Core Principles

Quaker Quest is a form of outreach that supports Friends in clarifying and speaking convincingly of their faith experience, while simultaneously serving as a powerful form of meeting inreach. It assists a meeting in developing a stronger sense of itself, of what it has to offer seekers, and in the process strengthens the meeting community.

A Quaker Quest public session is a varied and lively program that includes: short presentations from three Quakers, a time of listening to seekers in small groups, a question period, a 30-minute meeting for worship, and hospitality.

Quaker Quest is a way of doing Quaker outreach—where success depends on broad support within a Meeting, thoughtful preparation in advance of public sessions, and the use of extensive publicity to promote the Quaker Quest sessions. Meetings wishing to embark on a Quaker Quest program commit themselves to be guided by the following core principles:

• Quaker Quest affirms that Quakers have a spiritual path for today that is simple, radical, and contemporary.
• Three Quaker presenters speak from their personal faith experience, as spiritual journeys convey information more powerfully than a list of Quaker facts.
• Quaker Quest encourages and supports seekers in exploring issues for themselves.
• A Quaker Quest session always includes the experience of Quaker worship: a brief introduction followed by a 30-minute meeting for worship.
• A time of hospitality at the beginning and end of each session is an integral part of a Quaker Quest program
• Quaker Quest includes a brief introduction to your yearly meeting’s Faith and Practice.
• Session topics are chosen for their relevance to the seeker; Quaker jargon, history, and structures are avoided or touched on very briefly.
• A Quaker Quest program consists of a cycle of weekly meetings held in the same meeting house. Repetition and continuity are important.
• The program is overseen by a core team which meets to plan the meeting’s Quaker Quest. Core team members attend all sessions to give continuity, provide reflection, and evaluate.
• A new Quaker Quest program is started with the support and guidance of an experienced Quaker Quest facilitator.