Mountain View Meeting, Intermountain Yearly Meeting
In these queries, the term, “attenders,” refers to all those who attend your worship group, even those who may hold membership in other Monthly Meetings of the Religious Society of Friends.
- What draws your worship group to become a Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends? Why do you feel ready to do so?
- How long has your worship group been meeting? How often and where do you meet for worship? How many adults attend? How many children attend? How many of your attenders are Friends? What geographical area does your group include?
- Do your attenders believe that the presence of God is usually felt in your meetings for worship? How will you nurture the Spiritual growth in your members and attenders?
- Do your attenders understand the Quaker business process, especially in the search for a sense of unity? Do your attenders participate in business meetings? Are your business meetings held in a spirit of worship?
- Do your attenders have sufficient knowledge of Quaker history and Quaker thought for them to use in testing whether a leading is of the Spirit and should be followed?
- What experience do your attenders have with the Society of Friends outside your worship group, with other Monthly Meetings, Regional Meetings, Yearly Meetings?
- With which Disciplines (Faith and Practice) are your attenders familiar? Which do you rely on for guidance?
- Does your group embrace the historic Quaker testimonies and witness, especially the peace testimony, the testimony of simplicity and the Quaker commitment to social justice?
- Is your group aware of the spiritual diversity within various branches of the Society of Friends? Are your group’s understanding of the nature of the Society of Friends and its beliefs consistent with that of Friends in Colorado General Meeting and Intermountain
Yearly Meeting? - Will the Monthly Meeting have a stable enough membership that it can be expected to continue to exist for a substantial period of time?
- Does your worship group have enough members to fill the positions of clerk, recording clerk, and major committees? Are there enough members with sufficient skill and experience that these responsibilities can be rotated, so that no Friend carries too much of the burden? How will you choose your “officers”?
- Are your attenders familiar with the process of seeking “clearness” when attenders apply for membership, when attenders apply to be married under the care of the Meeting, or when attenders wish assistance in making decisions? What will be your guidelines and procedures for those seeking membership, once you become a Monthly Meeting and for those seeking to marry under the care of your Meeting?
- Are your attenders familiar with Quaker weddings and Quaker memorial services and how they are carried out?
- Are your attenders ready to undertake the financial obligations of a Monthly Meeting? Have you developed a budget?
- How are records kept? What is your plan for keeping minutes and keeping membership records?
- Are your prepared as a community to undertake care for your members, their personal and material needs? How will the responsibilities of Ministry and Oversight/Counsel be met?