The We Care Committee
Peace & Social Concerns Committee’s Announcements
1) Please join our P&SC members on September 19 at 2:00 pm to tour The Mary Magdalen House at 1629 Republic Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
The Mary Magdalen House restores dignity to those experiencing homelessness in Greater Cincinnati by offering daily showers, laundry, and connection to resources. Please check out their website at https://marymagdalenhouse.org
A signup sheet is located on a table at the back of the Meeting for Worship. Carpooling opportunities can be arranged
Questions? Contact Mary Wittrock at rockw3558@gmail.com
2) P&SC Community Board
As new monthly items appear on the Community Board located in the Fireside Room, the Peace & Social Concerns Committee wishes to share them with the CFM Community.
Here’s how the board is structured:
(1) In the upper middle is a monthly updated summary of the committee’s actions/donations
(2) The remainder of the board consists of headings and pictures that represent the organizations supported by P&SC, as well as potential calls to action from other members.
(3) Beneath the headings are 5x7 envelopes containing typed information available to anyone who wishes to know more about these organizations. PLEASE TAKE ONE
If you have any questions or would like to know more about how to become involved, please contact Mary Wittrock, Clerk of P&SC.
On the Board for August 2025
(1) Mary Magdalen House
(2) Mobility Together
(3) Canvassing Training
Dive into sacred storytelling at Sept. 7 worship, Sept. 21 celebration
Prepare for a special day of worship Sunday, Sept. 7 when Cincinnati Friends Meeting kicks off a new year of First Day School with an intergenerational gathering. Gifted storyteller Ann Nunes, trained in Quaker Faith & Play, will share the story of “Listening for God” informally and for all ages as our worship message.
“Intergenerational worship,” according to Melinda Wenner Bradley, director of programs at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and a Quaker educator, is “not about grafting children onto our worship and giving them stuff to keep busy, but inviting them into the experience of worship fully and making room for what might help them to enter and be in that contemplative space.”
Cincinnati Friends Meeting MInister and Public Friend Jim Newby will introduce Ann and invite adults and children to move closer, even to the floor, from where Ann will use specially-designed characters to illustrate her quiet story. After the story, Ann invites all into a time of discerned wondering, then adults may settle back into their seats and worship as children return to the First Day School room to continue their wondering and reflecting.
Worship will conclude with a potluck lunch, so please bring a dish to share.
Faith and Play are stories of Quaker faith, practice and witness using the Godly Play method of storytelling. This set of stories helps us learn about and explore our identity as Friends. The experiential format draws listeners into discovering their own meaning and deepens the spiritual community. Told verbally and visually with simple materials, stories are characterized by:
– Reverently-paced telling;
– Periods of reflective silence;
– Gentle gestures and movements of story materials;
– Invitations to wonder out loud, with the same discernment one would use for vocal ministry. in a rhythm of communal listening and worship; and
– Affirmation of each person’s sharing.
Borrowed from the Episcopal practice of Godly Play, Faith & Play, of uniquely Quaker stories, celebrates its 20th anniversary Sunday, Sept. 21 from 4-6 pm. Cincinnati Friends Meeting will serve as a local hub for the hybrid, live and online, celebration. Exciting new stories will be released, including an online telling of a story about Quaker Civil Rights Activist Bayard Rustin. Ann will lead a “shareshop,” an intergenerational worship,” live at the meetinghouse. Fellowship and refreshments will follow.
You may register for the online portion here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/jxjWxl3fRduhSqynKciQDg
For more information on Faith and Play, contact Ann Nunes at annpettigrewnunes@gmail.com.
Ignite Peace Events
"Ignite Peace has worked with Pace e Bene and their Campaign Nonviolence project for many years. Through this partnership, Ignite Peace is excited to bring Pace e Bene's Engaging Nonviolence curriculum to the Greater Cincinnati region. We created this collection of trainings, built on a popular education model, to be a resource as we continue to build beloved community and think about what a nonviolent society looks like. These four courses do not need to be taken together or in a specific order. Join one of our public trainings or request one for your community or organization. To learn more go to - ignitepeace.org/events/
Sunday Hospitality Information
On the first & third Sundays of each month we welcome all to join together in the Fireside Room for fellowship and a potluck lunch after meeting for worship. Feel free to bring any type of "potluck" food to share (prepared dishes you can readily set out). Labels are appreciated and please include information such as dairy free, gluten free, vegan, etc. Please join us!
Coffee will be offered after every Sunday service in the Fireside room to give folks a chance to mingle.
~ The Hospitality Team
CFM Music Concert Series – Save the Dates!
Please save the following Sunday afternoon 1 pm dates for the remaining CFM music concerts for 2025. All concerts will be roughly 60 minutes in length, free of charge, with a freewill donation basket that will benefit the performers. All concerts will also be followed by a 30-45 minute reception with performers in the fireside room. More info will be forthcoming about the October and November concerts soon:
1) Sunday October 5th - On Sunday October 5th at 1 pm Michael Barrett (bass, keyboard and vocals), Lauren Schloemer-Wilson (violin, mandolin and vocals), and Brandt C.P. Smith (banjo, dobro, guitar, ukulele and vocals) will play a likeable eclectic mix of Americana-Jazz-Folk-Tango-Western Swing at Cincinnati Friends Meeting. Their band is called "Reasonable People", and they have all played in multiple musical groups currently and in the past: The Modulators, The Burning Caravan, Ouizards, Stoopid Rooster, Hickory Robot, Sweet Peas, The Foles, Steve Covington and the Humble Strays, The Comet Blue Grass All-Stars, and Katie Lauren Band. Concert is free to the public with a donation basket to benefit the musicians. Reception will follow in the Fireside Room.
2) Sunday November 16th - Annie Takeuchi Lanzon, keyboardist, will present a program of contemporary, classical, and spiritual music. Annie works through an organization called Creative Aging Cincinnati which aims to bring a variety of musical programs to mainly seniors in senior centers, extended care facilities, etc.
Thanks, Beth
The Monday Hiking Group
The Monday Hiking Group meets to hike every Monday morning at 9:30 AM. After hiking the group convenes at a local coffee shop. They hike rain or shine! Please feel free to join them, whether you have hiked with us previously, or this is your first time. Contact the office at office@cincinnatifriends.org to be connected to coordinator Beth Brubacher or Linda Daigle to receive more information.
From a recent hike: (L to R) Vicki Culler, Fred Steiner, Mary Pannabecker Steiner, Linda Daigle, & Beth Brubacher.
Connect to the CFM Community
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- Want to be notified if worship is canceled?
- Interested in upcoming classes or events?
- Like the link to worship via Zoom?
- Curious to get to know our new members?
- Interested to read our community newsletter?
- Like a nametag?
Then there is one simple step to take. Fill out the Contact Information Form and let us know if you would like (any or all) to be added to our mailing list, receive a newsletter, be added to our directory, procure a nametag, and more!
Food Bank Sunday
Food Pantry Sundays
Cincinnati Friends Meeting supports local food pantries by collecting non-perishable food and personal care items at our meetinghouse. (Plastic tubs for contributions are located in the entryway.) Although we collect these donations throughout the year, we put special emphasis on doing so on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. On these day, we give particular thought to the hungry in our community.
The Peace & Social Concerns Committee is contributing CFM’s donations to the Loveland Life Pantry. Currently, Freestore Foodbank does not accept individual donations.
Current greatest need at Loveland Life Pantry:
SENIORS: Ensure/Boost
FOOD: Canned Chicken, Canned Fruit, Mixed Vegetables, Canned Carrots, Cereal, Coffee, Flour, Manwich/Sloppy Joe, Ramen, Spaghetti
HOUSEHOLD & PAPER GOODS: Dish Soap, Laundry Detergent, Paper Towels
Expanding Compost to Members & Raffle
- The compost program at the meeting house has been going well and it will be expanding. If you live in an apartment or don’t have a compost system set up you can drop off your vegetable food waste at the meeting house. Bring your vegetable food scraps (no meat!) to the compost bin located outside of the kitchen door. Follow the directions posted on the signs. Ask Jeff Bloomer or Mary Singler for help with the composting process if you need clarification about the system.
- Win the kitchen compost bin located outside of the meeting space! Put your name in the compost bin (outside the meeting room) to be entered in a raffle to win it. A name will be drawn on August the 17 (during the potluck). The bin has never been used but is recycled.
Kroger Community Rewards Program
Kroger pays up to $1,250,000 on a quarterly basis to participating organizations based on their percentage of spending as it relates to the total spending of all participating Kroger Community Rewards Organizations.
To support Cincinnati Friends Meeting through your Kroger purchases, go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com and choose Cinti Monthly Meeting/Religious Society of Friends, code: pi373.
Once a household member enrolls their card, all linked Kroger Plus Cards within that household begin earning rewards. The Peace and Social Concerns Committee disperses these funds to local organizations supported by the Meeting. Feel free to share our Kroger number with friends and family. Every time a member, attender, family, family friend, or neighbor of our Meeting shops at Kroger and uses their Kroger Plus Card, we earn rewards!