A Friends meeting is more than an hour of silent worship on Sundays. A vital meeting challenges us to grow spiritually throughout the week. It also gathers us into a loving and supportive fellowship. Within this community, we find sacred space for healing, strength, and renewed vision. From there, we are sent into the world to serve and to witness to transformation, peace, and divine love. As you think about how to build or rebuild your meeting or worship group, you may want to plan your Sunday schedule to include each of these elements:
Gathered worship
Include children when you can. Place a large sheet of paper on a low table. Freezer paper works well. Invite the children to draw what they see or hear in worship. Twenty to thirty minutes of silence may be enough at first, especially with young children or newcomers. In gathered worship, we come together and open ourselves to the presence of Christ, the Inward Teacher. This presence changes us. Expect to grow.
Worship-sharing
Plan regular times for worship-sharing. The guidelines help everyone speak, and help everyone feel heard. Worship-sharing is a great way to get to know each other. It also supports your spiritual life, helps with conflict, and can even support meeting business. You might begin with half an hour of worship and half an hour of worship-sharing until you feel ready for more.
Shared teaching and learning
Choose some Quaker classics to read together. Share what excited you, or what you learned about your own experience. You can include study and sharing in your regular Sunday schedule. You can also choose another time during the week if that fits better.
A common meal
Sharing food builds community. It is simple and meaningful. Soup, salad, and bread are often enough. At first, plan to bring food for everyone. Soon others will join in, and you will have a potluck.
Witness
Your meeting may want to join peace or social justice projects. You may also want to support individual Friends in their witness. Talk together about how you each live out your beliefs. You might read one of the traditional queries from Faith and Practice each month. Share what it means to you.
Community
Community has always been central to Quakerism. Early Friends felt deeply connected through gathered worship. This bond shaped all parts of their lives. They worked, traveled, witnessed, and even suffered together. They cared for one another’s families in hard times. Their goal was to recreate the close spiritual communities of early Christianity. For them, the word “Friend” carried great meaning.
We cannot return to those days. But we can respond to the deep need for community in our busy world. Our meetings create time and space for reflection and spiritual growth. They also challenge us to become a gathered people who listen to one another and care for one another. A holistic approach—sharing meals, telling our stories, and engaging in witness together—may help us rediscover the power and joy that early Friends knew.
Last updated December 17, 2025.