Friends General Conference

Together we nurture the spiritual vitality of Friends

Online Worship Opportunities

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Resources for Friends and Meetings during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Marta Rusek, Communications Manager | 5/06/20
 

Even when we worship apart, together we are Friends!

FGC created this resource for Friends, Quaker newcomers, and spiritual seekers who want to worship online with Friends during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. 

 

By registering and participating in the virtual opportunities below, you agree to help foster a harassment-free space for all participants. Read FGC's Harassment Policy here.

Meeting for Worship Open to All Friends and Spiritual Seekers

FGC is offering weekly meetings for worship on Saturdays at 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific. FGC staff will email you the Zoom login information upon registration. You'll be able to join with the Zoom app on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, or you can call in for audio-only.

To join us for weekly worship open to all, please register:

Register here

 

Meeting for Worship and Worship Sharing for People of Color

To encourage community and a stronger connection to Spirit in a safe space, Friends General Conference began hosting virtual worships for People of Color in 2018. FGC established this practice as a result of a request by Friends of Color who participated in a retreat that summer. During that weekend Friends of Color expressed their pain of feeling oppressed in their meeting which caused them to stop attending. These Friends were clear that Quakerism and worship was core to their lives and wanted an opportunity to continue to worship in community. FGC agreed to support these Friends with providing monthly virtual worships on Zoom. These worships are provided as a place for Friends of Color to come together in community and worship in an environment with Friends who experience marginalization in their lives and Quaker meetings because they are a Person of Color.

During this time of the global COVID-19 pandemic, FGC has agreed to offer these virtual worships on a weekly basis. The weekly virtual worships will be held on Wednesdays at 1:00 PM EDT/12:00 PM CDT/ 11:00 AM MDT/10:00 AM PDT. These weekly worships will be in addition to the already-scheduled monthly meetings for worship, which happen on the third Sunday of each month at 8:00 PM EDT/7:00 PM CDT/6:00 PM MDT/5:00 PM PDT.

If you identify as a Person of Color and would like to join us for our worship, please complete this form:

Register here

 

FGC's Ministry on Racism is also holding a weekly worship sharing among Friends of Color. These weekly Worship Sharing spaces will be held on Tuesdays at 5 pm EDT/4 pm CDT/3 pm MT/2 pm PDT. The space will be in the care of a rotating team of leaders.

If you identify as a Person of Color and would like to join weekly worship sharing, please complete the form below:

Register to participate

 
Find out why FGC created virtual spaces for Friends of Color only by reading the following article from The Arrow.

Worship Sharing Groups for LGBTQ+ Friends, Nontheist Friends, Quaker Earthcare Witness, and more

FGC is also organizing worship sharing groups. Worship sharing focuses on a particular question and helps us to explore our own experience and share with each other more deeply than we would in normal conversation. It seeks to draw us into sacred space, where we can take down our usual defenses, and encounter each other in “that which is eternal.”

Some groups are themed and hosted by communities that often meet at the Gathering, and there is an open unthemed group. These are being offered monthly (on the same day of the week and time each month.)

Sign up for monthly worship sharing

 

Worship Sharing Schedule:

Hosted by Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trangender, and Queer Concerns (FLGBTQC): Mondays (April 27, May 25, June 22) at 8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific

Hosted by Nontheist Friends: Tuesdays (April 28, May 26, June 24) at 8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific

Hosted by Quaker Earthcare Witness: Wednesdays (April 29, May 27, June 24) at 8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific

Open Worship Sharing (unthemed): Sundays (May 3, May 31, June 28) at 8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific.

Meeting for Worship Organized by Quaker Meetings and Organizations

Friends and first-time virtual attenders who are interested in worship with Quaker monthly meetings or churches are encouraged to connect with them via FGC's online directory, Quaker Finder. Many Quaker meetings that are hosting virtual worship have shared instructions for how to request login details on their Quaker Finder listing. 

Find a Meeting through Quaker Finder

 

Additionally, Friends and spiritual seekers looking for open online worship are encouraged to check out:

NEW, organized during the COVID-19 pandemic: Friends working recovery programs are invited to join Meeting for Worship with Attention to Recovery via Zoom on Sundays at noon Eastern/9a Pacific. Think Friends' meeting for 12-Steppers or 12-Step meeting for Friends. Semi-programmed worship with attention to the miracle and challenge of recovery. Open to those in any recovery fellowship.

Meeting can be joined via phone call or video conference. For the Zoom Meeting ID, please email considering.lily at gmail dot com.

 

You may also want to explore FGC's Spiritual Deepening Library, an online resource for Friends and spiritual seekers that want to begin a new daily spiritual practice, or for small groups from your meeting or church that want to foster community through virtual gatherings. View the Spiritual Deepening Library here.

Community-Building Opportunities: Spiritual Deepening eRetreats, What Canst Thou Say, and Open House for Friends of Color

An FGC Spiritual Deepening eRetreat is an online opportunity to build spiritual community with Friends and seekers while learning about Quaker thought and practice from the comfort of your own home. Friends and newcomers complete exercises, explore multimedia materials, and participate in weekly group check-ins during each 4 to 8-week eRetreat. Our schedule of Spiritual Deepening eRetreat offerings can be found here.

What Canst Thou Say offers a new twist to the eRetreat format, fostering spiritual community through a focus on worship sharing around the Bible and the Quaker tradition using passages from texts by Friends (and others) and the Bible verses that informed them. This will be a work-in-progress so each week may be different from previous ones. No experience with the Bible or Quaker history is necessary. Everyone is welcome.

Register to participate in What Canst Thou Say now.

Learn more and RSVP.

 

Starting April 24th, FGC's Ministry on Racism Program is hosting a Virtual Open House for Friends of Color every other Friday night, from 7:00 - 9:00 PM EDT. This is an unstructured space as a time for Friends of Color to spend time together. Participants are invited to come to share how they're feeling, a song, dance, poetry, story or something that is meaningful. Friends are not expected to be present for the full two hours. It is an event that is fluid, you can spend 5 minutes or the full two hours with us. We can also provide an opportunity for folks to spend time together in a breakout group just talking. We are excited for everyone to come together and enjoy each other's company!

FGC requires that all attendees must have registered for the event (note that this is an event for Friends of Color only). All attendees agree to treat each other with respect. Like all FGC events, we have a no-harassment policy in place during our time together, which you can read here.

Register for the event using the form below. You will receive a Zoom invitation upon registration. This event is free.

Register here