experiment with Light. Experiment with Light is a meditative and centering practice based on Rex Ambler's book Light to Live By, and was first introduced to our Meeting at an all day workshop last year. The Experiment in the Light group has been meeting in the evenings at Friends' homes for over a year.

ARE is also putting together a small group of people to create a spiritual formation program for Bethesda Friends Meeting for Fall 2010. Typically, a spiritual formation program lasts 9 months and includes retreats, individual spiritual disciplines, monthly meetings for reflection on assigned readings, and small groups for support and spiritual friendships. The goal is to create a nurturing spiritual community in which individuals support one another on their spiritual journeys. In the meantime, as a result of the Exploring Quakerism class, Bernie Benson & Shelley Kirilenko have held at least one meeting of a spiritual deepening group in the evenings.

Quaker Testimonies
In February 2009, we started a new series based on the Testimonies, which also served as a 'reunion' of the Exploring Quakerism class, where the idea for the series had first emerged. Gail Thomas gave the overview session. In March, Liz Hofmeister led a very well-attended discussion of Simplicity, with readings from John Woolman. In April, Shelly led a session on Integrity (Truth Telling), and we are hoping to continue the series with sessions on Peace, Community, and Equality.

At the Simplicity session, many expressed deep concerns around issues of food and the environment. Therefore, in late May a member of Simplicity Matters, a local affiliate of the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI), led an introductory session about the many 'Discussion Circle' topics, groups, and resources available to us in our area. Attendees are contemplating starting an extra-Meeting circle on the topic of 'Voluntary Simplicity.'

This will be the second summer of reading groups devoted to our relationship to the Earth. Philip Bogdonoff and Gail Thomas will lead six sessions based on readings in Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy by Friends Peter Brown and Geoffrey Garver.

Gospels and Early Friends
In December 2008, Gail, who has studied the Gospels, held a Christmas season session on the birth stories in Matthew and Luke, which didn't draw many people. So, on September 12, Gail will try again, leading an all-day workshop called 'The Gospels: What's in Them for Me?' or, as Gail likes to put it, 'how to read the Gospels in ways that deepen our spiritual lives and let go of our desire, at times, to throw them Ôout the window.'' The workshop will be cosponsored with the Langley Hill ARE. ARE is also planning on holding a seven-session series on Early Friends, using a curriculum developed by Helene Pollock of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.

ARE Committee Process
Our present committee of five, small as it is, has discovered many talents among our members. It turns out that, after initial uncertainty, we have everything we need to have a vibrant ARE committee. Being on ARE has been deeply fulfilling work.