You might have read my ideas on How to Form a YAF Group. It covers the important logistic aspects of getting a group started, at least how they worked for me in my meeting in Denver, but maybe an even more important step is getting the meeting behind you. I don't mean being recognized in a minute or mentioned in the State of the Meeting Report (though our YAF group was and I really appreciated it).

I mean that if I miss meeting for worship, an adult will more than likely go up to a new Young Adult Friend and tell them that there is a group of YAFs in the meeting that have dinners every Sunday, and they might give them my phone number, or take down the person's e-mail address and get it to me later on. I mean that I don't have to do the work of the group. And isn't that how a community should be? All of us pitch in, and spread the work among us so that one person isn't carrying the group. Sometime that can be frustrating. At time people become busy and no one offers to host dinner for a few weeks, so nothing happens, and the group needs a little budge to start back up. Not having nominated leadership sometimes means we miss a good opportunity or lose touch with the Quaker center of the group by being a purely social gathering. But I think the benefits outweigh those struggles. I love knowing that the people who come to dinner aren't there because I cajoled them or persuaded them, but come week after week because they want to be there, because they are getting something out of it. Because Quakerism and community are becoming important to them.

For those of you who aren't surrounded by other Young Adult Friends, take heart. A year before our dinner group started, I was the only person between 18 and 35 regularly coming to meeting. I am a big believer in the power of asking someone to dinner. I believe this dinner group is a large part of why YAFs stick around our meeting now. I'd love to hear your opinion on this. Maybe you think my method is crazy but something else worked for you? Let me know!

Maya Wright Mountain View Friends Meeting
Denver, CO
mayadwright@gmail.com