New Quaker Checklist #50
FGC recommends the following tip for newcomers to the Quaker faith: Attend your yearly meeting annual session to observe and participate in the decision-making process.
Vitality: A Tale of Two Congregations I
One thing I recall about growing up churchy in the 1980s and 1990s was that church was typically nearby, part of the community, and, broadly speaking, a family of families. I grew up in the Greater Tried Stone Baptist Church in the Columbia Heights section of Northwest Washington, DC. Established over a hundred years ago, Tried Stone…
The Complexity of Struggle
Read this evoking poem from Trayce Peterson, one of the co-clerks of the Young Adult and Youth Gathering.
Summer 2025 Litigation Update
In the case of Mennonite Church USA et al v. DHS, the suit that FGC is involved in, a briefing schedule has been set by the court.
Vitality: From the Wizard to the Wiz to the Wicked
Earlier this year, I sent a message comparing the 125th anniversary of the publication of The Wizard of Oz to the 125th anniversary of Friends General Conference, both occurring this year. At the annual sessions of North Carolina Yearly Meeting (Conservative), I continued that idea, reminding Friends that even though the Quaker faith exists in many…
New Faithfulness Resources
Friends General Conference has updated its page on groups that support faithfulness.
Black Fire Live: QuakerBooks Hosts Hal Weaver
In this video, Dr. Harold D. Weaver, Jr. and Dr. Emma Lapsansky-Werner share about the making of “Black Fire.” In the process, they explore topics like segregation in Quaker spaces, liberation, and direct repair for slavery.
Photo Highlights from YAY Gathering
The 2025 Young Adult and Youth Gathering ended on a sweet note. See a few photo highlights here, and learn about the program itself.
Daquanna Harrison
An introduction to Daquanna Harrison, her recommendations for Quaker practice, and how she became a Friend.
Vitality: What is the Fourth of July to a Quaker in 2025?
This week, my colleague Johanna alerted me to a poem written by Langston Hughes. It reads, in part: I swear to the LordI still can’t seeWhy Democracy meansEverybody but me. It reminded me of a speech from Frederick Douglass that I am quite familiar with, in which he asks “What, to the slave, is the Fourth of July?” I…
Sample Questions a Draft Board Might Ask
The questions below can be used to simulate a Mock Draft Board for high school students. This exercise may be useful for students who are considering whether to become Conscientious Objectors. Some questions were adapted from a Handbook for Conscientious Objectors. For FGC’s resources on Raising Conscientious Objector Consciousness Among Young Friends, visit our website….
Anti-War Resources for Young Friends
This is a resource for adults who work with Quaker high school students. It includes six lesson plans with creative questions and activities.