FROM THE OCTOBER EDITION OF THE WHITEWATER FRIEND
Contributed by Doug Gwyn - Pastor

Affiliate Membership

There are several in our meeting who maintain their membership in other Friends meetings or other churches, yet whose present involvement is very much here at First Friends. We cherish your activity with us, whether it's temporary or long-term. We understand that there are many reasons why people maintain their membership somewhere else, even if they don't anticipate returning there on an active basis. Meanwhile, students or people with short-term work in the area may be very active with us, but expect to return home in a few short years.

Ministry and Oversight invites attenders in these situations -- temporary or long-term -- to consider becoming Affiliate Members of First Friends (Whitewater Monthly Meeting). It's a form of membership provided by Indiana Yearly Meeting that doesn't require terminating your membership elsewhere. It also doesn't entail an assessment on First Friends to the Yearly Meeting. It's simply a way of saying that First Friends is your present spiritual home. Affiliate Membership is a simpler process than full Adult Membership. I, together with a member of M&O, would like to have a visit with you, to talk about Affiliate Membership. And we would like to have a letter from you, formally requesting Affiliate Membership. It would then go on to the Monthly Meeting for final approval. When your active involvement with First Friends ends, due to moving out of the area, or for whatever reason, we would discuss with you ending your Affiliate Member status.

I would be interested in discussing this option with you, if you would like to explore it. We value your involvement with First Friends. This is one way that both you and First Friends can say that this connection means a lot!