QuakerCamp 2007 Daily Schedule

The "Quaker Camp at Stillwater", June 24-29, 2007, was a Quaker conference with a difference. Instead of lining up workshop leaders and speakers in advance, we invited Friends to come share their gifts, leadings, and longings. The winds of the Spirit are blowing, and we do not know exactly where they are taking us. This schedule was developed in the belief that if we gather in expectant waiting and joyful fellowship, we trust that the messages we need will arise from among us.

Here was the schedule we shared each day:

8:30: Preparation for worship. Study of the scriptures, shared "lamentation" for the suffering of the world, and meeting for healing were some of the activities that took place during this time.

10:00: Meeting for Worship. A time of open worship guided by the Holy Spirit. This was followed by an opportunity to share intercessory prayer, song, concerns, and other matters that arose in Friends hearts during worship.

1:00-6:00: Open time, for conversation, recreation, sightseeing, worship, meditation, quiet time, family time.

Friends with particular concerns, questions, or ministries to share signed up a room and offered interest groups or sharing sessions for anyone interested. Young Adult Friends had meetings to plan for a new movement for YAFs from all branches of North American Quakerism.

7:00: Presentation by Friends of Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative)

Presentations were given each evening on the Conservative Friends' experience of eldering, scripture, meeting for business, prayer and community in the life of the meeting. These led to spirited discussions on these questions in the group as a whole. 2 of these talks are posted on this site (see links below). The talks included:

Sunday evening: Fran Taber on membership and individuation within the local meeting community
Monday evening: Jack Smith on Conservative Friends' understanding & use of scripture
Tuesday evening: Richard Simon & John Benson on prayer
Wednesday evening: Katherine & Ken Jacobsen on eldership as a way of identifying and nurturing spiritual gifts within the meeting community
Thursday evening: Susan Smith on Conservative Friends' approach to Meeting for Business

8:00: Evening Plenary, a time for corporate discernment around concerns rising from the group

The envisioning & planning group for YFNA: Past, Present & Future and the first Quakercamp included Ann Armstrong, Peter Blood-Patterson, Andrew Esser-Haines, Deborah Haines, Pamela Haines, Becka Haines-Rosenberg, Lisa Lister, Rachel Stacy, Fran Taber, and Jonathan Vogel-Borne. This group also served as a "listening committee" during the gathering. The gathering clerks were Ruth Raffensperger, Joanthan Vogel-Borne and Pamela Haines.