A Welcoming Friend is a Quaker who focuses on newcomer experiences. They get to know new attenders, introduce them to others in the meeting, offer support, guide them to resources, and take an interest in their spiritual development.

In many cases, a Welcoming Friend will be good at reading body language. They will find out what a newcomer values and introduce that person to other Friends with similar interests, life experience, or hobbies. A Welcoming Friend may help an introvert meet a new group by accompanying them in conversation, keeping the exchange going, so the newcomer can observe things as they unfold. They may help an extrovert by creating a small gathering with like-minded Friends.

Welcoming Friends deepen the spiritual life of Quaker meetings in several ways. They respond to the needs of newcomers with intention and grace. They build meaningful connections between people within the meeting. At the same time, they invite newcomers to learn about Quaker faith, worship, and processes. Welcoming Friends ask good questions. They may ask a person what they are seeking, what fulfills them, or what they noticed about worship. When these qualities are found in a community of Friends, that group is sometimes called a Welcoming Meeting.

Individual Friends are the bridge between newcomers and the whole meeting community. Friends General Conference offers resources below to support individuals becoming Welcoming Friends. Included in these resources are: