Welcoming Friends help newcomers learn how to encounter and go deeper into Quaker practice and faith and serve as a person of whom a newcomer might ask questions and from whom they might seek spiritual nurture.
Queries for Reflection:
- What support, information, relationships, and/or experiences might a newcomer need as they explore their spiritual path?
- What are the classes, programs, small groups, or educational and spiritual opportunities in our meeting for newcomers to gain a foundation in Quaker faith and practice?
- How can I share my spiritual journey in a way that might provide spiritual nurture for a newcomer?
- How am I feeling called to explore my own spiritual path in order to become more deeply grounding in Quaker practice and faith?
One goal of FGC’s Spiritual Deepening Program is to help both Friends and newcomers interested in Quaker faith and practice gain a good foundation in Quaker tradition. As you seek opportunities to offer spiritual nurture and education for newcomers, consider forming a Spiritual Deepening small group in your meeting or encouraging newcomers to participate in a Spiritual Deepening eRetreat.
Suggested Resources to Recommend to Newcomers:
QuakerSpeak is a Quaker YouTube channel. Friends of all different backgrounds speak about the core questions of our faith.
Friends General Conference is happy to provide these Newcomers Cards, a series of free printable cards for your meeting to distribute. Topics include: Quaker Testimonies, How Quaker Meeting Works, Quakers and Prayer, What Do Quakers Believe, You are Welcome Here, and Quaker Worship
In seven letters to a fictional correspondent, Steve Chase describes his spiritual journey among Quakers. The writer introduces the Quaker way to a newcomer in language that is personal and gentle, while offering powerful inspiration through stories.
► Quakers: A Very Short Introduction
Here is the perfect introductory guide to the history and ideas of the Quakers, one of the world’s most fascinating and enigmatic religious groups, by Ben Pink Dandelion.
► The Quaker Way, by Friends General Conference
► Living the Quaker Way: Timeless Wisdom for a Better Life Today
In Living the Quaker Way, Philip Gulley shows how Quaker values provide real solutions to many of our most pressing contemporary challenges.
► An Introduction to Quaker Testimonies (PDF)
This booklet is an introduction to Quaker values and their influence on the work of the American Friends Service Committee. It is an exploration of some of the principal testimonies and practices of the Religious Society of Friends. This examination of Quaker queries is a potentially helpful tool in supporting newcomers as they begin a step into Quakerism.
Since its founding in 1930, Pendle Hill has been a center where Quaker faith is expressed in education – the education of adults for spiritually motivated service. Pendle Hill pamphlets are written from the personal experience, study, and insights of the authors, concerning spiritual life, faith, and witness.
► Online Books of Faith & Practice
Consider giving the newcomer the Faith & Practice from your yearly meeting.
► A Spiritual Reading List for Newcomers (PDF)
Additional suggestions for essential books and pamphlets that may be helpful for newcomers learning about Quaker spirituality.