The Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) (IYMC) Annual Sessions have two purposes:
1. To accomplish the business of Yearly Meeting; and
2. To reconnect with old and new F/friends from far and wide in IYMC. We gather together from Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota and beyond.
The heart of Annual Sessions is meeting for worship with attention to business. When we gather in a meeting for worship with attention to business, we do so to create a space for listening and discovery, and to seek the direction of the Divine. We use Quaker process to seek “the sense of the meeting”, a responsibility that includes listening to Truth in whomever is speaking and lovingly holding each other as we seek unity in how we as a corporate body are being guided by Spirit. We hear reports from our committees and on other wider Friends’ concerns. Each meeting and worship group submits a State of the Meeting Report. This is the ongoing history of our yearly meeting.
Although attendance is not mandatory, we encourage you to attend at least some sessions. As we gather for meeting for worship with attention to business we “wait patiently upon the will of the Divine Spirit while conducting business. This assists our meetings for business in finding the loving unity that might never be achieved through discussion alone.” (Faith & Practice of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative), “Advices and Queries”).
Fellowship. Part of the joy of Annual Sessions is connecting with old F/friends and welcoming new. There is time to visit, to walk the meadow and grounds of Scattergood School and Farm, and to share our lives with each other. There is also time for quiet and solitude, should we so desire. Evening Collections are presentations from members of our own monthly meetings, other yearly meetings and national Quaker organizations. They inform and encourage us to grow into our Quaker faith and reaffirm our belief of “that of God in everyone.”
Our Children. Our young people are an integral part of our yearly meeting. Junior Yearly Meeting and Young Friends Meeting provide opportunities for fellowship, worship, learning, service projects and fun!