Conversation Circles, Quaker Parenting:
Support for these times, Jan 18 & 20
P arenting is challenging – and transformative – for those who approach it as a spiritual journey. No one does it perfectly, yet, as the pandemic grinds on, parents who seek to create a Spirit-led home face hurdles on all sides: at home, school, work and in the community. Many feel overwhelmed and isolated.
Parents and Quaker religious educators are invited to this conversation to explore how to support Quaker parents through meetings, online and resources for family life. In addition to exchanging experience, insights and questions among all present, we will lift up the online Quaker parent support groups now in their second year, and opportunities available through the Quaker Parenting Initiative. You will come away with ideas and connections, as well as new and time-tested resources to enrich Quaker family life.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Queries:
- What does Quakerism offer parents?
- What do Quaker parents need?
- How can we make parenting resources known to parents who may or may not be connected to monthly meetings?
- As a parent, what is your experience of your meeting?
- How can meetings welcome and sustain families in these times?
Conversation Starters:
- Harriet Heath, NEYM, Quaker Parenting Initiative (TUE & THU)
- Emily Provance, NYYM, Quaker Parent Support Groups (TUE)
- Melinda Wenner Bradley, PYM, Quaker Parent Support Groups (THU)
RESOURCES:
Websites:
- Quaker Parenting Initiative: https://quakerparenting.org/
- QREC Faith at Home: https://quakerrecollaborative.org/faith-at-home
Books:
- The Parenting Project: Build Extraordinary Relationships with Your Kids Through Daily Conversation, Amy Alamar and Kristine Schlichting
- Parenting 4 Social Justice: Tips, Tools, and Inspiration for Conversations and Action with Kids, Angela Berkfield et al
- Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child John M. Gottman
- Paths to Quaker Parenting, Harriet Heath, Editor
- Free-Range Kids: How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry), Llenore Skenazy
- Faithful Families: Creating Sacred Moments at Home, Traci Smith
Articles:
- Nurturing Quaker Children in a Small Meeting, Christie Duncan-Tessmer
- Crossing the Threshold: How do meeting communities prepare for and engage in active invitation to families and children? Melinda Wenner Bradley
- A Friendly Welcome for Families: Spoken and Unspoken Messages of Our Meeting Spaces, Melinda Wenner Bradley
- Resources for Quaker Teens at Meeting and Home, Melinda Wenner Bradley
Videos:
- Welcoming Children and Families into Quaker Meeting, QREC series with Melinda Wenner Bradley
- Teaching the Language of Children’s Spirituality, Caryl Menkhus Creswell
Learn more: Visit the QREC Resource Library and subscribe to our announcements
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
Get Announcements
Donate
Attend an Event
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…