Central to our Meeting community is the Meeting for Worship. Our commitment to attendance at Meeting for Worship this past year has led to strength and vitality, with emphasis on our being part of the Religious Society of Friends. Meeting begins before we arrive, with "hearts and minds prepared for worship." 1 Corinthians 3:16 RSV: "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?"

Several First Day School teachers regretted missing the worship time. We shifted the participation of children from the last 15 minutes to the first 15 minutes of Meeting for Worship, so that teachers and children are able to center in worship before leaving for classrooms.

We have an appreciation that our spiritual journeys are not walked alone, but with our Quaker community. Our adult religious education program is very active, and has included a Spiritual Formation group; a Bible study class on the Gospel of John and the Book of Acts, using the Spears method; and a class that studies Friends writings. We have read books on Quakers and the Second Coming, by Gwyn et al., and Quaker Spirituality, by Douglas Steere. These groups enrich our spiritual lives and the quality of Meetings for Worship.

Responses to the 9/11/01 crisis included a called Meeting for Worship/Prayer Meeting on 9/14, concerns expressed at Meeting for Business on 9/16, a Friday evening 9/28 sharing when Friends were asked to consider their response, and monthly forums on the Peace Testimony. The ongoing forums have included consideration of living the Peace testimony in our daily lives and in the wider culture. Flyers and letters were available for Friends to use in communicating with elected officials. A few members participate in the AFSC vigils in Baltimore. Support for the AFSC project "No More Victims" has been encouraged.

Gunpowder Meeting is continuing to work through the process of finding clarity on the issues of peace, war and a Meeting response.

The older First Day class is studying the life of Jesus, including his ancestors Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. This information has also been used, in part, to help the class understand the genesis of Arab and Jewish problems which affect those groups even today. In direct response to 9/11, the younger class centered on faith in God, and God's presence being with us in times of trouble, as well as in good times. The nurturing of the Meeting's children in or out of Meeting is a mission we continue to seek to improve. Baltimore Yearly Meeting camping programs, Quarterly and Yearly Meetings, and Young Friends gatherings are particularly worthwhile for a Meeting top heavy in members with grown children or no children.

After many delays the construction of the addition to the meeting house finally is underway, much to our delight. We have lost a few members and gained some new ones. As our meeting continues to grow in size we provide activities and gatherings that build a sense of community. Friends faithfully perform the weekly tasks that keep the meeting functioning. We are reaching out to the neighboring community.