Parents are children’s first and most important teachers. This is especially true for faith formation. Grounded, creative religious education is happening in Quaker homes, on walks in the woods, during bedtime routines, and conversations in cars —- one discussion, one query, one storybook, and one project at a time.
Religious educators have long recognized the vital role of parents in the faith formation of children and youth. During this time when the home is so much the center of family life, we want to support parents and grandparents effectively as they seek new ways to weave spiritual nurture and balance into the rhythm of daily life. This Conversation Circle will make space for a rich sharing among Quaker parents, grandparents and home caregivers about faith formation adventures and questions from the home front.
Registration is required:
Tuesday, 4/21, 8:00 PM US Eastern time (7pm CT, 6pm MT, 5pm PT) Register HERE
Thursday, 4/23, 1:00 PM US Eastern time (12pm CT, 11am MT, 10am PT) Register HERE
Facilitators:
Beth Collea (QREC Steering Circle, Dover NH, NEYM) Beth recently moved to Dover, NH where she is a member of Dover Friends Meeting. She served New England Yearly Meeting as Religious Education & Outreach Coordinator for 14 years. Beth and her husband, Jeremiah Dickinson, have four young adult children who were raised in a blended family.
Melinda Wenner Bradley (West Chester MM, PhYM) Melinda is a co-founder of the Quaker Religious Education Collaborative, and currently serves Philadelphia Yearly Meeting as the Youth Religious Life Coordinator. Melinda co-authored Faith & Play:™ Quaker Stories for Friends Trained in the Godly Play® Method and is the Director of Communications and Training for Faith & Play Stories, Inc. She parents middle school, high school, and college age children with joy and the help of coffee.
Resources:
Accompanying Children and Youth:
The Children’s Illustrated Bible. Stories retold by Selina Hastings. Illustrated by Eric Thomas. Dorling Kindersley. Good illustrations. Grade level: 1-4.
Look for the edition that is 7.8” x 10.3”. Printed in 1994 and later, check online used bookstores.
The Power of Goodness: Art and Stories for a Culture of Peace. Edited by Nadine Hoover. Conscience Studio, 2016.
Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God. Sybil MacBeth. Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press. 2008.
Suggested Resource Bibliography for First Day Programs and Meeting Libraries: Books for Children and Youth
Resources for Quaker Teens at Meeting and Home, Melinda Wenner Bradley
To Nourish Parents and Grandparents:
The Bible for Dummies. Jeffrey Geoghegan and Michael Moman, as e-book or from used bookstores.
Listening Spirituality. Volume 1. Personal Spiritual Practices Among Friends. Patricia Loring. 1997.
Our Life Is Love: The Quaker Spiritual Journey. Marcelle Martin. Inner Light Books. 2016.
Nurturing Children’s Spiritual Lives: A Journey of Spirit and Wonder by Melinda Wenner Bradley, Godly Play/Faith & Play trainer
Paths to Quaker Parenting: Using Quaker Beliefs, Testimonies and Practices Edited by Harriet Heath. Quaker Parenting Initiative
An Introduction
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.
Steering Circle
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…
Working Circles
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 Resource Library
Finders Guide, a sampling of the collection
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.
Children's Education
Adult Education
Family
African Quaker Library
Youth Education
Small Meetings
Young Adult Friends
Biblioteca QREC
Events
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.
Conversation Circles
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…
Other Events
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…
Love at the Heart
Spiritual Practices
Discernment
Active Caring
Quaker Family Culture
Finding the Light
Faith at Home
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.
Become a Member
Submit Resources
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Contact Us
Get Involved
QREC depends on all of us sharing our gifts and skills as religious educators. Here are some of the ways you can get involved…