quaker quest profile

About This Series

There is a great deal of excitement building about the Quaker Quest program of FGC, and many Friends asked that  this eNewsletter share the stories of the program and its impact on the meetings that participate throughout the US and Canada.  This profile is the first in a series, and spotlights the experience of Stillwater Friends Meeting in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

If you are unfamiliar with Quaker Quest, you can learn more about the program here.  In short, Quaker Quest is a dynamic new approach to outreach based on the idea that Quakerism, "a spiritual path for our time," is simple, radical, and contemporary.

As word spreads about the impact of Quaker Quest on meetings, many Friends in small, isolated meetings can't help but think "my meeting's just too small to do Quaker Quest." So I decided to call Stillwater Friends Meeting, a small meeting in Oklahoma, that has participated in the Quaker Quest program.  I spoke with Jan Michael, their Quaker Quest contact.

About The Meeting

Stillwater Friends Meeting is small by almost any standards, with about 20 members, and 8 to 15 people at a typical worship.  It is located in Stillwater Oklahoma, about an hour west of Tulsa. It is in the hometown of Oklahoma State University with its' 45,000 students, faculty and staff.   The meeting wrestles with a number of problems which may sound familiar to many Friends: how best to attract students and younger attenders, and how to build an adult religious education program which supports the spiritual growth of all members.

Exploring Quaker Quest

Jan wasn't sure where he first heard about Quaker Quest, but he did remember that he picked up some materials about it at the 2007 FGC Gathering in River Falls, WI.  He brought it back to his meeting and the discernment began.  It was clear to Jan at the outset that the meeting needed to truly unite around doing Quaker Quest; while he might have carried the greatest excitement for the work, he knew that Quaker Quest would require the meeting to look in the mirror and deeply consider their culture, a process which will only work with complete buy-in.  For quite a while Jan brought up the topic without pushing it too hard, allowing Friends to truly sit with the idea.  

Moving Forward on Faith

After much discernment, the topic came before meeting for worship for business twice. First to consider holding a day-long workshop to learn more about Quaker Quest; second to consider if the meeting should complete the process and hold the public sessions. In both of these meetings two primary concerns arose: money, and volunteers. The meeting's annual budget is about $2,500 per year and supporting the travel costs for trainers and publicity was expected to cost about $3,500. With nine people serving as speakers, and with the need for greeters and other volunteers, it was clear that almost the entire meeting would need to participate in order for Quaker Quest to work. Yet, as Friends worshiped, they twice came to unity that doing Quaker Quest was right for their meeting, with faith that these two concerns would be resolved.

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