GRFM Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

The first obligation of a Friend is to attend Meeting for Worship on a regular (weekly) basis. The second obligation of a Friend is to attend Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business every month. A Meeting cannot move forward with decisions without the support and input of all Members and Attenders, and in a small Meeting, especially, your voice is crucial.

Friends do not reach decisions by voting, but rather by reaching consensus. The process of individuals submitting themselves to the corporate revelation of God's truth forms the basis of Friends' approach to unity. Friends' way of conducting business is of central importance to the very existence of the Meeting. It is the Quaker way of living and working together; it is the way that can create and preserve a sense of fellowship in the Meeting community. The right conduct of Business Meetings, even in matters of routine, is a vital part of the worship experience.

From Handbook for Grand Rapids Friends Meeting, 2004, p. 1.