During the Christmas season and other holidays, Friends Meetings may celebrate as a way to experience wonder and light, rejoice in intergenerational community, and engage in cultural traditions. At the same time, we are called by the testimony of simplicity that is essential to Quaker faith and practice. We celebrate, in part, for the sake of children in our meeting and recognize that when the adult Friends who curate these celebrations are centered, the spiritual meaning comes through for children.

The intensity of the election cycle is an experience both for adults and for the children and youth in our families and communities. Depending on their age, preschoolers to teens may be aware of the anxiety in the adults around them — and experiencing their own anxiety about the outcome of the election in November. This article shares resources and support for adults caring for children and youth.

WALKING IN THE WORLD AS A FRIEND: ESSENTIAL QUAKER PRACTICES by Nadine Hoover provides a foundation for this Online Community Practice Group beginning Monday, Sept 16, 2024. We meet monthly on third Mondays, Sept – Nov to enrich adult Quaker Religious Education for ourselves and our meetings/churches.

Practices like journaling and spiritual companions help us live into the roles of minister, steward and witness, as we tend the inward life (minister), align our outward lives to our inward life (steward), and let our lives speak and tell truths we know, publicly (witness).

These gatherings are for people who meet as companions (of 2-4 members) mutually committed to experiment with allowing the Living Spirit to guide and shape their lives, as expressed in their own words.

Like the Valiant 60 of Quaker history, Quaker religious educators (RE) are reaching out through a Facebook group to connect, share resources and ask questions of one another. Spirit is rising!

QREC slide show introducing our work, our website and our library