West Branch

2005 was a good year for West Branch Friends. Our average First Day School attendance has been around 40 and we have welcomed anew family into our midst. We continue our Sunday School classes for pre-schoolers, primary students and teens. We have found it necessary to group our young adult and adult classes together due to our lower attendance and the number of willing teachers for these groups. In doing this though, we feel that we may not be providing our young adults with the spiritual nurturing they need at this time in their lives. We live in a very economically depressed area, so many of our young folks are forced to leave our community in order to find work, which in turn, causes the Meeting to no longer have need of a nursery. We continually pray that in the future both of our rocking chairs will again cradle little ones but for now they are available as a comfortable seat during Meeting for Worship for aching old bones.

The early months of 2005 were spent supporting our American Cancer Relay for Life Team. Members baked and sold pies and raisin filled cookies, organized candle and Avon fund raisers, sold raffle tickets for a chance to win a TV and many hand-made items, and our teen class hosted n Sweetheart Dinner which benefited the event. One of our members joined n praise band that performed at the opening of the relay and she also had the band perform for First Day School. With so many families in our Meeting affected by cancer, our "tree of hope" was well adorned with cards in memory and in honor of those struggling with this illness. Our prayers continue for those fighting this devastating disease and for their caregivers and families.

West Branch is very involved in its community. We feel so fortunate that our area churches are so united in the Christian faith that they can work together to offer a Community Bible School for our children. We join with our neighbors for weekly Lenten Services and also Good Friday and Thanksgiving Services. Many of our members hove offered scripture, thoughts and special music for these events.

We feel so blessed with the talents that have been given our youth and their willingness to use them. We are proud to say that we are represented in the Penn State Blue Band, a first for us. We had high school students competing in the district and regional levels of band and chorus. We have stand out athletes in soccer, football, basketball and baseball. Many of them take part in the homecoming and high school theatre productions and we also had one member perform in n local arts studio production of "Hello Dolly". We even have our own little church band that plays at community ecumenical services and for Christmas Eve service! We know we all have God given talents and maybe we need to follow the example of our young people in developing them and using them in our daily lives.

Outreach is also a way our presence if felt in the community. We continue to keep an eye out for our fellow man that can use a hand now and then. Whether it is by way of n food bank, monetary donations or prayer requests we try to carry out Jesus' teachings. We sent money and clothing through the American Friends Service Committee, the American Red Cross and local charities to help the victims of the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. Catastrophic illness hit very close to home as we prayed for three young mothers, two fighting terminal cancer and one fighting heart failure. For months we diligently prayed for their healing but in the end we were forced to accept the fact that that wasn't God's will for their lives. Our prayers continue for their families as they struggle with accepting their loss.

God's call is not only to reach outside of our doors but to offer support to our own. One of our own members was severely burned and spent most of the summer and fall undergoing skin grafts and fighting infections. Through the miracle of God's healing power she has been returned to good health again and we are very happy to enjoy her company at meeting again. If a need arises of any kind we try to be there to support our members in any way we can.

Quaker Women continues to meet each month from September until their Mother-Daughter Banquet in May. They serve dinners to a few small organizations to fund the packing fruit baskets for the elderly at Christmas. Our graduates are honored each June with a breakfast and n bible. Volleyball, baseball and horseshoes were enjoyed at the local ball field last fall when we gathered for n day of food and fellowship. We also continue to support the Jesse Tree Project which provides Christmas for those less fortunate.

As we came to celebrate the Birth of Christ, we were invited to take a trip similar to that of Mary and Joseph over 2000 years ago. One snowy December evening we traveled throughout the community in search of a meal and a place to get in out of the cold. From one home to another we were continually turned away only to end up in n barn sitting among the hay with a horse, n cow and n sheep to witness a very moving portrayal of Christ's birth. From the "little angels" in the hayloft to n kitten's soft mew, the sights, sounds and feelings experienced this night were very humbling to all in attendance.

The lift our hearts received after taking this trip carried us right through the season and to our Christmas Eve service. As we see the wonder and excitement in the children's eyes and the peaceful contentment of our older members, we sing "Silent Night" in the candle light and let the Spirit's presence fill us all as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

West Branch Friends find it necessary to stray from the fold a bit when it comes to the War in Iraq. We deem it necessary to continually support our troops through prayer and we are very thankful to have welcomed home one of our own who served in Iraq protecting our freedoms and liberties. Through efforts and sacrifices from people such as these we are able to live in n nation where we have the choice to worship and to speak freely. It is the hope of West Branch Friends that all of mankind be offered the same opportunities.

We continue to struggle with making or taking the time to spend in Meeting for Worship. We have our faithful few who stay after First Day School but as a Meeting we are very lax in making this part of our weekly program a priority. Meeting for Worship is the essence of Quakerism and this quiet time is a place all of us need to visit in order to search out the Spirit.

As we enter 2006 West Branch Friends Meeting is anticipating yet another year of spirit guided accomplishments. We pray that even though our numbers are small at times that our individual inner lights continue to shine bright in all we do.