Best Practices for Quaker Meeting Clerks
Clerks play a special role serving as facilitators of the group discernment and decision making process in our faith communities. With prayerful holding and active listening, the clerk guides a meeting or other group towards increased understanding of how God is leading them.
Join us for a 3 hour workshop on Best Practices for Quaker Meeting Clerks. In our time together, we will explore both spiritual and practical aspects of serving as clerk of a meeting or other body including:
How Friends' understanding of Spirit-led decision making can inform the way we approach business
How to build and maintain the trust necessary for all Friends to participate in group discernment
How to listen for "sense of the meeting" even amid conflict or over Zoom
The nuts-and-bolts of clerking including best practices related to creating agendas, preparing presenters, working with recording clerks, and communicating between meetings
The ways we can bring our spiritual gifts into our service as clerk and draw out the gifts of others
This interactive workshop is appropriate for new or returning clerks as well as Friends considering stepping into a clerking role in the future.
This is a pay-as-led (sliding scale) event with a suggested fee of $20. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Facilitators:
Daron Barnard is a member of Worcester (MA) Meeting. He has clerked several committees, and is currently serving as clerk of his meeting for the second time. He teaches Biology at Worcester State University.
Morgan Wilson is a member of Framingham (MA) Meeting, where he has served as meeting clerk. Morgan is also the Chief FInancial Officer for The Community Builders and serves as a member of the Racial Equity and Inclusion Committee of the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation.
Nia Thomas is a member of Northampton (MA) Meeting. Nia designs workshops and other leadership development resources for Friends serving as New England Yearly Meeting's Quaker Practice and Leadership Facilitator.