Remember the true reason for the Christmas Season

The post below is from Seeker's Haven, another Meeting under the Ohio Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. It is a reminder of simplicity, truth, and not getting "caught up" in the commercialism of the season. A direct link is available by clicking here: A Season of Power

A Season of Power

12 5, 2025 |

In the world today there are wars, fraud, murder, unnecessary hunger, hate. These woes are not caused by random events of nature; they come from the evil within our hearts. Worldly power can suppress evil behavior, but it cannot change hearts. But worldly power corrupts, suppression becomes oppression, and the evil in the hearts of the oppressors is magnified by their power.

This season let us remember that One who, 2000 years ago, came into the world with the power that can change hearts. That power can eliminate evil from the world by eliminating it from within us. War is replaced by true peace, fraud by integrity, murder by forgiveness, hunger by generosity, hate by love.

Yet this superhuman power that can work such miracles does not impose itself, does not oppress. Divine power only works in the hearts of those who invite it in. So this season, as we remember the birth of that power, let us not ask for worldly gifts, which will grow old and die. Let us ask instead for that miraculous everlasting gift of a heart purified by the One who delivers from the power of evil and who rules by the power of love.

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Curious about Conservative Friends (Quakers)? Please join us at 44866 Crestview Road Columbiana, OH. We meet at 10:30 am on First Day (Sunday) and 3 pm on Fifth Day (Thursday). Also visit Ohio Yearly Meeting / www.ohioyearlymeeting.org for additional information, resources and events.

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FYI: our Middleton Friends website seems to work best from a desktop/laptop computer. The "sidebar" information does not seem to show up on a phone. The other option is to click over to "web version" at the bottom of this page.

Happy Autumn

 🍁 Happy Autumn! 🍂

This article was in The Vindicator last weekend. It is a great summary of Quakers and the modern need to worship in silence. Here is a link to the article: Vindicator Article

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Recent news:

*The 2025 Minutes from Ohio Yearly Meeting are now available on the OYM website or paperback at Middleton Friends Meeting. Online access: OYM website ( Ohio Yearly Meeting website )--->Printed Materials---->Discipline and recent minutes.-->2025 Annual Sessions.

*Eleventh Month Monthly Meeting was held 11/9/25; Mary Alice Pino (Middleton Meeting Clerk) has emailed the minutes to members. The 4th Query will be considered next month. The 4th Query is as follows:

Believing our bodies to be the temple of God, are we concerned to attain a high level of physical and mental health? To this end are our lives examples of temperance in all things? Do we avoid and discourage the use and handling of intoxicants, tobacco, and improper use of drugs?

All the Queries can be found by clicking here: OYM Queries

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Please join us for worship on Fifth Day (Thursday) at 3 pm and on First Day (Sunday) at 10:30 am.  We welcome everyone! To learn more about Quaker Meeting please come worship with us!

Additional resources are available on the the Ohio Yearly Website  

FYI: our Middleton Friends website seems to work best from a desktop/laptop computer. The "sidebar" information does not seem to show up on a phone. The other option is to click over to "web version" at the bottom of this page. 

Summer updates!

“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”  Matt. 7:18, 20

Ohio Yearly Meeting was held in Barnesville, OH this month at Stillwater Meetinghouse and Olney Friends School. We are thankful to those who helped with the annual gathering and also those who were able to attend. The photo above was taken by one of Middleton Friends Meeting members at the gathering. 

Looking for a good book to finish out the summer? The North Carolina Friends Historical Society  recently re-published Charity Cook- A Liberated Woman.  Originally published in 1981 and was out of print for many years. This book chronicles the remarkable like of a backwoods country woman who rose in the 18th century to become one of the foremost traveling ministers holding the Society of Friends together in what was becoming a new nation. The author, Algie Newlin, has family connections  to Middleton Friends Meeting.  NCFHS Charity Cook

Please join us on Fifth Day (Thursday) at 3pm and/or First Day (Sunday) at 10:30am : 44866 Crestview Road.  More information on Ohio Yearly Meeting can be found at ohioyearlymeeting.org:  Ohio Yearly Meeting

Caring for our community

Middleton Friends Meeting involvement with local charities 

Middleton Friends Meeting donates money to two local charities monthly, the 4C's and the local Way Station. Two meeting members volunteer to help with the 4C's Food Pantry.  The 4C's stands for Crestview Churches Community Concerns. It is managed and supported by churches in the Crestview Local School district. A total of 5 churches are involved. Those include Middleton Friends, East Fairfield Methodist, New Waterford Methodist, New Waterford Zion Lutheran, and Abundant Life Fellowship. Each church appoints two representatives to serve on the board that makes decisions and manage the funds.

    Currently Mary Alice Pino and Rebecca Hawkins represent our Meeting on the board and as volunteers in the pantry. That sometimes includes going up to the Youngstown 2nd Harvest distribution warehouse food bank to pick up pallets of food items. It may involve the stocking of shelves and cleaning the pantry or helping on distribution day, which is the first 4th day(Weds) of each month. People who come for food are not asked to disclose their income, however they need to register. The pantry is required to keep track of how many people come through each month and the ages of all in their household. Usually there are between 100 to 130 people served. Anyone in the school district or attending one of the above churches in the district can pick up food.

     There are two reasons people seem to prefer our pantry. One is because it is a "choice pantry." They can pick out items they specifically want. Other pantries may just give bags or boxes pre-filled with groceries. Some of those items people may not like or use. Consequently those unused items may be thrown away/ wasted. Another reason some people prefer to come to our pantry is that we have a good supply of personal health and cleaning supplies. Soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, body wash, TP, laundry detergent, disinfectant, etc. are available for those who need them.

    We accept monetary donations as well as food donations. Various area individuals and companies have donated as well as area food drives. We have even had a whole beef cow from the fair auction donated.

   

 "If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall you light rise in the darkness, and your gloom be as the noonday."--Isaiah 58:10

Winona Strawberry Festival: 6/22

🍓 It is that time of the year again! The Winona Area Historical Society (WAHS) is hosting the 12th Annual Strawberry Festival on 6/22 from 11:30am-2pm. The proceeds will go towards  Museum and Meeting House projects. 

The Winona Meeting House was part of Ohio Yearly Meeting. When it was "laid down", the Meeting House and grounds were entrusted to WAHS. WAHS diligently remodeled and restored the Meeting House. It now houses a museum and serves as a community gathering spot. 

Join us for worship on Fifth Day (Thursday) at 3pm and/or First Day (Sunday) at 10:30am. 

Spring Reminders

 Thanks be to God who uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

2 Corinthians 2:14

This was shared with members of Middleton Meeting from our Greek friends--a powerful verse to remind us that we are all connected in our big and beautiful world. Spring is a time of renewing. Take time to "smell the roses" and spend time inwardly with God.

Below are a few pictures of spring flowers shared by Middleton Friends......

 

Please join us on Fifth Day (Thursday) at 3 pm or First Day (Sunday) at 10:30 am. 

Curious to learn more about Conservative Friends (Quakers)?  Visit https://ohioyearlymeeting.org/

Upcoming Wider Fellowship of Conservative Friends Gathering: 6/21-6/22-6/23

 

The Wider Fellowship of Conservative Friends is an outreach effort of Ohio Yearly Meeting, creating a safe space for Friends of like mind, or who are curious about the witness of Conservative Friends.

The Wider Fellowship hosts a General Gathering once every two years, typically during the month of June, in Barnesville, Ohio. Though the Gathering is sponsored by Friends from Ohio Yearly Meeting, we hope that everyone, regardless of their Yearly Meeting affiliation (or lack thereof) will feel welcome to attend. We especially invite our brothers and sisters from Iowa and North Carolina Yearly Meetings (Conservative), with whom we share a long and important history.

For the schedule and general information, please visit this link: 

Wider Fellowship Information

or connect directly with this website: 

https://ohioyearlymeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025-WFCF-Gathering.pdf

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Interested in learning more about Conservative Quakers? Please visit the Ohio Yearly Meeting website: OYM website

As always, please join us on Fifth Day (Thursday) at 3pm for mid-week worship and/or on First Day (Sunday) at 10:30am. All are welcome!