New Meetings Project Consultation to be Held in January
In 2012, FGC received a generous grant from the Thomas H. and Mary Williams Shoemaker Fund to finance a New Meetings Project and support the continuation of Quaker Quest. Part of the grant project is a consultation with FGC’s affiliated yearly meetings about supporting the formation of new Quaker meetings and worship groups. The consultation is scheduled for January 18 – 19, 2013 at Pendle Hill in Wallingford, PA.
FGC, formed as an association of yearly meetings and directly affiliated monthly meetings, knows that yearly meetings have differing amounts of resources and distinctive needs. Therefore, it wants to design the New Meetings Project in ways that give yearly meetings the right level of assistance in supporting new worship groups and allows FGC and the yearly meetings to be highly collaborative and effective partners. The consultation is being held to encourage that partnership and learn from the affiliated yearly meetings about their interest, concerns, and present work in this area.
The goal of the New Meetings Project is to make the Quaker way more visible and accessible to seekers in ways serve their spiritual needs and enlarge and deepen yearly meeting communities. Representatives from the affiliated yearly meetings have been invited to gather with other FGC yearly meetings’ leaders and FGC staff and volunteers to share this project and goals and discuss how best FGC and the yearly meetings can work with together on this important project.