If this is your first time at a Meeting for Worship
There is a welcoming Friend at the door of the Meeting House. Tell them that it is your first time, and they will be able to give you a leaflet which explains what to expect.
Enter the Meeting Room as soon as you are ready. It is a good thing if a Meeting for Worship can settle down a few minutes before the appointed time. Sit anywhere you like – there are no ‘reserved’ places. There are back friends in the hall if you need one and footrests in the Meeting Room for the less tall amongst us.
Our meetings for worship are blended, that is Friends who are unable to attend in person join us via Zoom. They appear on two screens in the room. Three cameras situated around the room show the Meeting Room to those on Zoom. If you do not wish to appear on screen, please sit just inside the door of the Meeting Room.
A Quaker Meeting is based in silence, but it is a silence of waiting in expectancy for the spirit to move amongst us. For many minutes, perhaps for the whole of the Meeting, there may be silence. But that does not mean that nothing is happening. In the quietness of a Quaker Meeting those present can become aware of a deep and powerful spirit of love and truth that transcends their ordinary experience.
You may find it easy to relax in the silence or you may be disturbed by the strangeness of the silence, by distractions outside or by your own roving thoughts. Do not worry about this. Try if you can, if only for an instant, to be quiet in body, mind and spirit.
The silence may be broken if someone present feels moved by the Spirit to say something that will deepen and enrich the worship. The silence is interrupted for the moment but is not broken. We call this ministry, and it will be picked up by the microphones in the room and relayed to those on Zoom. When a Friend on Zoom ministers their words will be relayed to the Meeting Room by speakers.
Our children will join us for the start of Meeting and leave at 10.40 for their meeting except on a fifth Sunday when we will have all age worship which will be partly programmed.
At around 11:30, an Elder will shake hands and speak to signal the close of the worship. Everyone who wishes then shakes hands with those sitting near to them.
Then notices will be announced.
We very much hope that you will join us for coffee, tea and biscuits after Meeting for Worship. Feel free to speak to anyone. If you wish to know more about Quakers, please introduce yourself to anyone present.
If you wish to take part via Zoom, please contact the Elder using the contact us page.