Announcements last updated December 16th, 2025:
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New Announcements | Committee Announcements | Announcements about Local Non-Profits | Announcements from Quaker Organizations | Regular Announcements
New Announcements:
- News of Friends:
- This section has been MOVED; please click here to view this section.
- Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business has been postponed to December 28th due to inclement weather on 12/14.
- The December newsletter is now available.
- First Day School Updates:
On Dec 21st we will hold our annual Holiday program. The Meeting community is planning on giving out small gifts to our families. We hope many will be present. This will be followed by a festive potluck luncheon. All are invited to celebrate together.
Future events:- We are looking for volunteers to make holiday wreaths for the Meeting house doors. Pls let the FDS committee know if you can do this.
- The Meeting community is planning on giving out small gifts to the families. We would like to hold our annual Holiday program on Dec 21. There will be a potluck luncheon afterwards. All are invited.
- Third Haven Sings:
First, so many thanks to Susan, Beth, Kristen, Nell, Amy and Nancy for re-paging and numbering our hymnals! Here's hoping you'll have a chance to sing these songs with us this December:- 12/21 In the Bleak Midwinter (Solstice)
- 12/28 Imagine
- Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Urge your congressional representatives to stop the murder on the high seas!
As of December 4, the Trump administration has ordered at least 22 strikes on boats in international waters near Venezuela as Trump continues to threaten military action on land. This is illegal, unconstitutional, and outrageously immoral. Bipartisan concern has been building in Congress this month, after the Washington Post confirmed a second strike was ordered in September to specifically target defenseless survivors. The administration claims the U.S. is at war with people trafficking drugs. We are not at war. Congress declares war, not the president. If the president can kill civilians merely suspected of crime out on the high seas, what’s to stop him from trying the same anywhere, even here at home? Congress must stop these murders and reassert its authority. Use link above for contact with FCNL. - Join us for a day of peace and inward renewal! Inward Bound Quiet Day: December 19, 2025; 1pm – 4pm
Common Room and grounds of Third Haven Friends Meeting
Join Third Haven Friends in a silent retreat that offers a day of listening for the Light within, contemplation, reading, walking the grounds, writing, and self-chosen art activities. We enjoy a shared silence and end our session with a short sharing session. Come for all or part of the retreat. Information and/or RSVP: Katherine Johnson. - Zoom Helpers Needed:
Zoom can help one access Third Haven Meeting for Worship, Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business or some committee meetings if in person attendance isn’t possible. Even when in personal attendance at Meeting for Worship, Zoom can be used on a cell phone with earbuds to improve one’s ability to clearly hear people speaking in the Meeting. Would you welcome an in person coaching session on how to use Zoom for these or other purposes? Your Communication committee is available to schedule a one-on-one session at your convenience. (A group training First Day after Meeting for Worship and Hospitality will be scheduled after the holidays.) Contact Dee Rein and one of us will get back in touch to arrange a suitable personal opportunity. Our goal is to help everyone participate fully in the Third Haven Friends Meeting community. - Press Release | Democracy Forward Takes Action to Stop Reported Holiday Raids on Houses of Worship:
A coalition of Quaker groups, other faith organizations, and houses of worship filed a notice with the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. The lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security was filed after reports that the current administration plans immigration enforcement inside churches with Spanish-speaking congregations and other worship spaces during the holiday season. Click on link above for more information. - Third Haven 2026 Photo Calendars Are Here!
The monthly color calendar is back for 2026, featuring photos by James Altman of the Old Meeting House & surroundings. Calendars are $15 each and the proceeds will go to Third Haven. The size is 9"Wx12"H when open. To order your calendars, please email Marie Leonard with the quantity you wish to purchase. Calendars will be available for pick up most Sundays in December at Third Haven and payment is expected at that time. Shipping is available for an additional cost; please inquire. - Worship and Ministry Committee:
- Be Heard & Seen in Community, an invitation from the Worship and Ministry committee.
Friends 2026 is approaching, and you're invited into an opportunity to participate in the care of one another with your Spiritual Journey. This year, Sam Steffens from our Worship & Ministry committee will be coordinating the Spiritual Journey sharing at Third Haven in the Common Room. These will most likely be on First day, after meeting for worship once a month. If you would like to share your voice, some of your spiritual journey, and help build community at Third Haven Friends meeting in this way, please reach out to Sam Steffens. - Practice exercising your voice in 2026!
You're invited to read the advices with us. Practicing speaking in front of one another and holding space so others may speak before Friends are true gifts. Help us hold each other in the Light while we practice opening to the ever-guiding presence Friends find in that still small voice. In 2026, the Advices will be presented once each quarter starting in January. The Worship and Ministry Committee is looking for a few more volunteers who would like to gift reading the meeting one of the advices in 2026. If you would like to share in this way we need readers for April, July and October. The advice can be found in the Faith and Practice book. If you need a Faith and Practice book, we have additional copies to share with you in the front coat room of the brick meeting house, the closet in the common room and on the lending library shelves in the brick meeting house. Contact Sam Steffens to accept the invitation for one of the readings this year. - The Worship and Ministry Committee is offering a religious education program on "Faith and Practice at Third Haven Friends Meeting." This 6-session program follows on Quakerism 101 offerings, from time to time in the past. This is a shorter more condensed program, more focused on the life of Third Haven. It may be of interest to more recent members and attenders. The schedule is confirmed:
- Future of Third Haven Friends Meeting: Clinton Pettus & Tom Corl, 1.4.26
- Be Heard & Seen in Community, an invitation from the Worship and Ministry committee.
- Learning for Life: A Religious Education Thread Gathering: Happening at Wicomico River Friends Meeting on Saturday, January 24, Friends will be gathering for a day of workshops, which will be happening at three locations simultaneously, offers opportunities for learning for adults, youth, and intergenerational groups, with time spent on deepening worship, bringing children and teens into the life of the meeting, and creating activities for multigenerational worship and to help all Friends at every meeting feel part of the whole.
- Pendle Hill has many upcoming events, including online and in person. Please CLICK HERE to view upcoming events.
- Care Basket for Neighborhood Service Center Donations:
Meeting members and attenders, regularly bring donations of non-perishable food to Meeting for Worship and place their gifts into the care basket outside the meeting house. This is whisked off by John Schreiner to the Neighborhood Service Center and returned to be stored at the meeting until the next First Day. We thank Winslow Womack for initiating this program, John Schreiner for continuing and all the Friends who donate weekly. - Quaker organizations for action: The following organizations represent Quakers nationally, statewide and locally. Their websites reflect current activities and opportunities to participate.
- December 12 (Friday), Zoom Happier Hour 7 PM:
Zoom happier hour conversation is scheduled on Fridays at 7:00 pm. Typically, about 5-6 people use the hour to reconnect, share news and again, offer fellowship. Please consider joining our group this evening.
Events at Third Haven:
Be sure to check out the Calendar for more events not listed here!
Announcements from Third Haven's Committees:
- Note from our Treasurer:
We are asking you to help us make the Treasurer’s paperwork more manageable by using a standardized form when submitting items to be paid by the Meeting. Forms can be found on a clipboard attached to the refrigerator in the Common Room or you can print out THIS FORM. (Please note: The online version is actually a page with two forms on it. You can cut them apart, use one, and save the other for later use.) To request either payment of a bill or reimbursement for an expense from the Third Haven Meeting Treasurer, please complete the top part of the ½ page form and attach the bill or receipt. Then deliver it to the Treasurer via one of these options:- Hand it to Cynthia Quast in person.
- Place it in the Treasurer’s Mailbox in the Common Room.
- Mail it to PO Box 2379, Easton, MD 21601.
- Hospitality Change News for 2025:
The Hospitality Committee will do things a little differently for 2025. We've divided our committee up into teams of 2 or 3 people who will hold primary responsibility for certain months of the year. Responsibility of the teams is to RECRUIT other meeting members to contribute food and help with setup / cleanup on certain days, with the team members being primarily responsible for whatever needs doing on those days. We will no longer ask other Third Haven committees to be responsible for Hospitality during certain months, but if any committees want to continue that practice in order to remind themselves to participate, we are grateful for that and will let the Hospitality team members for those months know, so they can coordinate together. The team members and the months they are responsible for will be written on the sign-up calendar which will continue to be on the refrigerator for other meeting members to sign up as well. - From Worship & Ministry:
- Be Heard & Seen in Community, an invitation from the Worship and Ministry committee.
Friends 2026 is approaching, and you're invited into an opportunity to participate in the care of one another with your Spiritual Journey. This year, Sam Steffens from our Worship & Ministry committee will be coordinating the Spiritual Journey sharing at Third Haven in the Common Room. These will most likely be on First day, after meeting for worship once a month. If you would like to share your voice, some of your spiritual journey, and help build community at Third Haven Friends meeting in this way, please reach out to Sam Steffens. - Practice exercising your voice in 2026!
You're invited to read the advices with us. Practicing speaking in front of one another and holding space so others may speak before Friends are true gifts. Help us hold each other in the Light while we practice opening to the ever-guiding presence Friends find in that still small voice. In 2026, the Advices will be presented once each quarter starting in January. The Worship and Ministry Committee is looking for a few more volunteers who would like to gift reading the meeting one of the advices in 2026. If you would like to share in this way we need readers for April, July and October. The advice can be found in the Faith and Practice book. If you need a Faith and Practice book, we have additional copies to share with you in the front coat room of the brick meeting house, the closet in the common room and on the lending library shelves in the brick meeting house. Contact Sam Steffens to accept the invitation for one of the readings this year. - The Worship and Ministry Committee is offering a religious education program on "Faith and Practice at Third Haven Friends Meeting." This 6-session program follows on Quakerism 101 offerings, from time to time in the past. This is a shorter more condensed program, more focused on the life of Third Haven. It may be of interest to more recent members and attenders. The schedule is confirmed:
- Future of Third Haven Friends Meeting: Clinton Pettus & Tom Corl, 1.4.26
- Be Heard & Seen in Community, an invitation from the Worship and Ministry committee.
- Facilities Use Committee Zoom Meeting Scheduling:
This document was prepared by Third Haven Friends Meeting Facilities Use Committee is attached here to guide us through the process of setting up and running our meetings. - From Testionies & Concerns:
- The Guide for Giving:
Testimonies and Concerns Committee has prepared The Guide for Giving, an annotated list of non-profit, charitable organizations who sustain values and priorities in keeping with our Queries. Please click here to view the guide. - Minutes for Testimonies and Concerns Meeting, 9/06/20.
- The Guide for Giving:
Announcements about Local Non-profits or Faith Organizations:
- Detention Center Library:
A small group from Third Haven and friends maintain the library at the Talbot County Detention Center. This was started many years ago by Ralph and Mary Young. The Talbot County Detention Center Library needs an additional volunteer. It involves one session of about two hours a month. The time is somewhat flexible—what you and your partner decide. The work involves checking books in and out for the guards to distribute to the inmates. Contact Stephanie French if you have time and inclination to join us. - PEARLS:
Stacy Ewing, of the Talbot County Health Department writes to our meeting, "I wanted to let you know about a home visiting program called PEARLS (Programs the one who should be able to get for Encouraging Active, Rewarding Lives)." Please click here for a brochure with more information. - Maryland Citizens's Health Initiative (MCHI) Request:
Third Haven has received a request from Nikki Richards of Homewood Friends Meeting in Baltimore asking us to endorse a resolution brought forward by their Maryland Citizens's Health Initiative (MCHI). If our Meeting supports the concept of equal access to quality, affordable healthcare for Marylanders we can help on this new Initiative to improve health equity. Health inequities based on race, ethnicity, and place of residence persist throughout the state, and have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Maryland Citizens's Health Initiative requests that community organizations, faith groups, small businesses, and others around the state sign on by September 16 in support of this life saving initiative. If it is the sense of our Meeting that we endorse this, our response can be forwarded to them. The Initiative's Resolution can be reached by clicking on this link. - Feed The Front is organized to connect donors, restaurants and volunteers to feed essential workers in Talbot County.
- Acts of Kindness: A Task Force volunteer provides interpretation services between Mid Shore ProBono attorneys and immigrants. Another volunteer has been reaching out to immigrant children through the arts, as part of an after school program sponsored by the Chesapeake Multi Cultural Resource Center. Another, expert in immigration law, filed objections to proposed regulations that would raise barriers to documented immigrants becoming citizens. 2 volunteers from the task force have reached out to the many other congregations throughout the county to expand the network of congregations associating with the task force. There are 6 local congregations that are already associated with the task force and include Temple B'nai Israel, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship At Easton, Third Haven Friends Meeting, Easton Church of the Brethren, Scott's United Methodist Church and Grace Lutheran Church.Reach out to: Helpingimmigrantstc@gmail.com.
- Opportunity: If you are interested in helping to start a worship service at Eastern Shore Correctional Institute, please call Molly Brian. No set schedule is yet formed on this, but we are trying to see if there is genuine interest in a project there.
- If you would like to make a public statement of your commitment to our Peace Testimony, the opportunity to do so exists eachThursday afternoon. Peace Vigils are held each Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. The Thursday vigil is held in Easton in front of the Talbot County Court House.
Announcements from Quaker Organizations:
- Updates from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM):
- Climate Witness, 10/25:
As we face the urgent call to act on climate justice, we invite you and your meeting to be part of Climate Witness: Let Our Actions Speak! Thread Gathering on October 25, either in person at Arch Street Meeting House, or online. Please click here for more information or to register for the event. - Fall Continuing Sessions: registration is now open, and PYM Friends from every generation are invited to take part in the discernment, joining in the way they can best offer themselves. Fall Continuing Sessions takes place November 8 at Arch Street Meeting House, and Friends who cannot be there in person may join through Zoom. On November 9, the yearly meeting will gather in a hybrid way, with Friends present in their meetinghouses, at home, or from wherever they are able to join for All Together Worship, and business to follow over Zoom.
- UPDATE: The U.S. District Court of Maryland ruled in our favor by blocking the Trump administration’s policy that permitted indiscriminate immigration enforcement actions in houses of worship. This preliminary injunction is a crucial step in upholding the right of all people to worship without fear. However, the ruling applies only to the plaintiffs and is a temporary action. Even so, we are encouraged as it sets a strong precedent as the case moves forward.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting joined our neighbors in New England and Baltimore Yearly Meetings, as plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. You can read more information about the lawsuit in the story published on PYM’s website and in the press release from Democracy Forward which filed the suit. More information can also be found at NBC News.
- Climate Witness, 10/25:
- From Pendle Hill:
- Pendle Hill’s summer programming reflects our renewed commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in a time when many members of our community have come under threat. We have many additional events throughout the summer, including several arts programs, all listed in our summer brochure.
- From Friends Committee on National Legislation:
Support The Bill: At the PYM ecojustice conference this past week, information was given on the Clean Energy Protection Program (CEPP). This will be debated in the US Congress in the next few weeks. If you want to support the bill, here is an easy link for you to send an email to our Congress people: https://fcnl.quorum.us/campaign/34603/?utm_source=fcnlaction. The instructions are simple, however it's a good idea to make the email your own by writing at least a personal statement at the start and the finish. The bill would help us move towards clean energy by 2030. For extra punch, mention the Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator (Called a National Climate Bank in the Senate), as this bill would help low income communities with a series of environmentally friendly loans.
Regular Announcements:
- Please remember to greet visitors to meeting—answer what questions they have about Friends, our buildings, our programs and activities. We are all emissaries of Third Haven.
- Contributions to the meeting can be made by way of the contributions box in the Brick Meetinghouse entranceway. Checks can also be sent to THMM, P.O. Box 2379, Easton, MD 21601; or by clicking on the button below:
- Are your names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail listings all correct in the Third Haven Directory? Please review your information at Directory. The online directory remains protected: please e-mail taniahharrison@gmail.com or hawkjm@goeaston.net if you need the password. If you have corrections for the Directory, please send them to 3rdhaven@gmail.com.
- Faith and Practice can be read and portions extracted from the PYM website at this link.
- If you have material for the newsletter, additional announcements, or added information about any of these posted events, please send it to 3rdhaven@gmail.com.
- Fridays, Zoom Happier Hour 7 PM:
Hospitality would also like to remind the community that the zoom happier hour conversation is still happening on Fridays at 7:00 pm. Typically, about 7-10 people use the hour to reconnect, share news and again, offer fellowship. Please contact John Turner for more information. - Food Pantry Donations: We continue to support our community at the Neighborhood Service Center with donations of nonperishable food. Please remember to bring an item First Day and contribute to the bin outside the Meeting House. Food is then delivered on Tuesdays to the Neighborhood Service Center.