FGC’s Young Adult & Youth Ministries program is growing! See below for information about upcoming and recent past programs.
FGC’s Young Adult and Youth Ministries program supports the spiritual lives of younger generations through community-building, leadership development, spiritual nurture, and peer support grounded in Quaker faith and practice. In addition to the FGC Gathering of Friends and Young Adult and Youth (YAY) Gatherings, FGC offers workshops, retreats, and other programs year-round to meet the needs of youth, young adults, families with children, and adults who work with young people in Quaker settings.
Upcoming events and programs will be posted here as they are announced. You can also scroll down to see past program offerings!
2023 Gathering of Friends
Children, youth, young adults, and Friends of all ages are invited to an in-person Gathering of Friends at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon, July 2-8, 2023.
Past Programs:
YAY Gathering – Young Adult & Youth Gathering
YAY! Summer 2022, FGC invited families, young adults & youth to gather in-person in Radford, Virginia from July 6-10, 2022.
Virtual Retreats for Youth of Color
Get up to some good trouble at our Virtual Retreats for Youth of Color!
Join FGC’s Ministry on Racism for quarterly Virtual Retreats for Youth of Color throughout 2022! Each retreat will be held in 3 or 4 90-minute segments on a weekend, and is designed to be accessible from time zones across North America. These youth retreats are for all youth of color through High School age.
FGC’s Ministry on Racism began offering virtual retreats for Youth of Color in 2020. For more information about upcoming virtual youth retreats, please visit this link.
Adult Young Friends & High School Clerks Training
Friends General Conference re-envisioned its Young Clerks Training for 2022.
Now named “Many Hands Make LIGHT Work: Quaker Business as Spiritual Practice,” the goal of this training is to strengthen the understanding of Middle School Friends, Young Friends and Adult Young Friends (ages 12-35) in Quaker Business practices.
The responsibility of Quaker business falls to the entire community, not just the clerks – so we invite all Middle, High School & Adult Young Friends to this training! This is particularly important since the pandemic has interrupted and interfered with Friends’ ability to meet and have continuity of leadership. The more that the full body understands Quaker discernment process, then the more deeply everyone can enter into the process and take ownership of community decisions.
This is a training in 3 parts – two virtual sessions and one day-long in-person session in Philadelphia, PA. We expect that participants will attend all three sessions if possible.
- Virtual: Sunday, March 20 from 3:30-5:30 pm eastern and Sunday, April 3 from 3:30-5:30 pm eastern
- In-person: Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 10 am – 5 pm at Arch Street Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. High School participants are invited to stay overnight at Arch Street for fellowship with guidance from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting youth program staff.
This event is co-hosted by Friends General Conference (FGC) and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PhYM). All participants under age 18 must submit at Youth Health Permission Form to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
Family Place
Family Place is a space for children from birth through 5th grade and their parents & guardians. These 90 minute Zoom sessions include stories, singing, worship, socializing, and hands-on activities.
The next Family Place will be Sunday, 3/20/22 from 3:30-5 pm eastern.
Family Place previously was held November 2020, January 2021 and March 2021.
Spiritual Mentorship Pilot Program
September 2021-March 2022 FGC piloted a Spiritual Mentorship Program for youth and young adults interested in developing their spiritual gifts of clerking, discernment, and community leadership.
The purpose of the program was to nourish & nurture intergenerational relationships that foster transformation and growth and to provide spiritual accompaniment in our lives as Friends and beyond.
This 6-month program connects early-growing Seekers with seasoned-and-still-growing Mentors.
Participant Expectations:
To participate in this program, we ask that you commit to attending an online discernment session in September 2021 and to meet twice a month with your Seeker/Mentor from Fall 2021 to Winter 2022. Each pair will be assigned an Advisory Committee member for support. We will hold optional monthly full group check-in sessions and a Closing Celebration in March 2022.
Application:
If you would like to participate in the program as a Seeker and/or Mentor, please complete an application.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until August 22, 2021.
Interested in participating but can’t serve as a seeker or mentor? We are currently seeking Friends to serving on the Advisory Committee! For more information, read the Advisory Committee Member description below.
Program Information
Program Overview & Policies
Other events
During 2020-2021, FGC experimented with new virtual year-round youth programs. These included:
- Quake that Rocked the Continent: Youth Summits for Middle and High School Friends. FGC co-hosted two events with a variety of Yearly Meetings. The Quakes offered interactive workshops, worship and hang-out times for older youth. Guest artists and activists led workshops on gift discernment and community organizing. The Summits were held December 2020 and February 2021. Click here to read a summary of the December Quake.
- Writing Workshops with Friends Journal: In 2020, FGC partnered with Friends Journal on the Student Voices Project. Friends Journal is now accepting written submissions from Middle and High School youth on the theme, “What has been your personal experience with climate activism and sustainability?” Submissions are due February 14, 2022.
Questions:
For questions about these programs, please contact Marian Dalke, Gathering Youth Coordinator, at mariand@fgcquaker.org
News
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Yearly Meeting News Update – December 7, 2023
Friends General Conference shares the following yearly meeting announcements that may be of interest to Friends in the United States and Canada.
Read More about Yearly Meeting News Update – December 7, 2023 -
Yearly Meeting News Update for October 25, 2023
…apply is August 30. Illinois Yearly Meeting Virtual Meeting for Worship: There is a yearly-meeting-wide virtual meeting for worship every month on the 10th of the month. It’s held at…
Read More about Yearly Meeting News Update for October 25, 2023 -
Yearly Meeting News Update for September 29, 2023
Friends General Conference shares the following news that may be of interest to Friends and the Quaker-curious.
Read More about Yearly Meeting News Update for September 29, 2023 -
Yearly Meeting News Update for August 25, 2023
Friends General Conference shares the following news that may be of interest to Friends and the Quaker-curious.
Read More about Yearly Meeting News Update for August 25, 2023
Events
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God is Within Her: Quakers Experience The Color Purple – Reflections with nova george and friends
Join theologian and FGC staff member nova george for a conversation with a special guest about themes raised in The Color Purple novel and 1985 film. Register for the Zoom event at the button above.
nova george is a dreamer, wonderer, and poet with a deep interest in the Hebrew Bible and the ways faith informs imaginings and realities with regards to community, belonging, and inclusion. nova’s eyes light up in conversation about the pedagogical impact of technology in classrooms, liberation theologies, black literature as sacred text, and ritual and spiritual practice. You might find nova lounging in a Brooklyn café having a cup of herbal tea, singing to a tree in their backyard, or dreaming about the world they hope to co-create with all of you.
Join theologian and FGC staff member nova george for a conversation with a special guest about themes raised in The…-
Thursday, December 14th, 2023 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM
- Virtual
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God is Within Her: Quakers Experience The Color Purple – A Film Discussion
Now that you’ve seen The Color Purple, join FGC Friends for a discussion on the themes that arose! Register now and watch this space for details!
Now that you’ve seen The Color Purple, join FGC Friends for a discussion on the themes that arose! Register now…-
Thursday, January 11th, 2024 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM
- Virtual
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In These Changing Times… Workshops
Friday, January 19, 2024
There are two sessions for workshops on Friday. Each session time is 90 minutes. Some workshops meet only for 90 minute and some meet in both sessions for a total of 180 minutes with a break in the middle.
Workshops meeting session 1 AND session 2
1. Intervisitation: What are we seeking? What are we carrying? What are we bringing back
Moderator: Chuck Schobert. Speakers: Cai Quirk, Debbie Humphries, Julie Peyton
Join the FWCC* Consultation and Intervisitation Program Group and other traveling ministers and visitors in this two part workshop for a rich exploration of how intervisitation helps Friends grow spiritually. Part one will feature sharing from a variety of speakers regarding their spiritual journeys as traveling ministers and visitors to a variety of meetings. In part two, we will spend time worshiping together and sharing in small groups considering what we, as visitors to other meetings, might be seeking, carrying in our hearts, and hoping to bring back. *Friends World Committee for Consultation
2. Movement of the Spirit
Leader: Christopher Sammond
In this three-hour workshop we will explore practices to deepen in our connection to the Source, opening our hearts and spirits to the Divine. Experiential and immediate, not theoretical or dogmatic, we will play with ways to move more directly into the flow of Love calling all of us, and which can lead and empower us as we seek to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Where we touch God and God Touches us,
Workshops Meeting in Session 1
3. Chanting
Leader: Patsy Arnold Martin & Tony Martin
Chanting is entering a river a of sound, becoming part of that river, opening ourselves to a power that is greater than the sum of our individual voices, surrendering to the current that is the movement of Spirit, allowing it to take us wherever it will go. The structure of this workshop is simple: We will sing simple melodies with simple words – each chant emerging from and returning to deep silence. The chants come from different traditions– some may use Christian language, others do not. But the words are not as important as where they come from and where they can take us. If we allow them to, the chants have the power to still our minds open our hearts and stir our souls.
4. Experiments in the Light: Individual Focus
Leader: JoAnn Seaver & Jane Coe
This is an opportunity to explore the inward meditative practice of early Friends. Rex Ambler researched the early writings of Fox in an effort to understand what was Truth and Light and how did it change the lives of early Friends. He found a series of meditative steps that are now called experiments in the light. You will have an opportunity to experience this process, journal and share. Please bring paper and pen. This workshop will offer an opportunity to focus
Workshops Meeting in Session 2
5. Is Spirit calling you to be of service to Friends? – Friends of Color Only
Leader: Nikki Mosgrove
Isaiah 6:8 – Is Spirit calling you to be of service? Do you have a leading? Are you being called to use your gifts in the Quaker community? What are the steps towards discerning and preparing for where Spirit is leading? How do we as Friends of Color respond to institutional harm and barriers among Friends Meetings and organizations without emotional labor?
6. Chanting
Leader: Patsy Arnold Martin & Tony Martin
Chanting is entering a river a of sound, becoming part of that river, opening ourselves to a power that is greater than the sum of our individual voices, surrendering to the current that is the movement of Spirit, allowing it to take us wherever it will go. The structure of this workshop is simple: We will sing simple melodies with simple words – each chant emerging from and returning to deep silence. The chants come from different traditions– some may use Christian language, others do not. But the words are not as important as where they come from and where they can take us. If we allow them to, the chants have the power to still our minds open our hearts and stir our souls
7. Experiments in the Light: Yearly or Monthly Meeting Focus
Leader: JoAnn Seaver & Jane Coe
Description: This is an opportunity to explore the inward meditative practice of early Friends. Rex Ambler researched the early writings of Fox in an effort to understand what was Truth and Light and how did it change the lives of early Friends. He found a series of meditative steps that are now called experiments in the light. You will have an opportunity to experience this process, journal and share. Please bring paper and pen. This workshop will offer an opportunity to focus on your personal spiritual growth. Suggested Reading: Light to Live By: An exploration in Quaker spirituality. Other books by Rex Ambler: Truth of the Heart, The Quaker Way: A Rediscovery on the Quaker Way of Life.
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Saturday has two tracks:
- Next Steps in Becoming an Actively Anti-racist Faith Community
- Changing Structures for Changing Times
There will be 2 workshops sessions for each track.
Track: Next Steps in Becoming an Actively Anti-racist Faith Community
Workshops Meeting in Session 1
Next Steps in Becoming an Actively Anti-racist Faith Community
8. Recognizing Racism and Responding with Actions for Racial Justice
Leaders: Janice Domanik & Becka Haines Rosenberg
Understanding that racism is pervasive in our society, each day we have opportunities to confront racism and support racial justice. What do these opportunities look like? What helps us to take them when they come?
9. Trust Matters: How to Be More Anti-Racist in Our Interpersonal Relationships
Leader: Clinton Pettus
In striving to help our worship communities become more anti-racist, there are several types or forms of racism (e.g., interpersonal, institutional, structural) upon which we can focus our tactics and strategies. While some experts suggest that developing methods and tools against one form of racism will be more effective overall than others, it is essential to note that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to fostering anti-racism. To become a more anti-racist community, we need to develop and use various approaches.
This workshop focuses on interpersonal racism and how building trusting relationships can make a difference in our efforts to become more anti-racist. The primary tool that will be demonstrated in building trusting relations is trust circles. Related to trust circles, we will discuss the importance of deep listening, interpersonal mindfulness, and accountability as part of adopting an equitable and caring social role in all our interpersonal relationships, including those in our worship communities. If we are not willing to do the work that is required to be more anti-racist on a personal level, it seems naïve to assume that we will significantly contribute to overcoming institutional or structural racism.
10. Following a Leading to Help Friends Address Our Racism
Leader: David Etheridge
David Etheridge will share his experience following his leading to address racism among Friends focused mostly on the work of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting Working Group on Racism over the past 21 years.
Workshops Meeting in Session 2
Next Steps in Becoming an Actively Anti-racist Faith Community
11. Recognizing Racism and Responding with Actions for Racial Justice
Leaders: Janice Domanik & Becka Haines Rosenberg
Understanding that racism is pervasive in our society, each day we have opportunities to confront racism and support racial justice. What do these opportunities look like? What helps us to take them when they come?
12 Trust Matters: How to Be More Anti-Racist in Our Interpersonal Relationships
Leader: Clinton Pettus
In striving to help our worship communities become more anti-racist, there are several types or forms of racism (e.g., interpersonal, institutional, structural) upon which we can focus our tactics and strategies. While some experts suggest that developing methods and tools against one form of racism will be more effective overall than others, it is essential to note that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to fostering anti-racism. To become a more anti-racist community, we need to develop and use various approaches.
This workshop focuses on interpersonal racism and how building trusting relationships can make a difference in our efforts to become more anti-racist. The primary tool that will be demonstrated in building trusting relations is trust circles. Related to trust circles, we will discuss the importance of deep listening, interpersonal mindfulness, and accountability as part of adopting an equitable and caring social role in all our interpersonal relationships, including those in our worship communities. If we are not willing to do the work that is required to be more anti-racist on a personal level, it seems naïve to assume that we will significantly contribute to overcoming institutional or structural racism.
13. Workshop in Discernment
Track: Changing Structures for Changing Times
Workshop Meeting in Session 1
Changing Structures for Changing Times
Something’s Not Working
Leader: Emily Provance
When a meeting is struggling, it’s sometimes hard to figure out the right next steps.
Should we be restructuring the committee system? Engaging with conflict? Doing more outreach? More religious education? Laying down the meeting? Do we need to encourage participation from younger Friends? Consider merging with another meeting? Sell the building? Become hybrid? Move to a different neighborhood? Do more? Do less? (And more or less of what, exactly?)
This workshop will focus on a few essential questions that can help meetings discover (1) what the meeting’s condition is and (2) what “faithfulness” looks like now. We won’t focus on specific advice but, instead, we’ll talk about what the options are and how to know which to try—plus, resources that might come in handy down the road.Structure Sandbox
Leader: Susan Loucks
How do we nourish the Vital Seed in what we do and how we organize? Participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to deeply examine Quaker structures and practices, identifying what was important to early Friends, what is similar or different for us now – and playfully ideate and experiment around how we might best continue to keep those values at the center of our life together.
What is a Yearly Meeting For?
Leader: Paul Buckley
The yearly/quarterly/monthly/preparative meeting structure was imposed on Friends living in a very different time and place. The Quaker movement had been the fastest growing religious body in 1650s England – with off-shoots in the other British kingdoms and colonies and in Europe. As a result, it was viewed with suspicion (and some alarm) by others. It was subject to a degree of persecution, but following the restoration of the Stuart monarchy, this was formalized and greatly intensified. In response, a hierarchical structure was borrowed from other religious organizations to help the society survive until toleration could be achieved (nearly 30 years later).
This top-down arrangement has adapted to changes in circumstances ever since. As the outside world changed and the Society of Friends reacted to the new situation, the functions and purposes of yearly meetings have changed, too.
We may be living in another era of cultural transformation that demands new accommodations on our part. Much of the workshop will be devoted to exploring what the society now requires and how we might fulfill those needs. The workshop will largely consist of discussion. Come ready to share your thoughts in this discussion.
Workshops Meeting in Session 2
Changing Structures for Changing Times
Your Turn, Your Story
The second workshop for this track will be an opportunity to discuss what is happening in your Monthly Meeting and or your Yearly Meeting around structure and changes. Share your successes, your challenges, your plans and the things that we have learned along the way. It is a chance to reinvent how we organize ourselves as part of the Religious Society of Friends and to identify those things that might help us to do so.
Friday, January 19, 2024 There are two sessions for workshops on Friday. Each session time is 90 minutes. Some workshops…-
Thursday, January 18th, 2024 All day
- Virtual
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In These Changing Times, How is Spirit Rising Among Us?
Join Friends from North America in seeking what messages Spirit offers us as we explore Spirit led growth and transformation. We will have time to deepen our spiritual lives, share ideas across yearly meetings and explore new ones as we meet remotely.
Registration for this event will open soon.
(more…) Join Friends from North America in seeking what messages Spirit offers us as we explore Spirit led growth and transformation.…-
Thursday, January 18th, 2024 All day
- Virtual
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