North Pacific Yearly Meeting

Welcome to the 36th Annual Session of North Pacific Yearly Meeting, to be held at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Annual Session is a chance to step out of our daily lives and experience the Light and power of our larger Quaker community. It is a time for spiritual renewal, a chance to deepen spiritual friendships, and an opportunity to inspire and challenge each other. Together we can open our hearts to the Divine and to each other.

What would the world be like if we really answered to that of God in everyone? How would it relate to our spiritual journeys? How would social change be affected? These words from our Friend in Residence, Ruth Flower, inspired our theme this year: Answering to that of God in Everyone. Ruth Flower is currently the legislative director of FCNL, coordinating FCNL's work on a number of issues. She has a law degree and has worked for many years in government relations and public policy. Ruth is a member of Adelphi Friends Meeting of Baltimore YM. She will speak to us about her vision, drawing on her many years as a lobbyist and Quaker in our nation's capital. Our consideration of this theme is timely, as we seek in our daily lives to discern how we are led by the Spirit in this election year, with our nation still making war.

In our plenary sessions, we will continue the process of developing a new structure for NPYM. We will share the adventure of considering and approving our annual budget. Our hard working Structure Implementation Committee will bring seasoned proposals for how to transition into the new structure which was approved at last year's Annual Session. In addition, several concerns are currently in the seasoning process in our yearly meeting. We will have opportunities to consider these concerns, either in interest groups or in our plenaries, depending on where they are in the seasoning process. We will also have opportunities to speak with members of our newly formed standing committees: Peace & Social Concerns, Ministry & Oversight, Youth Focus Development, and Youth, as well as our Committee on the Discipline, which continues its work of rewriting the our Faith & Practice.

As always, we will have the delight of intergenerational worship sharing, interest groups, fellowship, the fun of family night, browsing the bookstore, and the many other activities that make up Annual Session. Beyond that, the joy of Annual Session often comes in unexpected and rich experiences which surprise and nourish us. It is my hope that each one of you will join us in Corvallis this July!