A CALL TO MEETING: LIVING THE CHANGE WE SEEK

Mohandis Gandhi declared that if we are to bring real transformation to the world, we must become the change we seek. Our efforts to make the world a better place must come not just from what we happen to believe- but from the very persons we are. Likewise, George Fox called upon us as Friends to "be patterns, be examples," to "Let your lives speak. "The recent Quarterly Cluster Gatherings invited Friends to examine themselves honestly and to live more and more out of who they truly are in the Spirit.

We continue these themes at the upcoming Midwinter Fellowship, 14 - 16 February 2003. In her prophetic ministry at Pacific Yearly Meeting, Deborah Saunders called us to reclaim the spiritual power of early Friends. In February she returns to Southern California as the featured speaker at Midwinter Fellowship challenging us to live the change we seek.

As we labor to find our way under the darkening shadow of war and destruction, it is doubly important for us discover within ourselves the courage, faith and joy to live the change we seek. Please join us for what promises to be a moving and inspirational time. --Steve Smith, Clerk of SCQM--

Any change we bring must come through us. We will explore how to live the change we seek as individuals and collectively through our monthly, quarterly and yearly meetings.

Deborah Saunders is a powerful orator and workshop facilitator recorded as a minister by Cropwell Monthly Meeting (Marlton NJ) in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to travel in the ministry after the manner of Friends. She has spoken widely at Friends' schools, conferences, and colleges in the U.S. and abroad. Some of you may remember her from Pacific Yearly Meeting in July 2002. Deborah is Director of Admissions and Recruitment at Pendle Hill and current Clerk of the Fellowship of Friends of African Descent.

PEACE AND SOCIAL ORDER COMMITTEE SPECIAL EVENT:

Friday evening, February 14th, from 7-9 P.M.

This first session of Midwinter Fellowship, we would like all Monthly Meetings and Worship Groups to share with others what they have been called to do to stand for peaceful, diplomatic solutions to the growing crisis with Iraq. Please bring Minutes, letters, or brief descriptions of the actions taken. As time permits, we may consider other P&SO initiatives.

Trudy Freidel, Co- Clerk, SCQM P&SO

A new, 10-minute video about FCL, will be shown. Carole Lutness from Orange Grove Meeting produced the video.

This program will be repeated February 16^th Santa Barbara Friends Meeting program.

For more information, contact FCL at (916) 443-3734 or fcldevt@cwo.com.

David L. Johns, professor of theology at our Earlham School of Religion, will speak at our Quaker Forum on the 8th and 9^th of February. David speaks and writes widely on maintaining integrity in our complicated world. We plan to have two sessions on Saturday morning for adults, with child care, but will devote the afternoon session to a full-family activity. He will bring a message in Meeting for Worship as well.

And save Sunday, April 6, 2003, for a visit from Chuck Fager. Chuck has a long and varied career as a Quaker writer and activist. He will be with us for the Sunday School hour, Meeting for Worship, and a for a special program in the afternoon for youth. His visit will be coordinated with Southern California Quarterly Meeting of Pacific Yearly Meeting, and sponsored by Quaker Center on the Road. Chuck will discuss how he believes George Fox would address the challenges in our current world.

Both gatherings will be held at First Friends Church, 13205 Philadelphia Street in Whittier.

The chief organizers of recent marches against the Iraq war have been unwilling to commit themselves to non-violent action. AFSC has therefore been unable to co-sponsor those marches. People may ask,"Isn't it important to get as many people as possible on the streets in Washington, protesting the war?" I believe we have to say no, not at any cost. A lesson from the Vietnam Antiwar movement is that impatient, willful people who indulge in a romance with violence damage the peace movement far more than they can hurt the war machine. A quick tactical success achieved by compromising principle exacts too high a cost. Please do not be disappointed then, Friends, if you do not see an AFSC banner with every antiwar protest.

Paul Lacey, Presiding Clerk, American Friends Service Committee

Like other states, California is experiencing a crisis in health care. There are over 6 million Californians who lack health insurance and 10 million have no prescription drug coverage. Many are working poor and immigrants, but families with incomes over $75,000 are the fastest growing group of the uninsured.

Sharp increases in health insurance premiums are forcing many small employers to eliminate or reduce coverage for their workers. Public hospitals and emergency rooms are closing, as are community care clinics, and doctors are dropping out of HMO's. With the state's budget crisis, a poor situation is about to become even worse. Governor Davis proposes measures which will reduce the numbers of those eligible for Medi-Cal and Medi-Cal provider reimbursement rates, already among the lowest in the nation.

Some lawmakers, in their rush to solve the state budget crisis, tend to view the crisis only in terms of dollars and statistics. Part of our job is to put a human face on the grim statistics so that policymakers will make informed choices. Guest contributors to our February newsletter might be people who have revealing stories to tell about how underfunded public health affects the lives of real people. People who deliver health care services to the needy are especially welcomed.

On March 25, FCL and other faith-based lobbies will come together with our supporters at the annual Lobby Day in Sacramento. This event and our work throughout the year emphasize the invaluable role of citizen-volunteers in the lobbying process. We want to find and develop more effective ways of encouraging and utilizing contributions by dedicated, public-spirited, well-informed and influential citizen lobbyists.

In this month's newsletter, we hope to hear from and profile some of the many individuals who have contributed to lobbying efforts on issues important to FCL: the death penalty, criminal justice and prison reform, civil liberties, preserving and improving social welfare programs, mental health and housing. We are also interested in perspectives from those who have had experience with advocacy on other issues, including education and the environment. While commentary about activism on statewide issues is particularly welcome, we encourage those who have been active on local and national issues and would like share their experience to contact us as well.

What did you advocate for or against? Why? How did your faith and values influence your approach and actions? What resulted from your efforts and those of others? What have you learned from your experience? FCL is working with some of our allies and supporters to develop "citizen lobbyist outreach and training" programs in different areas of the state, and to expand the roles that volunteers play in our issue research and advocacy efforts. Assuming you are interested in becoming part of the lobbying team, what information and skills would be most useful to you?

FCL staff contacts:

Jim Lindburg, Lobbyist/Administrator

Ira Saletan, Development & Outreach Coordinator Vickie Valine, Office Coordinator