Support Whidbey Island Friends Meeting
Dear Friends,
Last week, we had an amazing Meeting-For-Learning exploring our relationships with money. It was eye opening for me! I hadn’t realized how childhood experiences were still motivating many of my financial practices… like how I hesitate to ask for money. So guess what, I’m on the Finance Committee and here I am tasked with writing you to ask for your financial support! Looks like Spirit timed Meeting-For-Learning just perfectly to help me.
In preparing to write you, I spent some time asking myself, “what is it about my experience with our Friends Meeting, that I most appreciate, and most want to financially support”. My answer is our Sunday Meeting-For-Worship. I love that silent time with you-all. I love the sense of Spirit moving through us and replenishing my Soul. So, I’m gratified when I see that for every dollar that is donated to WIFM, 84-cents goes to making Meeting-For-Worship possible! That’s rent, our required support to our parent quarterly and yearly meetings, and a tiny bit for basic stuff like web fees and a PO Box. I also enjoy our time of fellowship after Sunday meeting. About 4-cents of every dollar donated to WIFM goes to make that possible by keeping us stocked with tea, baked goods, and yes: napkins. So, that’s 88-cents out of every dollar donated going to make my two favorite things (shared silent worship, and wonderful fellowship) a weekly happening!
What about that last 12-cents of our donated dollars? They go toward contributions to Quaker and non-Quaker organizations. Some folks wish that we increase these contributions. Right now, the only thing limiting the amount we contribute and the number of organizations we give to, is what remains of the donations given to WIFM after we cover making Meeting-For-Worship happen. At the moment, we don’t have the funds to meet our contributions goals for 2019. If our donations increase, we could meet those goals and even give more. What do you think about WIFM contributions to other organizations? Is that important to you?
The Finance Committee would also like to share some thoughts we’ve been mulling over. At this time, we don’t have the funds to support WIFM committee activities. For example, the Meeting has approved Ministry & Counsel having an emergency fund to help folks in financial need, but we don’t have those funds on hand. We would like to have enough funds on hand (perhaps held in reserve) to cover committee needs like that emergency fund. What do you think? Are there other areas you wish WIFM had the finances to cover?
In closing, thank you so much for your past support and please help us by continuing to give. Finally, we on the Finance Committee would like to hear your thoughts, feelings, and leadings on how we as a meeting are using your donations and how you might envision us doing that even better!
Oh… how can you donate? We don’t pass an offering plate at Sunday worship. Instead, we trust your Heart will let you know when it’s time to give. So, when you are led to do so, you can mail your donations to our PO-Box; make a payment directly to Heritage Bank account #0967017260; or donate on-line using the “Donate” button on the WIFM homepage.
Thank you so much!
Randy Weisz, Lance Porter, & Bob Kuehn