What to Expect at Worship

Your first time at a Quaker meeting

Quaker History and Belief

Quakerism first developed in Britain beginning in 1650s, shaped by George Fox, James Nayler, and Margaret Fell (among other important figures).  

Quakers believe that there is that of God or the Divine (an inner Light) in everyone. We hold the core testimonies of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and 

Stewardship. More background information about the history of Quakers and Quaker belief can be found in our library (a small room off the front foyer) or  on the Quaker Resources Page.

We are an “unprogrammed” meeting, also known as a silent meeting.  We do not have a minister leading worship, and we do not have music, a sermon, or any set prayers. 

It is almost impossible to describe in words what is going on in a Quaker meeting for worship.  Quakers will often use words like “gathered,” “expectant,” “waiting,” but these are only shorthand expressions for an experience that really is beyond words.

Arriving at Meeting 

Arriving at our Quaker meeting, it is likely that there will be someone at the door greeting everyone who arrives.  As you move inside, sit anywhere you like.

We welcome families with children! Children begin the morning in the First Day Room (what we call Sunday School). This room is through the kitchen.   The children and teachers join worship for the last ten minutes or so.

Meeting “technically” begins as the first person sits down, but you may find a little chatter or visiting happening until approximately 10:00 when everyone in the room settles into silence.

You may find it easy to relax in the silence and enter into the spirit of the meeting. Or you may be unsettled by the silence, by distractions or by your thoughts.

Don’t worry. We all find it difficult to settle at times. 

Try, if only for brief periods, to be quiet in mind, body, and spirit.

Worship can be a time of insight, revelation, or simple peace.   

The Silence in  a Quaker Meeting

A Quaker meeting creates a space of gathered stillness or a silence of waiting and listening.

We come together where we can listen to the promptings of truth and love in our hearts, which we understand as arising from God or Spirit. 

Sometimes no one speaks during worship, and the whole meeting can be silent. We are caught up in the still spirit of the meeting, and are trying to come nearer to each other and to God or Spirit.

We do not worship in isolation.  We try to hold ourselves aware of all those gathered with us, uniting in a common purpose, so that the waiting and listening become an act of sharing.

Speaking at Meeting (Ministry)

Sometimes during worship, someone will stand and speak.  This is called ministry, and at its best, it results from a profound feeling of being called by God or Spirit to speak and to share something of real importance with the meeting.

A person’s words should come from a deep place and might refer to a situation in the world that strongly concerns them or to a small, personal experience.  Someone might share something they find difficult or offer an insight into something that nourishes our spiritual life.

Sometimes a ministry will be helpful and even inspiring.  Sometimes it won’t appear to mean very much at all.  The best thing to do is to listen to it and turn it over in your mind.  If it speaks to you, hold on to it, if not, let it go. 

While the Spirit may move your thoughts in the same direction as someone else who has spoken, we try not to respond directly to someone else’s message or to “argue” a different point of view.  Although sometimes a theme or a thread to messages will develop during a meeting.

It is best to let a silence fall between people speaking, in order to allow time for everyone to thoughtfully consider the message. 

We try to keep our ministry concise to be respectful of the silence of meeting.  By custom, a person would only speak once at a meeting.

End of Meeting

After about an hour, one person will shake hands to mark the end of the worship.  We call this “breaking meeting.” 

We then go around the room and introduce ourselves and share any thoughts that may not have risen to sharing during meeting.  We also make announcements of upcoming events. 

After the rise of meeting, we have an informal social time with coffee and light refreshments.  All are welcome to join us! 

Following our social time, on many Sundays, there is a Meeting for Learning or other planned activities for approximately an hour.  See the calendar on the bulletin board in the foyer. 

Feel free to speak to anyone, particularly if you want to know more about Quakers.  Literature and books are available in the library and may be borrowed.

Text taken and adapted from "Getting Ready for Quaker Worship"  and "Your First Time at Quaker Meeting" from Resources for Use by Quaker Meetings from the British Society of Friends.