Children’s spirituality is something we still have much to learn about, is so important, and is something that can change the world. Caryl Cresswell, a recorded minister in Sierra Cascades Yearly Meeting, a member of West Hills Friends Meeting in Portland, Oregon, and...
When four courageous black teens sat down at a lunch counter in the segregated South of 1960, the reverberations were felt both far beyond and close to home. This insightful story offers a child's-eye view of this seminal event in the American Civil Rights Movement....
Honesty and integrity can often require real courage of us! In this classic Chinese children's story, we learn once again that "Honesty is the best policy." Ping was a young schoolboy who loved to grow flowers. He embraced the Emperor's challenge to grow the best...
Say Something takes us on the short but significant journey from being a silent bystander to an engaged community member with small, simple acts of inclusion like acknowledging a new student in a class or sitting next to someone on the bus. Bullying and teasing can be...
This is a tender inspiring story of resilience, friendship, creative problem-solving, and peacemaking set in a refugee camp in Pakistan. After weeks of privation and the arduous journey walking out of Afghanistan to escape the fighting, great excitement fills the camp...
This curriculum is a gem. Designed for 5-7 year olds, it is useful at home and in First Day School. Each lesson is based on an excellent storybook. Kreidler was a Quaker and brilliant educator. His curriculum normalizes conflict as an inevitable part of life in...
Celebrating What’s Already True About Your Children The Quaker emphasis on Truth creates a wonderful jumping off point for conversations with children about special capacities they have (spiritual gifts) and ways those gifts help them to engage with others in ways...
Vocations and Gifts Parents: Is your work compatible with your values? Is the life of the business/institution for which you work broadly in line with the Quaker values of peace, justice, equality, simplicity, integrity, and community? Do you listen inwardly for new...
I Think, I Am! can be a bridge for children from hearing about their gifts to embracing those words and incorporating them into their understanding of themselves. Being able to acknowledge our gifts is a crucial step on the Quaker faith formation journey. "Your...
Our spiritual gifts and our special talents exist at the vital intersection of daily life and divine Love. A key element of our spiritual journeys is coming to appreciate our gifts and to understand that they are given to us for the benefit and building up of our...
"You must be good at something," said Miss Lucinda. "Everyone has a special talent." On the first day of school, Miss Lucinda asks the students to share their special talents. Francesca is a star soccer player, Matthew can catch huge fish with his grandpa, and Candace...
We as human beings need stories. It's this primal part of who we are as a human race — from the very beginning. That's how we have always made meaning. Telling stories, over and over again. Caryl Cresswell, a recorded minister in Sierra Cascades Yearly Meeting, a...
Looking for excellent children’s books to illustrate Friends faith and practice? Start HERE with the Sparkling Still LibraryThing collection, a continuously updated catalog by theme and age group.
Make your Quaker Religious Education come alive! Weave Quaker Activists into your lesson plans bringing a fresh, contemporary voice of lived Quakerism to your Friends Meeting or Church. Use digital technology to invite the world into your classroom in the person of a...
By Melinda Wenner Bradley When a new baby or child arrives in our lives, into our care, we learn to assess their needs: What does my crying child need? Is the baby hungry? Does she need to be fed? Is his diaper wet? What does my child need to help them fall asleep? We...
A biography for younger readers about one of the most influential activists of our time, who was an early advocate for African Americans and for gay rights. Bayard Rustin was a major figure in the Civil Rights movement. He was arrested on a bus 13 years before Rosa...
QREC has partnered with Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) to create materials to accompany five FWCC-QuakerSpeak videos released in 2016-17. The short videos are wonderful places to begin an exploration of Quakers worldwide, including what we share...
A rich collection of useful websites with curricula and learning materials from many different yearly meetings, Quaker organizations and other educational organizations for teaching all ages. Please use the comment section below to suggest other websites that should...
Silver Bullets is a guide to initiative problems, adventure games and trust activities. The activities of this book have all been used effectively by a variety of teachers, counselors, therapists, camp directors and church leaders. All have wanted an effective,...
Kenyan Quakers visit Dartmouth, 2016: Agneta Injairu and Marian Baker. Agneta describes the coming of the first Friends to Kenya. 350th Anniversary of New England Yearly Meeting (Quakers): Rebecca Leuchak (Clerk, New England Yearly Meeting Sessions Committee),...
Quaker Spring Online Retreats: 3 hours each: https://quakerspring.org/ Songs before Sunday Worship Leaning on the Everlasting Arms is traditional American gospel: https://youtu.be/i18H_TDMnGM Guide my Feet, a traditional American Black gospel song performed by Bernice...
Every day can be about creating peace. Here are some multicultural books on peace for Quaker collections......
Policies and procedures for facilitating programming for children and youth in Northern Yearly Meeting. The manual includes: NYM Children & Youth Committee member role description, Personnel policies for youth serving employees, Responsibilities for reporting...
How are we caring for children in our Meetings? We have been given a sacred trust, as Quaker religious educators who work with children and youth, to nurture the spiritual growth of young Friends in a loving and safe community. This conversation will explore child...
The Quaker Religious Education Collaborative (QREC) is an international, cross-branch, grassroots network of Friends sharing a stewardship for lifelong Quaker faith formation through religious education. We formed in April 2014 and now serve more than 300 Friends in our network. We actively engage and support each other across languages and continents. We gather for regional and annual conferences and offer monthly Conversation Circles via an online conferencing platform.
We share leadership as part of our collaborative mission, making decisions using the Quaker ‘sense of the meeting’ process, sitting in expectant, worshipful waiting for the emergence of shared truth. Read more…
Our work takes place in ‘circles’ or small groups of Friends who labor on a common task, usually meeting by video conference due to the geographic diversity of the membership. Read more…
The QREC Resource Library is a place to share lessons and other educational information in support of our work as Quaker religious educators. This library is a forum for curricula, articles, videos and other educational materials on Quaker themes. You will also find principles, policies and procedures to strengthen operation of your child, youth and adult religious education programs.
Find renewal, companionship, and help for nitty gritty issues in Quaker religious education, all the while opening spaces for Spirit to work and listening together for God’s way forward.
QREC holds an annual conference and retreat. In addition we hold online Conversation Circles and post other religious education events as we learn about them.
Online conferences for Quaker religious educators to share about their work. Conversations are scheduled for two sessions per topic to encourage international participation. Join the conversation…
Religious education events of interest to Quakers from all parts of the world. Please let us know about upcoming online or in-person events happening in your area. See the list of upcoming events…
Home is the heart of faith formation for all families. This is especially true for Friends. As an experiential religion, Quakerism is best learned through living in loving community. Indeed, the vast majority of faith formation for our young Friends happens at home in the busy swirl of daily life.
QREC depends on all of us sharing our gifts and skills as religious educators. Here are some of the ways you can get involved…
