February Vital Friends: Intermountain Yearly Meeting, White Privilege Conference, Helpful Resources, and Black History Month Book Opportunity

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Dear Friend,

As you transition from the depth of winter to longer sunnier days, Friends General Conference invites you to take some time to read about some efforts, changes, and opportunities arising in the Religious Society of Friends. We’re excited to share these stories of vitality and dedication, and resources about eldering and inclusion, made possible by the incredible work of many Friends.

In the Spirit,
FGC Staff

This issue contains:
- FGC Friends: Intermountain Yearly Meeting
- Hard Work for White Privilege Conference
- FGC Resource
- Black History Month Book Bundle QuakerBooks Promotion

FGC Friends: Intermountain Yearly Meeting

Friends of FGC is a feature of our monthly Vital Friends eNewsletter that highlights a Quaker meeting, organization, or individual Friends who work with FGC to nurture faith and Quaker practice. We're pleased to feature FGC-affiliated Intermountain Yearly Meeting for the month of February.

Read more about IMYM

Hard work for White Privilege Conference

The White Privilege Conference offers the opportunity to help challenge and dismantle white supremacy. It assists its attenders in struggling with privilege and in finding ways of living more justly in the world with commitment to understanding, respecting, and connecting with others.
Richie Schulz is the Ministry on Racism support specialist and Quaker Voluntary Service Fellow at Friends General Conference. Working for FGC he has gracefully risen to the challenge of helping coordinate a national conference with a contingent of more than 300 Friends for the upcoming White Privilege Conference.

Read more about Ministry on Racism's work for the White Privilege Conference

FGC Resources!

There are a variety resources available for Friends meetings and worship groups that wish to tackle important topics of inclusion and eldering while learning together. Here are some suggestions to help you get started.

Check out these neat resources

Black History Month QB

February 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of the official recognition of Black History Month in the United States. Friends General Conference has a long-standing commitment to helping individual Friends, local meetings and yearly meetings in developing their racial and ethnic awareness, increase their diversity, and strive to address the impact of the institution of racism on our Society. FGC’s QuakerPress has published a number of titles that address that commitment. This month’s special bundles five of those titles for just $25 – a savings of almost $30 off the regular retail price! This bundle is perfect for meeting libraries, personal reading, and even as a gift to local and school libraries.
See the Black History BookBundle on QuakerBooks

Program Spotlight: Christian Interfaith Relations Committee!

One of the many exciting programs of Friends General Conference is the Christian Interfaith Relations Committee (CIRC). CIRC is the home of FGC’s interfaith and ecumenical work, striving to build greater understanding across religious divisions, with both Christian and other diverse faith traditions. CIRC represents FGC in participation large interdenominational and interfaith events, as well in community with other branches of the broader Quaker community beyond FGC.
Photo by Elaine Emmi