• This Sunday is a 5th Sunday. Therefore worship will be unprogrammed and we will not have any hospitlaity afterwards.
• Sunday, August 7 is the deadline for submissions to the Traveling Friend Newsletter.

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.

1) Wilmington College's Quaker Cupboard Back to School Drive:

The start of College brings not only a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm on campus, but also a renewed list of needs for the Quaker Cupboard. If you are able, please consider donating any of the following by dropping them off at CFM and Jim Newby will deliver them to Wilmington College. There are many students that are in need and this "pantry" helps by providing food, personal care, and school supplies to those in need. Quaker Cupboard is an ongoing P&SC effort. All goods collected will be delivered to Wilmington College the week of September 7, so please bring donated items to the bench early in that week.

Laundry Detergent( packs of 5 or 10)
Body Wash
Band Aids
Toothpaste
School Supplies ( note books, pens, stick notes, pens, erasers)
Trash Bags
Tissues, toilet paper, Paper towels
Disinfectant Wipes
Face Wipes
Bottled Water
Dish/Hand Soap
Dryer Sheets
Hand Sanitizer
Ketchup
Face masks
Peanut Butter
Salt
Ranch
Shaving Razors

2) Mary Magdalen House Tour - 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

Singing Group:  Starting in September the 2nd and 4th Tuesday singing group will still be held from 6:30-8 pm, but from 6:30-7 pm we will focus on practice for any piece we plan to perform (pre-worship, Christmas Eve, etc), and will then have open sing from 7-8 pm (Worship in Song hymnal and any other sources people want to bring songs from).

Instrument Group:  We decided to meet next on  Saturday September 13th at 1:30 pm to practice.

Concert Series:  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.

There are flyers on the back hallway table for the Reasonable People concert October 5th Feel free to take a flyer to local businesses, friend groups, and community bulletin boards. There are digital copies available to share on your social media if that is of interest.

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

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

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.

• • 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!

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!