Our Calendar
Featured Events
The ILLUMINATE Friends Bible Study “Zoom Only” group cordially invites you to join us this spring on Thursday evenings beginning March 12 at 7:30 pm for our 13-week study Christ in the Stranger and the Outcast.
In Christ in the Stranger and the Outcast we will look at what Scripture has to say about foreigners and others often relegated to the margins of society. Jesus’s words, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35) are at the heart of these lessons. Throughout this quarter we will find that care for the stranger and the outcast is central to the good news of the gospel. Through Christ, God welcomes all people to become full kingdom citizens regardless of gender, nationality, health, ability, or status. Those on the outside are welcomed in, and the stranger is treated like family.
1. Loved (Deuteronomy 10:12–22; Isaiah 56:1–8)
2. Protected (Psalm 146; 1 Chronicles 16:14–27)
3. Hospitality (Deuteronomy 26:1–13; Job 29:2–6, 11–17)
4. God at Work Beyond Our Expectations (Genesis 14:17–24; Hebrews 7:11–19)
5. Welcomed (Joshua 2:8–16; 6:22–25; Ruth 1:14–19; 4:9–17)
6. Worthy (1 Kings 17:8–24; Luke 4:16–30)
7. Faithful (Matthew 15:21–28; Acts 10:1–7, 24–33)
8. Samaritans (Luke 10:25–37; 17:11–19)
9. Restored (Luke 5:12–16; John 9:1–12)
10. Valued (Mark 2:13–17; Luke 18:9–14)
11. Forgiven (Luke 7:36–50; 15:1–2, 11–24)
12. Included (Ephesians 2:11–22; Acts 15:7–20)
13. Making Peace Through Kindness (Acts 17:22–34; Romans 12:9–21)
To purchase your booklet, go to this link: https://www.barclaypress.com/illuminate Attendance each week is not required; feel free to drop in whenever you are able. Everyone is welcome.
Men’s Threshing Together ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Join us for our next in-person meeting on Thursday, March 19 at 7:00pm. See upcoming locations here.
SEEKING FRIENDS ~ Seeking Friends (9 AM, Sundays) is starting a new book study on Sunday, March 22, 2026. The book is Understanding the Maga Movement: Beyond the Trump Phenomenon--Joseph Burello. We chose this book to provide a balanced analysis of the movement's economic, cultural, and institutional roots, distinguishing between legitimate grievance and anti-democratic tendencies.
We provide the books and there's no reading homework, rather we read 15-20 pages together each Sunday. After a moment of reflection, we discuss the section we've read. It's respectful and open to all opinions. You might want to give it a try.
Lunch & Learn: Building Neurodivergent-Affirming Communities ~ Christian Education will host a Lunch & Learn with Sarah Miller on Sunday, March 22 at 11:30 a.m. in the Parlor. A light lunch will be provided, and childcare is available. Please RSVP to Chrissy S by March 20.
Sarah is completing her Occupational Therapy Doctorate at the University of Indianapolis, and her capstone project—close to her heart—focuses on helping religious organizations within Western Yearly Meeting become more welcoming and inclusive of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. Her work encourages a shift away from stigma and “separate” programming toward understanding, meaningful relationships, and full belonging. Practical steps include training leaders and volunteers to safely and respectfully support individuals with I/DD, offering caregivers respite so they can participate in worship, and making simple environmental adjustments such as sensory-friendly spaces, clear signage, and accessible communication. Join us to learn how thoughtful changes and deeper awareness can help our community grow as a place where everyone is affirmed and fully included.
Offering of Letters on March 22~ Bread for the World “is a Christian advocacy organization urging U.S. decision makers to do all they can to pursue a world without hunger. Our mission is to educate and equip people to advocate for policies and programs that can help end hunger in the U.S. and around the world.” By writing letters to encourage political leaders to fund government policies that support food programs, we as a community also become more informed about hunger issues in the local, state, national, and international arenas.
This year our letter writing on March 22 will focus on three main points.
1) Restore, protect, and strengthen U.S. nutrition programs, including SNAP and WIC, that help families put food on the table.
2) Fully fund and strengthen global food, health, and development programs that promote human flourishing and help keep America safe, strong, and prosperous.
3) Pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports farmers, strengthens communities, and helps end hunger at home and abroad.
In a time when Congress seems unable to communicate and/or cooperate with each other and often with their constituents, it is even more important that we continue to remind, encourage, and demand their awareness of the struggles of hungry people in our communities and around the world. We are not alone in this important task. Fifty other churches in Indiana will write similar letters during the spring and summer months to our Senators and their Representatives along with hundreds of churches nationwide, which will also write to their Senators and their Representatives.
Advocating for hungry people is both a responsibility and necessity. When the disciples asked Jesus to send the hungry crowd away, He replied, “give them something to eat.” That is a lesson for us now, in this time and place. Please come to Fellowship Hall after meeting for worship on Sunday, March 22, to write letters. Sample letters, talking points, and form letters, with space for a personal note from you, will be available. A light meal will be provided.
Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us as we discuss A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.
A landmark volume in science writing by one of the great minds of our time, Stephen Hawking’s book explores such profound questions as: How did the universe begin—and what made its start possible? Does time always flow forward? Is the universe unending—or are there boundaries? Are there other dimensions in space? What will happen when it all ends?
Told in language we all can understand, A Brief History of Time plunges into the exotic realms of black holes and quarks, of antimatter and “arrows of time,” of the big bang and a bigger God—where the possibilities are wondrous and unexpected. With exciting images and profound imagination, Stephen Hawking brings us closer to the ultimate secrets at the very heart of creation.
We will gather in the parlor and simultaneously via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on March 31st led by Nancy S.
Northside Congregations for Housing Presentation ~ 'Today, we often think of housing as something earned. Scripture invites us to see it first as gift from God. When we consider those without stable housing, we are not only confronting a social issue but a spiritual one.'
Please join First Friends and other Shalom Zone churches in our neighborhood at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, to learn about Northside Congregations for Housing (NCFH) and how it is supporting the Streets to Home Indy (STHI) initiative to reduce homelessness in Marion County. Get updated on STHI progress and find out how northside congregations are collectively supporting our unhoused neighbors through 'Move-Kits,' advocacy to local and state officials and other volunteer support."
When: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 31
Where: Hosted by The Garden at 7171 N. Pennsylvania St.
Shalom Zone Habitat for Humanity Panel Build ~ Join us Saturday, April 11. for a Habitat for Humanity Panel Build! Together, we’ll erect most of a house at Allisonville Christian Church, which will later be transported to a permanent location to provide shelter for a family. This is a meaningful way to love our neighbors and put a roof over their heads. We need close to 50 volunteers across two shifts (8–10:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.–1 p.m.) with tasks suitable for all ages and abilities. While the build takes place at Allisonville Christian Church, this is a collaborative Shalom Zone project, so let’s come together in fellowship and service. Sign up for a shift at indyhabitat.volunteerhub.com/vv2/lp/ShalomZone.
2026 Linda Lee Spirituality Retreat: Register now! ~ Registration now open for our annual Linda Lee Spirituality Retreat! It will be held on Saturday, May 2, from 10am–4pm at Seton Cove Retreat Center. This year’s theme is Embodying a Prophetic Spirituality: Learning from the Old Testament Prophets Today. Together, we’ll explore what the biblical prophets can teach us about deepening our relationship with the Divine in turbulent times—how they learned to hear God’s whisper amid the noise, and how they found the courage to stand and speak with faithfulness.
Our presenter this year is Rev. Dr. Tim McNinch, Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis and Director of the Master of Theological Studies program. An ordained Presbyterian minister with a rich and varied church background, Dr. McNinch brings both scholarly depth and pastoral warmth to his work. Register now! The cost will be $40, with scholarships available. We hope you’ll plan to join us for this meaningful day of reflection and learning. See and share the flyer here!
Oak Leaf meets on the last Tuesday of the month in the Parlor. If you’d like to be on the monthly email list, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. Here is the 2026 book list:
January 27 ~ Wintering by Katherine May
February 24 ~ The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall
March 31 ~ A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
April 28 ~ The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
May 26 ~ Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green
June 30 ~ Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
July 28 ~ Twice: A Novel by Mitch Albom
August 25 ~ West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
September 29 ~ My Friends by Fredrik Backman
October 27 ~ What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
November 24 ~ A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst
December 29 ~ A Home in the Woods by Howard Johnson