Welcome to the Spiritual Deepening Library

Quaker faith and practice began with a question:  "What canst thou say?"  400 years later, asking questions remains the essence of our faith.

The Spiritual Deepening Library invites newcomers, individuals, and meetings to explore the questions that transform lives and take them deeper in the life of the Spirit. The Spiritual Deepening Library offers resources, readings, queries, and activities that support spiritual exploration for individuals and small groups.

The Spiritual Deepening Library is a collection of exercises meant to deepen the life, worship, connection, and witness of individuals and meetings through the exploration of Quaker thought and practice, sharing and deep listening. The Library has materials for adults and children.

Library Contents

The Spiritual Deepening Library is a collection of resources, activities, exercises, and texts that support the processes of Grounding, Sharing, and Practicing. The materials were developed through a collaborative process involving Friends across diverse yearly meetings and backgrounds.

Grounding Materials invite participants to explore scripture and the transformative experiences of past and contemporary Friends to help us deepen our understanding of our Quaker roots and give context to Quaker practices and beliefs.  

Sharing Exercises are opportunities for deep listening and sharing in order to hear the Truth manifesting in others.

Practicing Exercises are communal and individual spiritual practices that encourage deep listening, individual reflection, and opportunities to live out new ways of encountering The Divine in our lives and in the world.

Guide for Facilitators provides tools and guidance for facilitating small groups in a spiritual deepening workshop or retreat. The Guide for Facilitators offers resources for creating connection and community, facilitating instead of teaching, and how to use the materials in the Spiritual Deepening Library with children and adults.

Visit the Meeting Resources page for ideas about how to use the Spiritual Deepening Library materials to go deeper in your meeting.

Exercise Search

Search the exercises according to the length of time each takes to complete, the suggested age range of participants, and whether an activity is newcomer friendly.

Spiritual Deepening for Children

Book lists, activities, and other resources can be found under each topic in the Library. Just click on any of the topics below!

You'll find suggestions and tips for leading deepening activities with children in the For Facilitators section.