MEETINGS FOR WORSHIP
Meeting for Worship*: We gather each Sunday (also called First Day) at 10:30am for an hour of silent worship. On the second, fourth and fifth Sundays of the month we meet in a hybrid environment that includes a Zoom computer in the meeting room. On the other Sundays there is Meeting in person and a separate online meeting. At the end of the meetings there is time to share blessings and concerns, and then announcements are shared. Those attending in-person are invited to fellowship afterwards, sharing either a snack or meal together.
Meeting for Worship with attention to Business: This meeting is held on the second Sunday of each month at 12:30pm. All members, attenders and other interested people are asked to attend as regularly as possible, to contribute to the growth and oversight of all matters pertaining to the Meeting. This meeting begins and ends with silent worship, and the manner in which concerns are expressed and discussed is called Quaker Process, seeking to discern the will of God for the meeting. Here is a brief video which captures the essence of the unique process: http://quakerspeak.com/quaker-decision-making-consensus/ It is explained in many articles and books, including this paper: http://www.edengrace.org/quakerbusiness.html
*Silent Meeting for Worship: “The heart of the Quaker way is the silent meeting for worship. We seek a communal gathered stillness, where we can be open to inspiration from the Spirit of God. We find both peace of mind and challenging insights, deep community and a renewed sense of individual purpose, and joy to wonder at God’s creation. During our meetings for worship some may feel moved to speak: something anyone may do, as all are considered equal.”
More about silent worship may be found here:
http://www.quakerinfo.org/quakerism/worship
http://www.quaker.org/langleyhill/values.html
**Worship sharing: Worship sharing is very much like silent meeting for worship except that the participants are asked to respond to a query or set of queries on a theme, allowing time for reflection after each person speaks. It is best done in small groups. See: https://www.fgcquaker.org/quakerism/
OTHER REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS:
Fellowship Group: Our online monthly fellowship group is held on the first Saturday of every month from 1:00-2:15 p.m. The group is open for all attenders and members of Downers Grove Friends and is an ideal place to experience community through sharing of blessings and concerns in life in a safe and caring environment, as well as offering a place to ask questions and discover more about Quaker faith and practice.
Aging and Saging: This group meets every Monday at 1:30PM in the meetinghouse library. Aging and Saging is a discussion group attended by our older members. The discussion centers on issues related to aging such as metaphysics, religion, science, politics, legal, health, end of life issues, and humor. Everyone is welcome.
Fellowship: Every Friday, from noon to 2pm, women – and occasionally men – gather for lunch and fellowship. We bring our own lunches, and oftentimes sewing or knitting projects. This gathering started when the Downers Grove Friends Meeting began, in the early 1950’s. At that time, women mended used clothing to be donated to the needy. In more recent years, women worked together to transform the murals of the Peaceable Kingdom which were on walls in the old meetinghouse, into quilts so that the murals could be preserved after that meetinghouse was taken down. The quilts are on display in the Commons area. The meeting, referred to as the ‘sewing group’ (although not everyone brings sewing or knitting projects), continues. It is advisable to call ahead, if you are not on the email list for this group, as sometimes it does not meet.