Dear Friends,

It is a joy to see friends and children dressed up to celebrate Halloween.  In many more conservative churches Halloween is not celebrated for superstitious reasons, but my mother growing up always had wonderful Halloween parties for the church, complete with haunted houses and Halloween treats that were made to look like anatomically correct body parts made of grapes, cheese, noodles and/or shortbread.  My childhood was about being happy we are alive, and the holiday itself was full of ways to make fun of our fear of death. 

Because it is there, our fear of death.  That’s part of being intelligent human beings. For Quakers, we don’t tell you what to believe about what happens after you die. Quakers historically and in modern practice emphasize spiritual life and faithfulness in the present rather than speculating about an afterlife. One thing we all believe is that your life lives on in the wake of good things you have done while alive – How is the world better because you are in it? 

This Sunday, November 1, we will try and honor the meaning behind “All Hallows Eve” (Halloween) by celebrating in a Quaker way “All Hallows Day” or “All Saints Day.”  It is the first Sunday of the month, so we will be having unprogrammed worship.  But our queries will have to do with positive aspects of death —

• What has been passed down to you from others who have passed on: strengths, wisdom, courage, resilience, resourcefulness, creativity?”
• How can we honor our loved ones with our lives and choices?
• How do we pass on their stories and gifts?
• What do we want future generations to know about us one day because of the way we lived?

Maybe there is someone special who has passed this past year, and you want to honor them.  Maybe you have a picture to share of a favorite grandparent, or you can even bring a cookie made from a family recipe passed down.  You can be as creative as you want to be as we honor those who have lived and live on through us. And we center down and open ourselves to leadership of Spirit may we be led to honor the good in our living.

Don’t forget to set your clocks back on Halloween night and to plan to stay to sing songs after open worship on Sunday.

Tomorrow (Saturday, October 31, 2026) there will be a Klamath Alternative Wellness Expo held at the Klamath Event Center, Linman Hall at the fairgrounds from 9-4.  Anna Miles, KFFC attendee, will be hosting a workshop on finding your inner spark at 9:30.  You are invited to come to the  Event Center to learn from her and to benefit from what she is sharing, as well as from others.  Anna is new to Klamath Falls so come be supportive Friends from around town.

Thank you to all who helped clean the church on Monday, October 26: Sue, Bernie, Margo, and Jeff.  We were finished in record time, and the church looked and smelled so great when you finished.  Your hard work is appreciated.

You will find end of the month reports attached to this email.  If we were having meetings for worship with attention to business monthly, you would get your reports before to ready you for the business meeting.  But these monthly reports help to inform you of the things we are doing and what our priorities are in the church.  Please take the time to read them.  There are pastors’ reports and reports from each committee.

There are some minor changes with the Food Pantry this year.  We will be gathering food for Christmas at the Food Pantry instead of Thanksgiving this year as other organizations are providing Thanksgiving boxes.  We are aiming to have a lot to give out on December 22 at the Food Pantry and are asking you to provide the following items before December 20, 2026:

• Stovetop stuffing mix
• Turkey gravy (canned or packaged)
• Cranberry sauce
• Canned yams
• Small bag or box of brown sugar
• Canned green beans
• Cream of mushroom soup
• Canned French-fried onion rings
• Canned whole or creamed corn
• Pickles or pickled vegetables
• Green and/or black olives
• Boxed scalloped potato mix
• Canned pumpkin pie filling (spices included)
• Evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk
• Pie crust mix
• Small can of shortening or small bottle of cooking oil

Also, we are in great need at the pantry for some hygiene items. We currently have plenty of toilet tissue, feminine hygiene products, and baby and adult diapers. However, we are completely out of these essential items:

• Bar soap
• Shampoo
• Toothbrushes
• Toothpaste
• Deodorant

Please bring these items to church and place them on the white table in the entry room.  As Linda reminds us, “They make a real difference in someone’s comfort, dignity, and well-being.”

Lastly, our Transgender Day of Remembrance and our celebration for Friendsgiving are coming up on November 21, 2026, at 2 and 3 PM at the Klamath Lutheran Church.  We will remember Transgender people who have lost their lives to violence in 2025-26 in the Pacific Northwest Region. This is a remembrance and celebration for the whole town, so even if you are not a part of the LGBTQ+ community but are concerned about violence, please come out to be of encouragement and acceptance to other people who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community.  The Friendsgiving (A Thanksgiving-like gathering for the town) will take place at 3 PM.  We at The Friends Church have been asked to bring vegetarian salads to share.  A flier is attached.  Please feel free and, hopefully, inspired to make copies and give them out in your community and family.  Our last event we put together with this group of congregations, The Pride Event in June, went very well, and we want to keep the momentum going.

Thank you for a wonderful fall time so far, and we look forward to being grateful for each other and all we have experienced in the following month.

Sincerely,

Leigh

November 2026

• November 1- 9:00 AM Bible Study
• November 1 – 10:00 AM _Open worship remembering those who have gone before us
• November 1- 11:00 AM singing the songs for the month
• November 4 – 5:30 Music Committee Meeting
• November 8 -11:00 Book Group chapters 19 &20
• November 10 – 5:30 PM – suggested date for Ministry and Care
• November 11 – 5:30 Music Committee Meeting
• November 14 – 9:00 AM Church Cleaning
• November 13 – 6:00 Game Night @ Klamath Lutheran Church
• November 15 – 11:00 AM Thanksgiving Church Potluck at the rise of meeting
• November 17 – 5:00 PM Food Pantry – If you want to volunteer, please contact Alicia Pinkerton
• November 18 – 5:30 Music Committee Meeting
• November 21 – 2:00 PM Trans day of Remembrance and 3:00 PM Friendsgiving Potluck at Klamath Lutheran Church.
• November 22 – 9:00 AM Peace and Social Concerns
• November 23 – Committee Reports Due in the Office
• November 24 – 5:00 PM- Food Pantry – If you want to volunteer, please contact Alicia Pinkerton
• November 25 – 5:30 Music Committee Meeting