What can a Quaker meeting do to become stronger, more visible and more welcoming? This question has as much to do with inreach—deepening the spiritual life of the meeting community—as it does with outreach—our message and witness to the world.
Many Quakers deeply long to see our meetings grow – to experience deep and grounded worship, to participate in a thriving and active community life that embraces children, young adults, and diverse voices, and to share the gift of Quaker practice and faith with the wider world. Meaningful growth is about more than numbers and to increase the vitality and voice of the Religious Society of Friends calls for a holistic approach. The resources in this section are designed to address three distinct components of meeting growth: Growing Our Spirits, Growing Our Presence, and Growing Our Quaker Community.
- Growing Our Spirits (Inreach) – strengthening the meeting community, sharing personal journeys, and becoming welcoming and vibrant
- Growing Our Presence (Outreach) – becoming known in the local community through publicity and inviting seekers in
- Growing our Quaker Community (Integrating Newcomers) – welcoming visitors and integrating newcomers into the life of our meetings
The three components of growth – inreach, outreach, and integrating newcomers – are interconnected and equally important in supporting the health and vitality of our meetings.
Often the simple act of thinking about welcoming newcomers, of getting ready to receive them, and of preparing to integrate them into the life of the meeting, will give new life to a meeting.