Advance
Report 2000
Affiliate Reports
Quaker Hill Conference Center
As expressed in our mission statement, we believe that God wants us to continue being a special place apart from the routines of daily life where individuals and groups can come to nurture spiritual life.
We think Quaker Hill has been a special place for Friends and others going back to 1855 when Isaac and Mary Anne Evans established their home here, and when in 1940 the Quaker Hill Foundation was established to carry on this tradition of Christian Quaker hospitality, service, education, and encouragement, and when in 1970 a renewed vision for the ministry and service Friends could provide at Quaker Hill led to the creation of Quaker Hill Conference Center.
During the several months since we last reported to you, the majority of our time and energy has been devoted to hosting numerous retreats, workshops, annual gatherings, and other programs held here by a variety of Christian churches and organizations—including several Quaker organizations. We feel that we are accomplishing an important part of our mission when we can provide the facilities, environment, and services that encourage and enable our guests to have successful events as they attempt to grow spiritually and become more effective parts of the Body of Christ in their home communities.
Another part of our mission is to develop and offer our own programs for Friends in this region. We continue to seek clarity about what we can offer that is helpful to Friends in light of the programs and educational events yearly meetings and other Friends organizations in the region are offering.
This past December, we had a successful weekend retreat with Tom Mullen, Phil Gulley, and Stan Banker who spoke about their writing and public speaking as part of their ministry to Friends and others. In February, Anne Thomas led an excellent weekend retreat on the topic "Jesus in the Movies" during which she illustrated many of the different ways that the life and message of Jesus have been portrayed during the 20th century.
Programs, Events, and Activities for 2000-2001
August 19, 2000 Friends are invited to join us for a Saturday afternoon and evening celebration of 145 years of Friends hospitality and service at Quaker Hill. Highlights of the day will include the completion and dedication of a new picnic shelter, outdoor activities for all ages, a picnic supper, and an anniversary celebration program with musical entertainment.
October 6-7, 2000 Anne Thomas returns to Quaker Hill to lead a weekend bible study retreat that will look at "The Gospel of St. Thomas" as a way of helping us understand why some books made it into the New Testament and why others did not. Anne is Assistant Presiding Clerk of Friends United Meeting and a member of Canadian Yearly Meeting.
November 3-4, 2000 Tom Hamm, Quaker historian and author, will lead a special weekend retreat on "Quaker Genealogy.” Part of the weekend will be spent at the Friends Collection in the Lilly Library at Earlham College learning how to use the resources there in researching your Quaker ancestors.
November 11, 2000 This will be the first in a series of Saturday workshops for writers that will continue through April of 2001. Several of these workshops will be of interest to those writing on religious themes or for the religious market. The series is being planned by Brent Bill, pastor of Friends Memorial in Muncie and writing instructor at Earlham School of Religion.
February 2-3, 2001 (tentative) We hope to have Anne Thomas return to lead another bible study weekend, probably on the Gospel of Mark.
April 6-7, 2001 John Punshon has agreed to lead a weekend retreat on his new book on Evangelical Quakerism in North America. This will be one of the last programs that John will be doing in this area before he retires from the faculty of Earlham School of Religion and returns to England.
Note: Please look for details on these and other programs throughout the year in your yearly meeting newsletter and in mailings to your meeting or church. If you would like to be on the mailing list to receive program mailings directly, please contact us at the QHCC office.
We hope that you will consider attending one or more of these events at Quaker Hill during the coming year. We also encourage local meetings, churches, families, and other groups to think of Quaker Hill Conference Center as a site for retreats, reunions, and other events. Please call or write us with any questions about how we can serve you and your needs.
David Edinger, Director
