Inreach is about meeting the spiritual needs of the people who are already part of our meeting communities.

Participating in inreach and spiritual deepening can be a transformative experience for both long-time Friends and newcomers. Vibrant Quaker meetings share grounded worship, deep personal connections, and opportunities for exploring spirituality and faith in action, and inreach provides opportunities for this vibrancy to grow. Inreach contributes to growing our meetings because the visitors that walk through our doors can perceive the vitality, spiritual depth, and sense of connection we share, leading some of them to think, “Ah yes, this could be my spiritual home.”

There is great power in storytelling. To share our faith is to grow in our faith. Sharing our personal spiritual journeys builds community and invites us to know each other “in that which is eternal.” Making time for building these types of connections and being intentional about inviting Spirit into the activities we share as a meeting will increase our sense of knowing each other, nurturing the meeting and sharing a spiritual experience together.

Activities

Additional activities can be found in the Friends General Conference Spiritual Deepening Library.

Inreach-Outreach Queries

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.

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.

Ideas & Queries

The questions in this review were generated to help your meeting explore both inreach and outreach. There are many ways that the questions can be used, including to:

Hold a workshop or meeting retreat and use this as a starting point.
Divide into small groups and assign each group a topic to discuss.
In either case:
- Choose the questions that speak most directly to the condition of your meeting.
- Try to identify small steps that your meeting is committed to following through on.
- Consider using this review yearly to celebrate achievements and plan for new steps.

Community

Do you have a program for children during meeting for worship?
- Is it provided by someone other than parents and new attenders?
- Do you provide childcare for infants and toddlers?
Do you provide opportunities for Friends to mingle after worship?
Do you have regular meeting potlucks, sings or other get-togethers?
Do you make a special effort to invite new or sporadic attenders to such events?
Do you find ways to include newcomers in the life and work of the meeting?
Do you have a system of pastoral care for members and attenders?
Do you get in touch with those who have been absent from meeting?
Do you extend invitations to former attenders?

Communication

Do you have a greeter every First Day?
Do you welcome all visitors equally whatever their age, status or ethnicity?
Do you introduce newcomers in a friendly way?
Do you clearly identify people whom visitors can approach with questions after
meeting?
In your meeting bulletin, do you list FGC programs for newcomers?
Do you welcome visitors to meeting as you would welcome guests in your home?
Do you steer clear of Quaker jargon that may confuse new attenders?
Do you use nametags, or display meeting photos, to help match names and faces?
Do you have a meeting brochure or statement of welcome that you can hand to
visitors?
Do you have a guest book? And a way of follow-up on those who sign it?
Do you offer visitors a chance to receive the meeting newsletter?
Does every member and attender receive a copy promptly?
Do you have a supply of simple literature on Quakerism to offer to visitors?
Do you use bulletin boards to communicate the vitality and diversity of Quakerism?

Vitality

Do you offer programs which nurture the spiritual growth of the meeting?
Does your meeting practice spiritual hospitality?
Do you have regular worship sharing?
Is the atmosphere of the meeting open and accepting to members and attenders?
Is the meeting open to diversity and people with different abilities?
Do you give new attenders a chance to share their spiritual search?
Do you have programs to help new attenders explore Quaker beliefs and practices?
Are you aware how small group activities can enrich the life of a meeting?
Do you make a special effort to include new or sporadic attenders in these activities?
Do you take time to name and affirm each other’s gifts and ministry?
Do you attend to your own spiritual growth?
Are you knowledgeable about Quaker beliefs, practices and testimonies?
Do you take part in the gatherings and offerings of the wider Quaker community?

Outreach

Does your meeting have special events to which you invite the community?
Does your meeting join activities organized by diverse groups of people in your area?
Does your meeting carry out service or social justice projects? Are meeting members and attenders active in such projects?
Do you make an effort to publicize Quaker activities and meeting events?
Do you publicize in media geared to diverse audiences?
Do you tell other people that you are a Quaker?
Do you personally invite others to meeting for worship or meeting activities?
Do you make your meetinghouse available for the use of other groups?

Visibility

Does your meetinghouse have a sign?
- Is it easily visible from the road?
- Does it give the time of meeting for worship and a phone number?
- Does it say that visitors are welcome or “You are welcome here”?
Is your meeting listed on Quaker Finder?
- Do you have a web page with clear contact information?
Does your meeting have an official email address?
- Does it have an Away Message when the point person is traveling?
Is your meeting listed in the campus ministry directories of local colleges and universities?

Last updated December 18, 2025.

Inreach