Events

This will be a gathering of Friends in New England caring for the nurture of spiritual life and ministry in our local faith communities. 

We will worship, deepen our Quaker practice, share experiences among individuals and meetings and celebrate the various expressions of ministry and Quaker spiritual life in our midst. Whether you are new to Friends or have a lifelong concern for spiritual nurture,

This will be a participatory day—you are invited to roll up your sleeves and dig into this lively and life-giving event.  We will learn from, support, inspire and challenge each other, by lifting up and examining those experiences that have borne fruit and given us spiritual nourishment. Using the metaphor of a garden, we will look at how we fertilize and enrich the soil, break up hard ground to clear space for new shoots and do companion planting for synergies to achieve the bountiful harvest for which we yearn. And yes, how we manage the compost pile of that which pruning that is sometimes required for that which no longer has life. 

Through worship, small group discussion, art, guided reflection and worship sharing, we will together explore the aspects of shared meeting life that support, enhance and enliven our spiritual life and the ministry among us. 

10:45   Breakout groups, followed by worship sharing in the large group

12:00  Lunch with option for fellowship via Zoom

1:00     Interest Groups (see detailed descriptions below)

2:45 Closing program, sharing, and worship

We especially encourage multiple Friends from a meeting to attend. The shared experience will provide companions for each of you as you bring the fruit of new learnings back home, across New England.

This is the first of several planned seasonal gatherings. Future gatherings will engage with the call and challenge of public ministry and the relationship between the minister and the monthly meeting. You can read more about the vision for Spiritual Life and Ministry gatherings 

 You are welcome to participate in one or all of these events.

Tending the Spiritual Soil of Our Monthly Meetings 

we will be offering participants a choice of five interest groups in the afternoon (from 1:00pm-2:30pm). 

If you intend to join a group, please plan to arrive promptly so that the group leader can fully include you in the discussion or other activities.

Below is a description of each offering. 

The access information for each offering is at the bottom of this email. 

Using Art to Capture the Wisdom from Our Experiences Tending the Soil

Using the creative practice of your choice (drawing, collage, painting, etc), we will take time away from screen and reflect on how we can use visual art to express the wisdom each of us holds about how to tend the soil in our monthly meetings. Bring your favorite art materials. This will include sharing and solo creative time. Find out what rises! 

 A Discussion with Early Friends: Do They Have Something to Teach Us Today? 

A look at the history of the early Friends movement: what drew people to join; the organic development of leaders, elders, ministers, and a structure. Then a quick overview of elders and why they were eliminated in the early 20th century and are cautiously reemerging today. What does this have to do with Friends in New England today and how we nurture meetings?

Digging into the State of our “Soil”: The Richness of Recent State of Society Reports

How can we dig more deeply into “soil conditions” in our monthly meetings?  How can we better understand and tend the ground which nurtures our spiritual life?  Although State of Society reports can sometimes feel like a form without much life, Friends’ efforts to put the state of their spiritual life and ministry into words can be revealing and inspiring.  In this interest group, participants will have a chance to look closely at a collection of excerpts from recent State of Society reports from the member meetings of NEYM. There will be opportunities for both individual and participatory practice.  We’ll share connections, new insights, and challenges, and look for nuggets of wisdom to take home with us. 

Contemplative Reflective Practices in Small Groups

During our time together, there will be two different breakout periods of randomized groups of three.  In each group, each person will be encouraged to deeply explore, through responses to repeating questions and shared monologues, their experiential understanding of selected themes that have arisen during the morning session.  This will then be followed by a period of open discussion among the three people.

 A person with a concern for the ministry does most of his or her work in silence, watching with a spiritual eye both inwardly and outwardly. We will spend some time reflecting on 3 autobiographical episodes which illustrate this mind at work in particular situations.  This may open pathways to spiritual growth in ourselves and in our meetings.

___________________________________________________

 will be gathering in our main Zoom location for this event, which we used in the morning session:

https://zoom.us/j/93765834129?pwd=bUE0OUxDU0xGWGNZWmFIWmFqVXVrdz09

​​​+13017158592,,93765834129#,,,,*256955# US (Washington DC)

​​​        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

https://zoom.us/j/92701827140?pwd=QURyc09jRVNxZzAwQkhJNnJvR3FYZz09

​​+16465588656,,92701827140#,,,,*318121# US (New York)

​​        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

https://zoom.us/j/98204337723?pwd=bVhsN0xiNXRUaFozTzl5ak1BSHJmQT09

​​+13017158592,,98204337723#,,,,*644172# US (Washington DC)

Tending the Spiritual Soil of Our Monthly Meetings

How could we be deeply guided by our vision of becoming a truly racially welcoming and inclusive community? Where is Spirit/God leading us? What would happen if we acted as if we were already there?

Join panelists Anna Lindo, Angela Hopkins, Ruth Hazzard and Zenaida Peterson for an evening of story-telling, reflection, envisioning and discussion.

What would our Quaker communities look like if we could truly center BIPOC folks? How would that be different? Why is this important? What are some key steps we need to take to decenter whiteness?

Our panelists will touch on these themes as they tell stories and reflect on our condition as Quaker community with regards to race. After our panel presentation there will be opportunity to engage in discussion in small break out groups and then as a whole group

 (they/them): Zenaida is a mystic, a poet, an organizer, a gardener and a Black non-binary Quaker and poet from the south currently thriving in Boston, Massachusetts and attending Beacon Hill Friends Meeting and Friends Meeting at Cambridge. They work as the Director of Equity and Empowerment and the Recruitment Coordinator for 

 . They also co-founded a poetry slam tournament called 

 that centers on feminine people. In all of this they are an active voice for transforming our communities into softer, gentler and more equitable spaces.  Zenaida is recovering from 2020 through nature connection, seed keeping, making art with friends and caring for their snake, Puppy, and fish, Kitty.

 Angela became a Friend in Nzoia, Kenya; is currently Clerk of Farmington Scipio Regional Meeting in Ithaca NY and just became a member of Christ is the Answer Friends Church, an all Swahili speaking meeting.  Angela is founder and Executive Director of the 

 in Ithaca for Friends everywhere; clerk of New York Yearly Meetings FWCC, on the Board for Right Sharing for World Resources; and was the NY representative for White Privilege Conference in Philadelphia along with Jeff Hitchcock. Her ongoing ministry among Friends is to help the Quaker movement become more faithful and robust by challenging racism and white supremacy. She is also very funny, thoughtful, and gifted.

Anna is Chinese, queer, and was adopted as an infant into a white Quaker family as a child. She grew up in /attended Framingham Monthly Meeting and now lives in Western Mass. Quaker youth programming has been a core part of her life: as a child and teen and now as a Junior Yearly Meeting staffer. Currently serving on NEYM’s Noticing Patterns of Oppression and Faithfulness Working Group, she has a growing awareness of her ministry of talking to white Quakers about race and the racism she experiences in Quaker spaces, which something she has been doing since she was 3 years old. She has worked as a bus driver in inner-city Boston, Quincy and Amherst. She is currently a farmer and produce delivery driver. Also, she loves her chickens and her partner Stefan, not necessarily in that order.

 (she/her): Ruth is a white, straight, Buddhist Quaker and an agriculturalist who developed a farmer-centered vegetable program at UMass Extension. A member of Mt Toby Monthly Meeting in Leverett MA since 2003 , she currently clerks their Race and Class Working Group. Ruth has been pulled deeper into the heart-work of racial justice through the mentorship of Dr. Amanda Kemp and from Ruth's F/friends of Color, who have helped her live the query: how do those of us who are white open ourselves to the reality of the BIPOC experience in this county, while staying grounded in self-care and in love, and learn to embody the transformation we’d like to see happen? Ruth and her husband of 22 years thrive on the work and joy of growing their own food year-round and of their joined family.

 (they/them): Spiritual Director and Founding Member of NEYM’s Noticing Patterns of Oppression and Faithfulness Working Group. With funding through the Obediah Brown Benevolent Fund, LJ both facilitates workshops on decolonizing ourselves from White Supremacy and supports New England Quakers in their anti-racist efforts.

Panel Discussion: Envisioning Quaker Spaces as Racially Welcoming and Affirming

Test: Meeting leader calls

Much of the work of our Quaker meetings, organizations, and communities and done via committee. Committee clerks play a special role guiding groups of Friends into meaningful service while keeping the “big picture” of their committee’s purpose as well as many assorted details in focus. 

Join us for a 2.5 hour workshop on Best Practices for Quaker Committee Clerks.

 In our time together, we will explore both spiritual and practical aspects of committee clerking including:

This workshop is appropriate for new or returning committee clerks as well as Friends considering stepping into a committee clerk role in the future.

This workshop will be facilitated by two experienced committee clerks and workshop facilitators: Sarah Gant of Beacon Hill (MA) Meeting and Nia Thomas of Northampton (MA) Meeting

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.

Best Practices for Quaker Committee Clerks

Will be an interactive 90-minute training  led by Home Group Coordinators Fran Brokaw and Holly Baldwin. The focus will be on understanding the flow and structure of Home Groups this year and will provide an opportunity to experience some of this year’s activities from a participant’s perspective. This training is designed for new and returning Home Group facilitators and may be taken before or after the training workshop on Noticing Patterns.

Home Group Facilitator Training

 — If you find the registration closed, you are welcome to join the waiting list by using the "Contact the Host" link above. Please provide your name and the name of your monthly meeting or other NEYM affiliation.

In this 2-hour participatory workshop — Saturday, July 17, 4-6 PM — we will hear the story of the colonization of this land in the words of Indigenous leaders, Euro-American leaders, and Western historians. We will take part in the story through experiential exercises, and share our responses and reflections in small groups. Together, we will explore steps that we can take to build relationships with Native peoples based on truth, respect, and justice.

 event will help us prepare to acknowledge past harm and offer a sincere apology when 

we assemble (virtually) for NEYM sessions in August

The workshop is appropriate for high school students and adults. It will be co-facilitated by Paula Palmer and Gail Melix, see bios below. 

Pay as led. Choose the amount (sliding scale) that is right for you, including $0. When discerning the right amount to pay, we offer the following guidance:

The last day to register is July 11, 2021.

Roots of Injustice, Seeds of Change: Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples (NEYM event)

Will be an interactive 90-minute training led by members of the Noticing Patterns of Faithfulness and Oppression Group, LJ Boswell and Becky Jones with Honor Woodrow serving as an elder. This session will focus on interrupting microaggressions and actively responding to problematic group dynamics in order to make home groups an inclusive and nourishing environment for all participants.

This training is designed for new and returning Home Group facilitators. It can be taken before or after the training on the 2021 home group structure.

Home Group Facilitator Training C

Home Group Facilitator Training B

On Sunday, July 25, 4-5:30, Gail Melix and Andy Grant will be hosting an extended worship sharing on Zoom in response to the learning experience of the workshop 

Roots of Injustice, Seeds of Change: Towards Right Relationship

. This is expressly for members of New England Yearly Meeting who have ever attended a Towards Right Relationship workshop, online or in person. 

Extended Worship Sharing for Roots of Injustice Participants

Home Group Facilitator Training D

If you are looking for information about the Nurturing Faithfulness program, please visit 

https://neym.org/nurturingfaithfulness22-23

  This is the introductory session of the fall 2021 Tuesday course, 

Exploring Spiritual Practices: Meditation, Prayer and Presence.  

This first session is open to all, both those who have registered for the full course and those who want to sample the webinar.

  We will explore a couple of spiritual practices, discuss the variety of practices available to try, and give attention to the ways that God is inviting each one of us into a more intimate relationship.  A recording of the webinar will be available afterwards.  This webinar will be offered both in the morning, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, and also in the evening, from 7 to 9 pm Eastern Time.

There are many ways to think about and describe God--Creator, the Ground of Being, the Almighty, Spirit, the Light, the Holy One, the Wholeness, Eternal Being, and so much more.  However we think of it, the Divine is already in intimate relationship with everyone and is inviting all of us to become more aware of that relationship and fully engaged.  This empowering connection is our birthright, but from early childhood we have been conditioned to limit our ability to perceive this relationship and minimize our acceptance of the gifts of the Spirit.  Spiritual practices are helpful methods of becoming receptive and aware of the presence and activity of God within us, as well as in others and the world.  There is a huge variety of practices available to us, ranging from very active and involving images, music, and movement, to more quiet, receptive, and contemplative practices.  Some practices are very individual, while others require the participation of a group.  

Exploring Spiritual Practices: Meditation, Prayer and Presence, 

online class time will include brief presentations about different kinds of spiritual practices and opportunities for experiencing and experimenting with various forms of meditation, prayer, and presence.  We will draw upon practices from across the Christian tradition, including traditional Quaker practices, and also upon practices from other traditions, including Buddhism and Hinduism. In breakout groups we will share our experiences in pairs and small groups and listen to the experiences of others.  We will also engage in class discussion and ask important questions including "What or who is God in our experience?"  "How do we experience presence?"  "What is the nature of consciousness?"  "What impedes our awareness of the divine within us and others?"  

No particular beliefs in God, prayer, or meditation are required, only a willingness to earnestly try different kinds of practices, notice what we experience, and listen respectfully to the experiences and beliefs shared by others.

fulfills a requirement to apply for the 2022-2023 Nurturing Faithfulness course, which will be offered at Woolman Hill Retreat Center and online starting in September 2022.  There are other ways to fulfill that same requirement, including a weekend retreat or other classes,  programs of study, or equivalent experience of a variety of spiritual practices.  For more information about the Nurturing Faithfulness program, go to: 

http://woolmanhill.org/upcomingprograms/nurturingfaithfulness/

The Divine Invitation: A Free Introductory Webinar on the Exploring Spiritual Practices Course (Morning)(Online)

The Divine Invitation: A Free Introductory Webinar on the Exploring Spiritual Practices Course (Evening)(Online)

In this ten-week online course led by Marcelle Martin, we’ll experiment with numerous approaches to meditation, prayer, and presence.  Through these experiments, we’ll seek to know more fully the nature of consciousness, our true self, and our connection to Spirit.   We’ll explore how mindfulness, awareness, and communion with the Divine affect not only our inner and outer lives, but radiates beyond us into the world. We will learn which spiritual practices are most suited to each of us at this time.  We will also explore how to make spiritual practices a more integrated part of our daily lives.  We will be forming a vibrant community to go deeper together in our spiritual experience and explore the awesome mystery of our relationship to the divine.

This is the morning section for this course. You can register for the evening section here: 

https://lu.ma/exploring-spiritual-practices

To watch a six-minute video answering frequently asked questions about the course, go

Our online class time will include brief presentations by Marcelle, experiencing different spiritual practices, sharing in pairs and groups, and class discussion.  Most of all, it will involve experimenting with various forms of meditation, prayer, and presence. No particular beliefs in God or prayer are required, only a willingness to earnestly try different kinds of practices, notice what we experience, and listen respectfully to the experiences and beliefs shared by others.

Please note: Registration closes September 13.

Listening Spirituality, Volume I: Personal Spiritual Practices Among Friends 

(available in many meeting libraries and from QuakerBooks).  We will also discuss the Pendle Hill pamphlet 

Those who take the course are encouraged to make time for regular daily spiritual practice of twenty minutes or more.  During this time, you might explore different practices each week.  In addition, each person is encouraged to attend a meeting for worship each week (online or in person) and, as time allows, to visit other online or in-person opportunities for various kinds of spiritual practice.

Course participants are encouraged to meet once a week outside of class with a small group or prayer partner (via telephone, Zoom, or in-person meetings arranged by you).  This is a time to share with each other your experiences of trying out the forms of prayer taught in class, and a time to hold each other in the Light.

Most weeks a chapter of the basic text will be given as homework to read in advance.  For those with the time, ability, and desire to read more, supplemental texts will be suggested.  

Listening Spirituality, Vol I: Personal Spiritual Practices Among Friends

Course participants are strongly encouraged to keep a journal.  Queries are offered for reflection and journal writing during class and outside of class.  The journal can be a good resource for your reflections at the end of the term.

you will be invited to share a reflection about your experience and insights during the course.  Some may choose an alternate way to share their reflections, such as artwork or short video.

The class will become a community in which we enter more deeply into relationship with the Divine through exploring meditation, prayer, and presence.  Our ways of understanding and expressing what we experience will vary.  We will support each other with deep, respectful listening, engaging in spiritual practices together, and holding one another in the Light.

Additional and Suggested Readings include

Exploring Spiritual Practices:  
Meditation, Prayer, and Presence (Morning Section) (Online)

In this ten week online course led by Marcelle Martin, we’ll experiment with numerous approaches to meditation, prayer, and presence.  Through these experiments, we’ll seek to know more fully the nature of consciousness, our true self, and our connection to Spirit.   We’ll explore how mindfulness, awareness, and communion with the Divine affects not only our inner and outer lives, but radiates beyond us into the world. We will learn which spiritual practices are most suited to each of us at this time.  We will also explore how to make spiritual practices a more integrated part of our daily lives.  We will be forming a vibrant community to go deeper together in our spiritual experience and explore the awesome mystery of our relationship to the divine.

A morning session of the course, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Eastern Time will also be offered.

To watch at six minute video answering frequently asked questions about the course, go

(Sept 7) The Divine Invitation; Mindfulness (Breath); Spiritual Longing; Prayer of Gratitude; Journal Writing; Spiritual Community. This webinar is open to all.

Exploring Spiritual Practices:  
Meditation, Prayer, and Presence (Evening Section)(Online)

A meeting of New England Yearly Meeting's Permanent Board, which acts with the authority of the Yearly Meeting between Annual Sessions.

This meeting will include an orientation for new and returning Board members.

Questions? Contact Permanent Board Clerk Leslie Manning (pbclerk@neym.org)

Permanent Board Meeting and Orientation

Do you remember the first time you walked into a place where you felt truly welcomed?

 Maybe someone asked you your name, or invited you to play a game with them, or gave you a really big smile and told you they're glad you're here. Welcoming is a kind of leadership that makes the Young Friends community the loving place we know it to be. Practicing the art of welcoming is one important way that Young Friends practice leadership and create the community they want to live in.

In this two-part online workshop series, we'll learn and practice ways of welcoming others that are authentic, that see them for who they are, that speak to our shared spiritual needs, and that help strengthen belonging in our community.

During the first workshop on October 7th, we will reflect as a group on how the community is doing, learning how to listen for its "spiritual condition" and what to do to respond to it. We'll also do some concrete learning and skill-building about how to use our unique gifts to welcome people into a loving community. Then at the second workshop on October 14th, we'll put it all into practice by collaborating on a plan for how we'll welcome Young Friends at the Fall Retreat! You do not have to think of yourself as a leader to come to these workshops, and you may leave feeling more like one. The only thing you need to bring to these workshops is love and care for this community.

These workshops are open to Young Friends—high-school-age youth living in New England who are Quaker or are interested in the Quaker way.

Registered participants will receive a confirmation email and a Zoom link for each workshop. It is ok to participate in just one of the workshops, but we encourage you to come to both of them for the full experience, if you can.

Email Maggie, Teen Ministries Coordinator, with questions, concerns, or feedback at maggie@neym.org.

Welcoming & Leadership Workshop Series for Young Friends

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:

​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.

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.

is a member of Framingham (MA) Meeting, where he has served as meeting clerk. Morgan is also the Chief FInancial Officer for 

and serves as a member of the Racial Equity and Inclusion Committee of the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation.

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.

Best Practices for Quaker Meeting Clerks

At long last, Young Friends will gather in person all in one place for a day! 

Anyone who is of high school age and is Quaker or is curious to learn more about Quakerism is invited to join their peers from around New England at Framingham Friends Meeting for a day full of joy, healing, reflection, and fun. This is a time for  teens to dive into building community with their peers, explore the Quaker way, and have a respite from everyday life to connect with one another and be spiritually nourished. This day retreat will take place entirely outdoors (rain or shine) and include opportunities to connect in small groups, go for a walk and explore nature, play games, sing, worship, and be silly and laugh. As the first retreat of the year, this will be a time to reconnect, rebuild and strengthen old relationships, begin new ones, and get to know our new group for this year. 

Most importantly, this day will be a time for Young Friends to heal and be joyful together.

All participants, including Young Friends and staff, must be vaccinated in order to attend.

 Several additional layers of precaution will be taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including masking and distancing when appropriate, remaining outdoors, and symptom checks for all participants. Group size is expected to be between 20 and 30 including staff. Specific details regarding Covid safety protocols will be communicated to Young Friends and families after registration. If families need more information to help decide if this gathering is right for your teen, don't hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns!

Register by October 14th. In order to adequately prepare for the safety of the group, 

we are not able to accommodate late registrations. 

In addition to registering here, each participant must complete an up-to-date health and permission form in order to attend. Download the form 

 and either email it to Maggie or bring it to the retreat.

This retreat is 'pay-as-led', meaning families can pay what they are able on a scale from $0 to $100. Families may pay online upon registration, or ignore the online payment portion of this registration form and bring cash or a check to the retreat.

A simple lunch and dinner as well as snacks will be provided, and participants may also bring their own snacks if they wish.

Young Friends Fall Day Retreat

“We are a community—a community in the present, a wonderfully intergenerational community—and we move toward wholeness when we join together and are willing to listen to and learn from each other.” –

“A Witness to Tethers and Transformation,” Friends Journal 2021

How can the Religious Society of Friends gracefully navigate generational transitions and work to raise up young adult leadership in our communities? 

What are the opportunities to live into worship and our lives with one another in new ways through these transitions? 

, outgoing general secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), will reflect on these queries in conversation with 

, executive director of Beacon Hill Friends House (BHFH).

Join FCNL and New England Quakers for this online conversation on Monday, Nov. 1 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. 

Diane will leave her post as general secretary at the end of 2021. During her tenure at FCNL, Diane increased the organization’s outreach to young adults and non-Quakers, developed the Quaker Welcome Center, and acquired the Friends Place on Capitol Hill (formerly the William Penn House), a Quaker guesthouse and center for civic engagement. Nils spent a quarter-century very active in the youth programs of New England Yearly Meeting as a participant and a volunteer. He has amplified young adult Quaker voices in the broad expansion of BHFH's public programming and holds long-time interests in the experience of Quaker youth as they transition to adulthood and in leadership development within and outside of the Society of Friends.

Grace in Generational Transition: Raising Up Young Adult Leaders

November Permanent Board Meeting

This is the second gathering of Friends in New England concerning the nurture of spiritual life and ministry in our local Quaker communities. On November 13th, we will focus on the call to ministry and the challenges of that call. This gathering will take place on Zoom. 

Ministry is a gift to us — to our meetings, to our communities, and to the wider world.

As Friends, we hold that everyone is a minister, or a person capable of ministry (being a vessel for the work of the Spirit). We also know from experience that ministry can come in many forms, and can develop in many different ways and change over time. We can view ministry as occurring on a spectrum, both in how it shows up in the lives of the person called and the multifaceted ways it shows up in our meetings and communities.

But how do we notice gifts and calls to ministry in ourselves? How does it feel to notice and respond to these calls? What are some of the challenges? What are the ways people with a ministry have been supported, or not supported, in their call?

There is among Friends a paradox in embracing the spiritual worth of all while recognizing that some individuals carry particular gifts of ministry. 

How do we constructively and lovingly engage with the tensions that arise from this paradox? 

This gathering is one space to explore these questions together and to consider the opportunities before us amid the tension.

We especially encourage multiple Friends from a meeting to attend, either gathering together in person locally or separately. The shared experience will provide companions for each of you as you bring the fruit of new learnings back home, across New England.

This is the second of several planned seasonal gatherings. You can read more about the vision for Spiritual Life and Ministry gatherings 

 You are welcome to participate in one or all of these events.

The Call & Challenge of Ministry: A Gathering on Spiritual Life & Ministry

Join teens at Wellesley Friends Meeting for an afternoon of fun outside and connection about what it means to be Quaker! 

This local meetup is open to youth in middle and high school who want to build relationships with their peers close to home in a smaller group. We'll eat lunch, play games, get to know each other, and share about what it's like living life as Quaker youth. Those who are new or unsure about Quakerism are especially welcome!

This gathering will take place entirely outdoors, and will include masking according to the comfort level of the group.

Register by November 17th. In addition to registering here, all participants must have a health & permission form on file for this year in order to attend (if you've already attended an in-person NEYM youth program event this year, you should be all set). Download the form 

 and either email it to Maggie or bring it to the meetup.

This retreat is 'pay-as-led', meaning families can pay what they are able on a scale from $0 to $20. Families may pay online upon registration, or ignore the online payment portion of this registration form and bring cash or a check to the meetup.

 will be the point person to reach out to the day of the meetup. Before then, you can contact 

Quaker Teen Meetup at Wellesley Friends Meeting

Join teens at Dover Friends Meeting for an afternoon of fun outside and connection about what it means to be Quaker! 

This local meetup is open to youth in middle and high school who want to build relationships with their peers close to home in a smaller group. We'll eat play games, go on a walk, eat snacks, get to know each other, and share about what it's like living life as Quaker youth. Those who are new or unsure about Quakerism are especially welcome!

This gathering will take place outdoors, and will include masking according to the comfort level of the group.

This retreat is 'pay-as-led', meaning families can pay what they are able on a scale from $0 to $15. Families may pay online upon registration, or ignore the online payment portion of this registration form and bring cash or a check to the meetup.

Quaker Teen Meetup at Dover Friends Meeting

Treasurers, Finance Committee members, and other financial stewards play a special role in the life of a Quaker Meeting. With diligence and care, these stewards manage a meeting’s finances, connect resources to Spirit-led initiatives, and support their faith community in attaining financial sustainability and integrity.

Join us for a three-hour Zoom workshop on best practices in financial stewardship of Quaker Meetings. 

In our time together, we will explore both the spiritual and practical aspects of serving as a treasurer or other financial steward of your local Quaker community including:

This will be an interactive workshop appropriate for new or returning treasurers, Finance Committee members, and others interested in financial stewardship of Quaker meetings. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own best practices and questions.

(sliding scale) event with a suggested fee of $20. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Please note: We are prioritizing participation from New England Friends. We ask Friends from outside of New England to wait until November 1 to register.

 has served in faith-based organizations, first as a college administrator and coach, then as a pastor in the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition, and since 2016 as a Stewardship Consultant at Everence®. In this role, he serves meetings, congregations and non-profit organizations in New England and the upper Midwest and supports individuals in their charitable giving activities. His particular passion is helping individuals and organizations thrive at the intersection of their faith and their finances, viewing financial stewardship as the spiritual practice of money management and generosity.  

Lyle and his wife, Bonnie, live in Goshen, IN, and are the parents of two young adult sons. He received his bachelor’s degree from Goshen (Ind.) College and his M.Div. from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. 

 and his wife, Janine, are Quakers from Newberg, OR. They are parents of four grown children and a grandson.

For the past 35 years, Colin has served the Friends community in various roles—pastor, adjunct professor, Yearly Meeting superintendent, and General Secretary of Friends United Meeting, an international fellowship of Quakers. He has had the privilege of serving as a board member for many organizations and traveled the world visiting and teaching among Friends. In 2018, Colin joined Everence® as a Stewardship Consultant and national liaison among Quakers. In 2021, he moved to part-time with Everence® to return to Friends United Meeting as their Advancement Officer and North American Ministries Director.

Colin received his M.A. from Eastern Mennonite Seminary and D.Min. in leadership and spiritual formation from George Fox Evangelical Seminary. He has published books through Friends United Press and numerous articles over the years. His deepest joy arises in seeing communities of faith join together to know, love, and follow Christ.

Best Practices in Financial Stewardship of Quaker Meetings

December Permanent Board Meeting

Join Quaker teens from the Boston area / east of Worcester for an afternoon of connection and fun! 

After the first meetup in Wellesley this fall, it became clear that there is lots of warm and hopeful energy for Quaker teens to gather with their nearby peers, and we're excited that these meetups can become a regular thing. A meetup is great for middle and high schoolers who want to connect to Quaker community in a small group for a shorter amount of time than our typical weekend retreats. We play games, get to know each other more deeply through conversation and play, we sing, and find out from the group what other ways we'd like to connect on any given day. Those who are new or unsure about Quakerism are especially welcome!

Everyone must be fully vaccinated in order to participate, and those who are eligible for a Covid booster shot are required to get one before joining if at all possible. 

We will spend as much time outdoors as possible, so wear lots of layers and snow gear! We will mask and distance whenever we are indoors, check for symptoms at arrival, and eat snacks outside. 

If enough parents express interest in connecting with one another, then we will also host an opportunity for parents to have their own fun and conversation separate from their teens, hosted by Denny Dart. If you're interested in this, indicate that on your teen's registration and we'll send more details once we have enough parent interest!

Register by Thursday January 6th. In addition to registering here, all participants must have a health & permission form on file for this year in order to attend (if you've already attended an in-person NEYM youth program event this year, you should be all set). Download the form 