This activity invites a group to explore what it means to be a Quaker and to belong to the Quaker community. Together, participants reflect on what lies at the heart of the Quaker way. These conversations can strengthen connections between newcomers and longtime Friends. They can also spark meaningful discussions about our shared faith experience.

Materials: flipchart paper, 5-8 sticky notes per participant, pens

Plan for this activity to take between 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the group.

Draw a large Q on a piece of flipchart paper and place it in the center of the room. Then explain that the Q represents the Quaker Way and being a Quaker.

Hand out the sticky notes and pens. Ask participants to write what they associate with Quakerism and being a Quaker. Encourage both serious and lighthearted responses. Remind everyone that there are no wrong answers.

Invite participants to place their sticky notes around the Q. Put the notes closest to the Q if they strongly associate them with being a Quaker. Meanwhile, place less closely related ideas farther away.

Reflect: Give everyone time to visit the flipchart page in silence and to read all the responses.

Discuss: Return to the large group and ask what participants notice. Then invite them to explain why they wrote certain ideas or placed their notes in particular locations. Again, remind everyone that there are no wrong answers. This is a time for curiosity, not argument or judgment.

Going deeper: If each individual had to leave just one note, which would it be?  What, for them, is the one thing they most associate with being a Quaker?   

Notice: Different people have different answers.  How do we listen to and honor diversity in our meetings?

Adapted with permission from the Sharing Our Journeys resource developed by Friends in Britain Yearly Meeting.