Programs at Michigan Friends Center
Our programs engage members of the wider community in meaningful and enriching experiences. Programs are generally extensions of the Center’s mission, and are designed to offer something for everyone. If you would like to host a public workshop or event at the center, please contact us.
Do you have an idea for a program that you would like to see hosted at MFC? Are you interested in teaching something and think that MFC would be the perfect site for your event? Please email us with your ideas. We would love to hear them.
2024 Winter into Spring Program Schedule
LISTINGS BY DATE- (Click on program names for more details)
DATE |
PROGRAM |
| Saturday, April 6 | Poets of Spirit and Nature |
| Monday, April 8 | Spirit Singing |
| Saturday, April 27 | A Day of Silence and Meditation Practice, led by Carol Blotter |
| Monday, May 13 | Spirit Singing |
| Saturday, May 18 | Botanical Treasures of Friends Lake with Amanda Klain |
To register for an event, refer to its event description below.
For more information:
Poets of Spirit and Nature
an annual conversation
3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 6
Donations joyfully accepted.
Body, Mind, & Spirit — Nature — Poetry/Spoken Word
Come Explore the ways that awareness of Nature hints at Spirit, evoking the deepest and most sustaining mystery of our being.
We will use poems and short prose statements as a vehicle for discussing shared experience of renewal in the silence of Nature. Copies of a dozen writings by various authors, mostly American, including Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, Gary Snyder, and David Whyte will be provided. Bring your own favorites to share, if you wish.
Everyone is welcome. And, yes, we will have refreshments. Donations are welcome, to help with the Center’s expenses.
The Friends Lake Cooperative Community and its meeting place, the Michigan Friends Center, are grounded in spiritual awareness and stewardship of 80 acres of woodlands and water. Recreation and community provide sustenance for our ongoing work for peace, justice, and sustainability.
Botanical Treasures of Friends Lake with Amanda Klain
2:00-4:00 Saturday, May 18
Spirituality – Wilderness Awareness
Join us for a slide presentation showcasing the diversity of plants and natural communities found at Friends Lake Cooperative Community followed by a plant walk where we can make our own discoveries. The focus will be on the native plant species found in the woodlands and wetlands of the property.
Amanda says: “What began in 1995 as a piqued interest in herbs, has developed into a passionate lifetime dedication to all plants, in a diversity of ways, with a particular focus on preserving native species. I have been working professionally with the Michigan flora since 2006, with extensive knowledge in plant identification, native plant propagation, seed collecting, botanical surveying, herbarium work and more.”
A Day of Solitude and Meditation Practice led by Carol Blotter
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on the following Saturdays: February 10, April 27, July 13, and October 19
Suggested donation $30-60 or as able.
Pre-registration requested; contact Carol Blotter at 475-0942.
Body, Mind, & Spirit – Meditation — Fundraiser
Each retreat is an opportunity to enjoy the quiet of the country while practicing sitting and
walking meditation. This day is appropriate for anyone interested in meditation with beginning
instruction for those who request it and lots of silence for everyone. These retreats are
fundraisers for the benefit of Michigan Friends Center.
Contact Carol at (734)475-0942 or cb.meditate@gmail.com to register.
Carol Blotter’s meditation practice draws from dual roots in the Quaker and Buddhist traditions.
She has been teaching since 1999 and has led more than 70 retreats across the United States and
has taught over 80 classes in meditation to spiritual seekers, schools, universities and medical
groups. Carol was a senior teacher for The Forest Way which was Matthew Flickstein’s
organization dedicated to providing retreat opportunities conducive to spiritual growth. She is
the guiding teacher of the Chelsea Meditation Group.
Spirit Singing
7:00-9:00 p.m. Second Monday of each month
Donations joyfully accepted.
Community – Body, Mind, & Spirit—Live Music, Sound, & Voice
Let that still small voice inside you rise up singing.
Weave your voice with others for the joy of it.
We will teach each other simple songs and chants that give voice to our spirits.
All are welcome.
There is no charge for the event, but whenever you can make a small contribution to the upkeep of MFC it will be appreciated.
Winterfest! at Michigan Friends Center
2:00-5:00 p.m., Sunday, March 3
Please register in advance if possible by emailing manager@mfcenter.org.
Community – Nature—Live Music, Sound, & Voice
Nature Scavenger Hunt, Sledding,(if snow), Guitar and Didjeridu Music, Story Telling, Hot Chocolate & Cookies!
“I think we all start to get a bit of cabin fever by late February and here is a chance to wear out the kids on an outdoor scavenger hunt, enjoy music, story telling, and the pleasure of each other’s company. If you are in town, there is no better place to be!” says Pat Hopkinson, program host.
Please preregister if you can by calling the Friends Center (734)475-1892 or email manager@mfcenter.org. If you can’t, we will still be happy to see you.
Dress for the weather!
Pysanki Egg Painting at Michigan Friends Center
1:00-3:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 13 and March 20
Please register in advance if possible by emailing manager@mfcenter.org.
Community – Arts, Crafts
Michigan Friends Center is offering a two-part workshop in the art of Pysanki egg painting.
Pysanki is a Ukranian folk art featuring designs drawn on uncooked eggs, and put through several dye baths. The finished eggs can be kept for years. Traditionally it is done during Lent, the period before Easter. It symbolizes rebirth and new life. No experience required. Questions – text to Johanna Kowitz (734)239-2658 or call or email the MFC office
Details: At MFC, Wednesday afternoons 1-3 on March 13 and 20, 2024. You will want to attend both sessions to complete your project.
Limited space; registration required: Call the Michigan Friends Center (734)475-1892 or email manager@mfcenter.org to register.
Donations to the Center cheerfully accepted.
Please bring 3 white raw eggs and a candle in a holder. Everything else will be provided.
Vernal Equinox Celebration—a multi-generational celebration of balance and rebirth
Tuesday, March 19; potluck 5:30-7 pm, bonfire/circle 7-9 — at the Friends Lake beach fire ring or in MFC, depending on the weather (look for a sign on the MFC door)
Donations joyfully accepted. Please register in advance if possible by emailing manager@mfcenter.org.
Community – Ceremonies, Celebrations & Festivals—Body, Mind, & Spirit—Live Music, Sound, & Voice – Outdoor/Wilderness
We will celebrate the balance of light and dark and the birth of spring with a potluck dinner and a circle in which to share thoughts, poems, stories, songs, knowledge. All ages welcome. If you are coming to the potluck, bring your own place setting (plates, silverware, etc.) and some food to share.
Bring something to share for the circle as well — a verse, a story, a song you like, seasonal lore, or a readiness to partake in what others have brought. What is this season saying to you?
Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight.
An MFC/FLCC collaborative program.
Note: This seasonal celebration had to be cancelled in 2024. We are planning to resume 2024 seasonal celebrations with a Summer Solstice gathering in June.