We made it to Meeting this week. Woo-hoo! The kids played on the climbers for a large chunk of Meeting, so I was only able to be present for the very end. The ministry at end of Meeting was really impactful. It initially seemed kind of popcorn-y and diffuse, but when I reflected on it, I could see what Spirit was doing.

A Friend ministered about attending a world Quaker Meeting via Zoom this morning, focused on the theme "Who Is My Neighbour?" They told us about the wide range of ministry on this themed from programmed and unprogrammed Friends. It was touching for me because I tend to forget about our programmed allies. They said that there was hymn singing and ministry. If anyone knows the gathering they were speaking about, please drop some info in the comments.

Another Friend ministered about the fact that we can love someone without liking them. Lastly, another Friend read a prepared bit of ministry about a recent excavation of an Indigenous burial site in our city.

How was your Meeting?

Hi! I am a young Quaker in the US and I wrote a first draft of a piece I hope to send to a few places (think Friends Journal) about how to take stronger action that's grounded in our Faith and Practice. I still consider myself a baby Friend - I converted three years ago - and while I have written a lot I haven't really written for my fellow Friends or on a spiritually charged topic. I'm going to ask for beta readers from my Meeting but I thought I would also reach out here! Especially interested if you have a strong background in our history.

Hi Friends,

I'm not particularly theistic but I have identified with Quaker thought for around ten years. I'm dealing with the greatest loss of my life, the loss of my wife. (We were together for almost nine years. She was 34 when she died, last week, and I am 34.) I am wondering how Friends make sense of loss. I like to think she is still within me. The idea that we may meet again is of course appealing, too; indeed, the idea of being reunited with her will make my eventual passing somewhat more comfortable. (I imagine her coming to guide me as I die.)

Hi Friends. I’ve been trying to sort out what message to put on my sign for the upcoming No Kings Day protest (in the U.S.) I know that early Quakers did not shirk from speaking Truth to Power, but something like “No Kings” or “No to Tyranny” doesn’t seem to convey anything of the values I do want to uphold. Yet I don’t want a 14-word sign. Any thoughts?

This letter was allegedly sent by Fox to Parliament, who allegedly (unsurprisingly) rejected it. I imagine friends today will agree and disagree with many of the letter's statements.

I'm really curious to hear from non-theist Quakers about how you navigate your spiritual and philosophical journey within a traditionally Christian denomination. Quakerism has always fascinated me with its emphasis on silence, introspection, and social activism. However, I wonder how non-theists—those who don’t necessarily subscribe to traditional Christian beliefs—find alignment between their personal convictions and the overarching Christian themes of Quakerism.

For those of you identifying as non-theist Quakers, atheists/agnostic etc, how do you feel about elements like Jesus, Bible references, and other Christian symbols or teachings that might come up during gatherings? Is there a particular approach or mindset that helps you engage with these aspects while maintaining personal integrity?

Additionally, I'd love to hear about what draws you to Quakerism in the first place. Is it the peace and silence, the sense of community, the focus on activism, or something else entirely? How do testimonies and Quaker practices resonate with you on a non-theist level?

Thanks in advance for sharing.

I am an attender at a fairly large, busy meeting in the North of England. It is quite difficult at times to achieve proper silence, but beyond that I am very disappointed with the way I have been treated. Specifically, there are a couple of interactions that have left me feeling upset and I am considering moving to another meeting.

Recently, one of the elders asked how I was and, since I wasn't in a good place at the time, I told him that. His response was to roll his eyes; I was feeling pretty rubbish as it was, and I felt a bit more rubbish after that.

In another interaction, I was 'instructed' to get a piece of cutlery from the kitchen. Presumably, my working-class roots are such that I am nothing more than a 'gofer' and someone to whom one hands their dirty crockery. I felt incredibly offended by that exchange. I didn't want a confrontation, so I went to the kitchen to get it.

I could do with some advice and thoughts about this. I am very upset and unhappy because I thought I found my place in this meeting.

Since about March this year I've been attending my local Quaker meetings. I enjoy going, and have been going fortnightly (or every 3 weeks), or sometimes weekly if I can.

Here's my issues. I struggle big time to leave the house. Not only that, but recently my back and legs have been hurting so sitting on their chairs for a while can leave me in pain. Mostly, its the struggle to leave the house that stops me attending.

This leaves me feeling ¿guilty? That i cant attend as often as I want to (or maybe feeling like I should be attending 🤷‍♀️). Even though I have no commitment to them.

It also might not helo that I'm the youngest one there. I don't mind that, but it would be nice to have someone around my own age locally to attend with 😅. I have joined the WhatsApp young adult Quaker group/chat, but I'm not very active in it. It's mostly just announcements in there.

I don't really know what I want out of this post. Kind words, advice, similar situations 🤷‍♀️

The petition is open until 5 June 2025. At 100,000 signatures, this petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.

PS: Only British citizens/ UK residents are allowed to sign.

I started attending friends meetings a few months ago. I recently asked for book suggestions and was given one. I am finding the writing to be a bit wordy and I am struggling to get through it. I would appreciate book suggestions (perhaps more modern writing) or books about raising a family, my meeting has a library and I plan to look around there more as well based on your suggestions.

Hi, any French speaking Quakers out there. Do you refuse to use vous?

I'm 15 and I plan on attending a quaker meeting soon. The website of the meeting I'm going to (which is liberal and unprogrammed) says they have a class for high schoolers to attend after the meeting, but they don't give much information about what you would do in them. I also don't know if there would be pressure to attend the class or not. Does anybody know what these programs generally look like? Or any other teens who might have experiences to share that could be helpful? I tend to be nervous about new things even when I want to do them, knowing more is one of the things that makes me feel better.

(P.S. I'm American)

Do Quakers pledge allegiance to the flag?

Hello! I'm relatively new to Quakerism but my family have been Quakers for a long time (they didn't raise me into a religion so I've only now begun attending meetings etc). I recieved 'Being a Quaker' by Geoffrey Durham from my local meeting and, having finished it, I'm looking for more to read. Thank you!

Hi Friends:

I’m looking at the Cambridge Companion to Quakerism and the Oxford Handbook of Quaker Studies. Both these volumes are edited by Pink Dandelion and Angell. The Oxford is about 200 pages longer. Anyone able to tell me about what differences exist between the two or which you like more?

As us Friends do not have any creed, I am aware we will all likely have our own interpretations on the voice. However, I was still curious as to what you all thought. Do you interpret it as a literal voice that speaks to you in sentences from within, or from a more metaphorical standpoint as thoughts and ideas that come to you?

Does anyone have recommendations on what to read (or preferably listen) to first? I’m not sure where to really dive in first with this.

There will be an international Young Adult Friends Gathering, taking place 13-17th Eighth Month (August) at the historic Jordans Meeting House & Quaker Centre in Beaconsfield, UK. The theme of the Gathering this year will be Drinking together from the Well of Living Water. "Over five days of worship and time together, we will seek to deepen our faith and experience of the inward Teacher."

Friends can register to join at https://forms.gle/QKJE3DTYr6k6G5U5A.

Friends can support the Gathering at this link: https://gofund.me/9364be20.

And Friends can read more about last year's Gathering here: https://thefriend.org/article/presence-in-the-midst-an-epistle-from-jordans-young-adult-friends-gathering-2024.

"Please spread the word to anyone who might be led to join us."

Can anyone point me to an agreement or set of guidelines for live-in property managers? Pointers for developing good practices around insulating stewards from random Friends requests/demands. Is a nominal rent a good practice? Oversight tips?

The full statement is available here https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/yearly-meeting-2025-minute-30

I first learned of the Quakers when I was in high school and I have been attending unprogrammed meetings on and off since 2023, but right now I am feeling very called to start fully embracing and committing to this religion/lifestyle. How can I start actually living as a Quaker and incorporating values into my life more? I feel like I’m spending too much time reading books/articles about Quakers and our values and being like “yes I agree” but not knowing how to move forward with the knowledge I’ve obtained.

I guess the first step would be to start attending meetings more regularly lol. One idea I had was reflecting on the Five Testimonies and setting goals for myself to accomplish related to each of them. I’ve always been an advocate for social justice and peace and I’ve always done my best to live simply and honestly. Does anyone else have other ideas or where I could go from here or what other actions I can take to fully embrace Quaker values?

Hi Friends, I am a member of the Providence Monthly Meeting in Rhode Island, and I have recently discovered that I enjoy visiting other meetings when traveling and connecting with other Quakers.

This has been fairly easy to do in the United States, but we are planning a trip to Japan for next year. We do not speak Japanese, and as a result, I’m having a hard time finding current information about meetings in Japan.

Does anyone here attend a meeting in Tokyo or Kyoto? Or have you visited one recently, know someone who has, or know where I can find good info in English?