SPRING 2009
Quaker Quest is a dynamic new approach to outreach that has brought seekers to meetings all over England. It is based on the idea that Quakerism, "a spiritual path for our time," is simple, radical, and contemporary. Lois and Harry Forrest will present this new idea to us at the March quarterly meeting.
Quaker Quest sessions have been so popular that they are currently offered at Friends House, London, every Monday night of the year except official bank holidays. Two years ago the core group began, upon request, to train meetings outside London. Quaker Quest is now being offered by meetings throughout the United Kingdom and in Australia.
Quaker Quest is a series of public open meetings on Quaker topics, which are presented in repeated cycles. The sessions follow a lively format which engages seekers intently for two hours. During each session three Friends speak briefly from the heart about the evening’s topic. Seekers then divide into small groups, each facilitated by a Friend who makes certain that everyone has a chance to share. The three presenters then offer a second, shorter set of talks. A question-and-answer period follows. The program closes with a 30-minute Meeting for Worship.
Topics for Quaker Quest sessions at Friends House have included: “Quakers and Worship,” “Quakers and Simplicity,” “Quakers and Faith in Action,” “Quakers' Experience of God,” and “Quakers and the Practice of Peace Making.” The emphasis is on exploring our contemporary spirituality. With this in mind they have been careful to avoid topics such as yearly meeting structures and Quaker history, which do not engage most seekers today. Members of the core group attend every session. They emphasize that their sessions have improved over time because they study participants' evaluation forms, because they regularly give each other candid feedback, and because they gain experience as they repeat their cycles of classes.
Monthly meetings decide for themselves how many sessions to present, what topics to address, and when to begin and end. In general, meetings offer three or four topics and repeat the cycle one or more times.
You can find more information at fgcquaker.org/quakerquest/quaker-quest-brief-description.
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Sunday, March 01, 2009 at 12:12 AM
