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

NOTE: FGC offered weekly meetings for worship on Saturdays at 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific until February 27th, 2021. We have now turned it over to an independent group of volunteers.

The FGC-inspired Saturday meeting for worship at 9 pm EST/6 pm PST by Zoom continues on a volunteer-led basis 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 this virtual opportunity, you agree to help foster a loving worship community for all participants. The coordinator will follow up within a week of receiving your 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 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 are on Wednesdays midday at 1 PM EDT/12 PM CDT/11 AM MDT/10 AM PDT and Wednesday evenings at 8 PM EDT/7 PM CDT/6 PM MDT/5 PM PDT. There are also monthly meetings for worship, which happen on the third Sunday of each month at 8 PM EDT/7 PM CDT/6 PM MDT/5 PM PDT.

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

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 MDT/2 PM PDT. The space alternates between 60 and 90 minutes and is 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:

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

Meeting for Worship for Friends of European Descent Confronting Racism

The Ministry on Racism is hosting a weekly Meeting for Worship for Friends of European Descent confronting racism and White Supremacy. As we continue anti-racism work in our home contexts, it is important to stay connected and supported in community. This worship seeks to nourish our communal anti-racism committment. It will be held every Friday at 12 PM EDT / 11 AM CDT / 10 AM MDT / 9 AM PDT. It is in the care of a rotating team of co-facilitators.

If you are white/of European descent and would like to join our worship, please complete the form below:

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:

The Ben Lomond Quaker Center Online Meeting for Worship, which is held daily 7:30 to 8:00 AM Pacific Time.
Friends World Committee on Consultation has compiled an in-depth list of Quaker meetings holding worship virtually from North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-West Pacific countries.
Pendle Hill Online for Worship in the Barn, held daily at 8:30 AM Eastern Time
Cloud Quakers, who hold Virtual Meeting for Worship every Sunday at 6:00 PM Mountain Time.
Western Friend's Quaker Worship and Fellowship Online resource, which organizes virtual worship opportunities from Quaker communities and conference centers by frequency and day of the week.
3rd Day Meeting Worship Group, a virtual Quaker community, holds worship on Google at 8:00pm Central time. Email Karl Malchut for the worship link.

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 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.

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.

Quaker Earthcare Witness Worship Sharing Group

Quaker Earthcare Witness invites you to join our monthly online worship sharing, Wednesdays from 8-9 pm Eastern/7-8pm Central/6-7pm Mountain/5-6pm Pacific, July - November 2021. Come to any or all of our monthly sessions.

QEW (QuakerEarthcare.org) is a North American network of Friends who care about ecological integrity and environmental justice. Join us to respond to queries related to our care for the Earth and how to support each other during these tumultuous times.

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