Ararat Friends Meeting was established in 1924 after petitioning Pine Hill Meeting for permission to fill the need for a more convenient meeting place. While our membership has grown over the years, we are still blessed with some descendants of the original petitioners who established Ararat Friends Meeting. We continue to look at our strengths and weaknesses, some of which continue to be the same that have blessed and plagued the Meeting throughout its existence. We also are continuing to expand our opportunities.
There is a strong sense of family at Ararat, a continuing, accepting and warm Christian fellowship within the Meeting. This fellowship is wonderful, honest and sincere. It creates a special feeling in the Meeting House and the touch of the Holy Spirit has often brought us to tears of joy. Our Meeting continues to be diligent in helping each other through our spiritual journey with a strong Prayer ministry. Our membership is generous and always gives whatever is needed, keeping us financially sound and paying our commitments on time. We continue to meet our Yearly Meeting askings and give spiritual and financial support to local, national, and international missions. We continue with the ongoing and effective support of numerous local charities including an increase of quarterly donations to the Foothills Food Bank and the sponsorship of local blood drives. There is a strong sense to give immediate financial and spiritual support to individuals and families in need in the community. We were pleased to help others in the community to provide a community wide Easter egg hunt in cooperation with other churches in the area. Our Sunday School is small but has a strong spiritual sense, driven by discussion and a hunger to learn. The two new classes for the youth of our Meeting are growing and strong. Vacation Bible School continues to grow. In 2012 we anticipated our Vacation Bible School to be down since a number of the youth were growing up, but we were surprised with attendance not only sustaining itself but growing. We all were taught a lesson in faith by our Heavenly Father. We concluded on Friday evening with a family outing and an opportunity for outreach to new families. Our Business Meeting is held monthly with good attendance and participation. Attendance at Quarterly Meeting is substantial and we have a growing presence in the Quarter. Our Website is updated weekly and includes a warm and open invitation to visitors, as well as access to our Meeting’s historical archives and current events. We have a diversity of talent for a small Meeting—piano, guitar, duets, trios, a wonderful choir, and Choir bells. Our Father continues to bless us through our talent as we rotate using our special talents during Meeting for Worship. We are blessed with a pastor who gives us progressive and knowledgeable pastoral leadership that focuses on God’s transcendent and immanent role in our lives.
Although we feel we have a lot of strengths for a small meeting, there are some areas that we are not as strong as needed. Being a rural meeting, it has been difficult for us to attract new members and increase attendance. The responsibility of advancing the work of the Meeting is shared by too few members, thus creating a challenge to get all our members involved.
Realizing that we have weak areas, it awakens us to opportunities. Each of us needs to be led to realize the need for growth in membership and accept the call to reach out to those in our lives who need to accept the call of our Lord to follow Him and join us in His worship. Our meeting is blessed with a variety of talent and we need to incorporate more of our talent in our worship services.
The greatest practical fear for our Meeting is our aging membership and the lack of new members over the last few years. We need to explore how to correct this as a Meeting, as a whole Meeting with the entire congregation concerned and involved with relevant input in how to improve the ministry to all people. We hope that through exemplary Christian behavior and an openness to explain our belief in a loving Father, who sent His only Son to reconcile everyone to Him, and that we are guided by His Holy Spirit in our lives, others may come to realize the blessing of the Religious Society of Friends. By demonstrating that we worship a living God who continues to be active in the world and our lives and wants an active personal relationship with each of us, then maybe the public will begin to understand what the Quaker belief is all about.
There is a strong sense of family among the members of Ararat Friends. We pray that this sense of family will be seen by others and attract new members as we begin to explore how to get the word out about this marvelous family of God. Ararat Friends seeks unity in Christ by seeking the guidance of that “Light” within. ------------------------------------------------ Alton Mills
Ministry and Council Clerk
------------------------------------------------ Eddie Reeves
Monthly Meeting Clerk
North Carolina Yearly Meeting of Friends (Friends United Meeting ) August 30-September 2, 2013 Blue Ridge Assembly, Black Mountain, North Carolina
Annual Sessions brought more than 400 Friends of all ages to Blue Ridge Assembly at Black Mountain, NC for a weekend of worship, business, and fellowship. “Simplicity” was the theme for our time together.
Presiding Clerk Judy Ritter opened our 316th Annual Session of North Carolina Yearly Meeting with the following Minute: “Consider these queries as we worship, do business, and fellowship this weekend: Do we love one another as becomes the followers of Christ? Are we sensitive and obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit? Do we seek the conversion and spiritual development of our young people? Are we here working to seek a depth and purity of life consistent with “the Light within”?
Colin Saxton, General Secretary of Friends United Meeting, shared thoughts on "Why Simplicity?" He used an analogy about ostriches as an object lesson. Normally the ostrich can simply focus, even from a distance, on their egg. As Christians, when we are fearful or do not see a clear path, we can also react like the ostrich and lose the simplicity of focusing on Jesus.
The Worship and Business Sessions provided Yearly Meeting Staff the opportunity to report on the various ministries and related activities of North Carolina Yearly Meeting. Reports and videos reflected on the wide range of efforts across the Yearly Meeting supporting the various Program Ministries: For the first time, representatives from MOWA Choctaw Friends Center attended our Annual Session: Alexis Sedlack, Irene Prindall, Jennie Baxter, and Janie Weaver.
Superintendent, Randy Quate announced the 21 Days of Prayer throughout the Yearly Meeting from September 9 through September 30.
The nomination of Bill Eagles as our next Yearly Meeting Clerk was approved. Judy Ritter was warmly and resoundingly thanked for her 5-year tenure as Clerk. Several other nominations as outlined in the business handbook were also approved.
A minute from the Executive Committee of continuing confidence in the leadership of Randy Quate as Superintendent was presented by Walter Shore and approved.
Representatives of related Friends organizations spoke throughout the day. Most committees provided a written report which was printed in booklet form for all attendees. A brief survey was conducted to gather the sense of those gathered on whether to continue to hold Annual Sessions at Blue Ridge Assembly or change to another location beginning in 2015.
Ministry and Counsel brought four names for approval to be recorded as Ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The recording of Michael Butler, Michael Coates, Andrew Needham, and Shelia Hoyer was approved by the Yearly Meeting. The service recognizing these four newly recorded ministers and one retiring minister, Janice Greene, was on Sunday afternoon. Two individuals have been added under the care of the Recording Committee, Gene Moser and Misty McAden.
The Minute of Advice for 2013 based on the Spiritual Condition Reports was approved as presented. A recommendation from the Spiritual Life Commission changing the format and usefulness of the gathered information for the 2014 year was approved.
The Peace and Social Issues Committee presented the Fellowship and Reconciliation Project, the goal of which is to engage all Quarters in a discussion on forgiveness. The Committee supplied each quarter with a packet that included the DVD, The Big Question: A film about forgiveness to facilitate these discussions.
Three workshops were offered on Saturday afternoon: “What in the World is Going on with FUM?” led by Colin Saxton; “Simplifying Simplicity” led by Sara Beth Terrell; and, “Prayer: Don't Do Missions Without It” led by Ken Thames.
Daniel Thames, pastor of Hopewell Friends, shared thoughts on "Simple Living." In thinking about Simplicity – the Gospel is so simple that a little child can understand it. We need to remember that the gospel calls us to be “childlike” NOT “childish.” In our relationship with God, how many times do we accept when God tells us that we are wrong? In this world we have choices. We can move from the darkness to light, unbelief to faith, death to life.
Bible Study at 9 am on Sunday was led by Lisa Moran using her thoughts on Matthew 6:22 and references to a chapter in Thomas Kelly’s Testament of Devotion.
A meaningful Memorial Service followed as coordinated by Friends from Surry Quarter.
During the 11 am worship time, Superintendent Randy Quate shared the message illustrating how The Lord’s Prayer can guide us in the simplicity of talking with God.
Intergenerational Worship on Sunday evening involved all ages.
In the wake of the turmoil in the country of Syria and the possibility of military intervention as announced by the President of the United States on August 31, two minutes were approved by Friends. One minute is directed to the President and Congress stating our prayer for a peaceful solution to the conflict; the other, to the people of Syria pledging our hope and desire for peaceful resolution.
Parts of this report were taken from the Yearly Meeting Message prepared by Martha Jo Jones, Barbara Andrew, David K. Hobson
Submitted by Jack Ciancio Ararat Representative 3 September 2013
