Service Committee Minutes February 2020

Hermitage Retreat:

  • After a most successful day at the Hermitage on February 1, with 25 Sangha members and friends attending, the Hermitage received a check for $1000 from us.  Let's do it again soon, it's such a nice way to spend a day!

How to welcome newcomers to our meetings:

  • "Buddies" will help orient newcomers
  • A Sangha member will request the newcomer's address and send out a welcome letter, Sylvia offered to organize this communication
  • A Sangha member will request the newcomer's address and send out a welcome letter, Sylvia offered to organize this communication
  • Ziggy and Elbina will organize a quarterly orientation on Saturdays for newcomers, Proposed dates for the remainder of 2020 are May 2nd, August 1st, and November 7th
  • Books to suggest to newcomers are: 
    • Marriage of East and West, Bede Griffiths 
    • Prayer in the Cave of the Heart, Cyprian Consiglio, 
    • Spirit, Soul, and Body, Cyprian Consiglio
    • The Universal Call to Contemplation, Cyprian Consiglio
    • Sangha will also compile a list of books that we have read

 Potlucks:

  • We'll have our potlucks on special meeting days throughout the year  
  • Our next one will be for our Spring Retreat with Cyprian

 Sangha Room Use:

  • The following decisions were made about use of the Sangha room by all interested groups
    • Elbina's Centering Prayer group would like to use the Sangha room
    • The Sangha room can be used for contemplative practice and other compatible purposes
    • A group wishing to use the room needs to have the request cleared by the Service Committee
    • Laurie is in charge of the calendar, the group will go to Laurie to schedule their meeting
    • The room will be let out for a free will offering, any donations should be put in the donations box in an envelope marked with the name of the group

Sangha Library:

  • Mary explained the organization of the library
    • She uses a version of the Dewey Decimal System designed for church libraries
    • There is a binder in the library organized by author, title and subject of the library's collection
    • A clip board is available for book check-out. Check out a book by writing book title, name of borrower, phone number and email on the form. Cross out the entry when returning the book
  • THANK YOU TO MARY, who will
    • Periodically review the collection
    • Discard duplicate books, placing them on a bookshelf marked "Free" outside the sangha room door

Curriculum:

  • Jane presented an extensive list of possible discussion topics and books for Sangha to use as a basis for our curriculum of study 
    • Topics cover the religions and spiritual traditions of the world. She also introduced different pedagogical formats for Sangha to consider

Tent of Abraham:

  • The next Tent of Abraham is March 1stat Peace United Church, please see the flyer posted on the web site home page 
    • Sangha volunteers are needed to help set up and clean up the event as well as handing out posters
    • Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.if you want to help
    • And please come to celebrate under our Tent of Abraham

“Hermit, Preacher, Wanderer” Book Launch:

  • On April 17th, we will have a book-signing event 
    • for Fr Cyprian's new book titled “Hermit, Preacher, Wanderer” 
  • It will be held at the Resource Center for Nonviolence in Santa Cruz 
  • Sarojani is the point person for the event 
  • We'll have more details soon

Spring Retreat:

  • April 18th, is the date for our annual spring retreat with Fr Cyprian
  • it will be held in our Sangha room 
  • With a veggie potluck lunch  
  • Another joyful day to anticipate!!