Regularly Scheduled Activities

MEETINGS FOR WORSHIP

Meeting for Worship*: We gather each Sunday (also called First Day) at 10:30am for an hour of silent worship. This is followed by greeting each other and guests, sharing of joys and concerns, and announcements. Everyone is invited to fellowship afterwards, sharing either a snack or meal together. Children coming to meeting will be invited to meet with a member of the children’s religious education committee for activities and learning and then join the adult worship at 10:15.

Meeting for Worship with attention to Business: This meeting is held on the second Sunday of each month from 9am to 10:30, or earlier if all matters have been discussed and decisions made. 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.”

From: http://about.bym-rsf.net/worship/

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: http://about.bym-rsf.net/worship/worship-sharing/

OTHER REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS:

Adult Religious Education: 3rd Sunday at 12:00 Group reads and discusses a variety of books, pamphlets or other articles pertinent to Quaker life. An enjoyable hour of sharing, open to everyone. Drop-ins are welcome; you do not need to bring anything.

Fourth Sunday Discussion Group: “Exploring our experiences of being a Quaker.” Meets each Fourth Sunday at 12:15 after potluck. Everyone, including visitors, are invited to share their thoughts and questions on Quaker topics.

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.

Downers Grove Friends Meeting Regularly Scheduled Activities
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MEETINGS FOR WORSHIP Meeting for Worship: We gather each Sunday (also called First Day) at 10:30am for an hour of silent worship. This is followed by greeting each other and guests, sharing of joys and concerns, and announcements. Everyone is invited to fellowship afterwards, sharing either a snack or meal together. Children coming to meeting will be invited to meet with a member of the children’s religious education committee for activities and learning and then join the adult worship at 10:15. Meeting for Worship with attention to Business: This meeting is held on the second Sunday of each month from 9am to 10:30, or earlier if all matters have been discussed and decisions made. 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.” From: http://about.bym-rsf.net/worship/ 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: http://about.bym-rsf.net/worship/worship-sharing/ OTHER REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS**: Adult Religious Education: 3rd Sunday at 12:00 Group reads and discusses a variety of books, pamphlets or other articles pertinent to Quaker life. An enjoyable hour of sharing, open to everyone. Drop-ins are welcome; you do not need to bring anything. Fourth Sunday Discussion Group: “Exploring our experiences of being a Quaker.” Meets each Fourth Sunday at 12:15 after potluck. Everyone, including visitors, are invited to share their thoughts and questions on Quaker topics. 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.