Banner Witness
A group of Friends of Homewood Meeting was inspired several years ago to begin gathering monthly in order to hold in the Light those murdered in Baltimore, those in the midst of a judicial process for murder, and all others touched by violence in Baltimore.
In June of 2020, a banner was installed on the wall in front of the meetinghouse as an outgrowth of that concern. The banner remembered the names of persons murdered in Baltimore during 2020. We hang a new banner each year, as of 2024.
At the end of Meeting for Worship each Sunday, a Friend from our Holding in the Light group reads the names of those killed in Baltimore over the past week, and asks us to hold all who knew the victim in the healing light.
Green Organizing Action Team (GOAT)
The GREEN Organizing Action TEAM (GOAT) seeks to raise the level of concern and encourage spirit-led action in response to the climate crisis through the promotion of ecological sustainability, and environmental justice. GOAT organizes educational, recreational, advocacy, and other activities that move the Meeting and individuals toward adopting more sustainable practices and actions in our everyday lives and in the world. Homewood Friends is recognized by Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake as a leader among congregational green teams. GOAT is providing mentorship to other congregations as they develop their green teams.
[Annual Report]
[Contact the committee]
Hospitality Committee
The Hospitality Committee takes responsibility for overseeing “Simple Lunch” on Sundays. This is a very important ministry of the Meeting, since it enables us, especially families with small children, to visit with one another after worship. The committee also makes arrangements for special meals and generally keeps the kitchen clean and well-supplied. Much of the organizational work of the committee is done by email.
Annual Reports: 2024
[Contact the committee]
[Committee Welcome Page]
House and Grounds Committee
The House and Grounds Committee oversees the care, cleaning, maintenance and use of our increasing busy meetinghouse. Aside from our monthly meetings, we organize work days to do routine maintenance and cleaning, and are always looking for ways to decrease the environmental impact of the meetinghouse. We have plenty to do to keep all skill levels involved, and we enjoy having the opportunity to give back in service this way to our community. A comfortable and attractive environment contributes to community within the Meeting.
Annual Reports: 2024
Contact the committee:
houseandgrounds@homewoodfriends.org
Library Committee
The Library Committee selects and reviews additions to the meetinghouse library, maintains the library systems and facilities, and generally keeps the library attractive and usable. The committee is currently working on an electronic catalogue of our holdings.
[Annual Report]
[Contact the committee]
Ministry and Counsel Committee
The Ministry and Counsel Committee nurtures and oversees the spiritual life of the Meeting. In particular, we concern ourselves with the quality of meetings for worship and for business as well as memorial services, weddings, and other special meetings such as those for “threshing” an issue. People on the committee are Meeting members because of the nature of our work. Insights into our spiritual condition and progress are much valued whether from committee members or from other members of our community.
The committee also maintains concern for the individual spiritual and physical well-being of members and attenders. It provides clearness committees for membership, marriage under the care of the Meeting, and other issues including career and family issues. Anyone may request a clearness committee in which several members of the community meet together to help the person find clarity.
Members of Ministry and Counsel are introduced each Sunday at the conclusion of worship; please feel free to ask them any questions you may have about Quakerism or Homewood.
[Annual Report]
[Contact the committee]
Ministry and Counsel Committee Resource Page
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee taps the talents and interests of members and attenders to serve on the Meeting’s committees and as its officers, trying to keep in mind who would work well and strongly together. The committee, which is composed of Friends who are recommended annually by a special search committee, does almost all of its work during the first six months of the year because committees re-form in July.
Accepting nomination for a committee is a very good way to get to know more people in the Meeting. Our goal is not so much to fill every space as to help the people of the meeting become closer and find more opportunities for giving of their time and talents to the Meeting and the larger community.
[Annual Reports:]
[Contact the committee]
Outreach Team
[welcome write up]
[Annual Report]
[Contact the committee]
[Committee Welcome Page]
Peace and Social Justice Committee
[Laid down 2025]
The Peace and Social Justice Committee strives to serve Quakers’ 300-year-old Peace Testimony. PSJ brings peace issues and social concerns to the attention of the Meeting for individual and/or corporate action in support of our Quaker testimonies to reject war, violence, exploitation and repression, believing that of God dwells in every person.
- We seek to serve, educate, spiritually enrich, and to practice peace-building.
- We aim to stand against violence, work to remove its underlying causes, and to promote peace with justice, understanding and unity.
- We act through public witness, direct service, awareness-promoting activities, and campaigns for fair, effective, and compassionate legislation.
Where we can, we network and act with other faiths and non-religious groups which share our non-violent values and methods. The committee is open to the participation of non-members.
Annual Reports: 2023
[Contact the committee]
Religious Education Committee
The Religious Education Committee considers the spiritual education of the children of the Meeting by planning First Day School (Sunday School) and special events. First Day School provides an opportunity for children to learn about Quakerism, the Bible and other topics of religion. Special activities such as the spring trip, picnics, and intergenerational activities offer opportunities for community building. Our committee is the place for creativity, for enjoying children and for nurturing the next generation.
[Annual Report]
Contact the committee:
ReligiousEd@homewoodfriends.org
[Committee Welcome Page]
Trustees Committee
Trustees Committee provides stewardship of the Meeting’s financial resources and informs the Meeting community about how we are caring for and using those resources. The Trustees committee performs four functions:
- Provides oversight of the Meeting’s investment portfolio
- Determines annual allocation of funds from the investments for operating expenses
- Formulates a proposed operating budget for the Meeting’s approval
- Makes decisions on the award of funds to encourage and support the spiritual growth of Meeting members and attenders such as through scholarships, camperships and partial payment of Quaker gathering fees.
In addition, the Trustees provide opportunities for Friends to explore the meaning and value of money in their lives and the life of the meeting.
We are not all experts on the committee. We do our best to learn as much as we can as we go and use professional assistance, as appropriate. Nominees for the Trustees Committee must be members of Homewood. We invite thoughts from all members and attenders about how the Meeting manages its fiscal resources and ideas as to how what we do in this realm might be better integrated with our faith and practice as Friends.
We generally meet on the 1st Wednesday of the month at 7:15 pm, and we welcome visitors. Please ask one of us about the location. Current members are Polly Heninger (clerk), David Blalock, Heather Ravlin, and Carol Beck.
Annual Reports: 2024 – 2023 – 2022
Contact the committee: trustees@homewoodfriends.org
Schedule of Committee Meetings
| Administrative | Odd months last Sundays 12:30 PM, hybrid |
| Green Organizing Action Team—OPEN | As called next meeting: 7/20 at 9 AM in meetinghouse |
| Outreach Team—OPEN | 3rd Sundays 12:30 PM, SBA Room |
| Hospitality—OPEN | As called |
| House & Grounds—OPEN | 2nd Tuesdays 6 PM |
| Library—OPEN | 3rd Sundays 12:15 PM, Meetinghouse Library |
| Ministry & Counsel | Last Wednesdays, 6:30 PM, Zoom |
| Religious Education––OPEN | 1st Tuesdays, 7:15 PM |
| Trustees | 3rd Tuesdays 7:15 PM |
See Also:
Homewood Friends Meeting 