Details
Living Faith is a day-long "meeting for learning" gathering of Friends of all ages from throughout New England. The event is a chance for 100+ Friends to worship together, learn more about the Quaker tradition, share the different ways we experience and live our faith, and build spiritual community. This year our theme will be “Spring forth the well: our lives as witness.”
We recognize that Friends may want to participate in the No Kings protests, unfortunately scheduled for the same day as this long planned gathering. There is an early morning protest 15 minutes away from the school. in Freeport, from 8:00 a.m to 10:00 a.m. which would allow Friends to be a part of that work and then join Living Faith if they choose. More information is listed on the No Kings website.
About the theme
From the deep well of worship and shared listening, our witness springs forth—sometimes as a quiet trickle, sometimes as a bold flow—bringing the Love and Truth we experience inwardly to one another, our meetings, and our wider communities. Together we will explore how the Spirit’s living water rises among us, what has grown from our faithfulness, and how our lives, joined with others, may bear witness in this time.
Join us for an all-ages “Meeting for Learning” that invites us to look at how Friends have let their lives speak, how Friend’s practices sustain lives of witness, and how we are part of a wider witness of people of faith in our local communities and wider world. Together, across generations and experiences, we’ll worship, sing, learn, connect, and give thanks for the river of Light that can flow out of us.
Through dialogue, interactive workshops, worship-sharing, and connection-making, participants will learn more about each other, Quakerism, and the way our faith comes alive through each of us. The day is designed to be energizing and nourishing for both long-time Friends and those new to our tradition.
Schedule of the day:
- 9:00 a.m Arrivals with opportunities for welcomin alongside snacks, coffee, and tea.
- 9:45 a.m. Morning program
- 11:45 a.m. Lunch and free time
- 1:00 p.m. Workshops (see description below)
- 3:00 p.m. Closing worship
- 4:00 p.m. Saying our good-byes
Workshops
How Way Opened: From Grief to Ministry Story-Telling
When/how did grief or loss prompt you to act, to witness, to minister? Climate disruption, endless war, hate-mongering; our challenging and often cruel times stir up such grief and, sometimes, such loneliness! Let's co-create a safe space to share our way-opened stories. Let's create moments to hold our collective grief. And out of silence, let's reflect on what we've heard; what we've experienced; what rises up for us. Facilitated by Patricia Wild of Friends Meeting at Cambridge (MA).
Caring for the Called: How Meetings Support Those Called to Witness
In a time when many Friends may sense a call to ministry, eldership, and witness, what is a meeting's role? What forms might spiritual support and accountability take? Join members of the Ministry and Eldership Resource Group, Jim Lyons (Mt Toby Meeting, MA) and Bill Monroe (Providence Meeting, RI) as Friends share questions, stories, wisdom, and resources.
Songs of Courage and Change
We will teach and sing some of the songs being sung at the weekly prayer vigil on the streets of Portland, Maine (and in Minneapolis) and invite participants to bring the songs that you are singing. Come lend your voice and be renewed by the power of shared song to sustain faithful action. Led by Fritz Weiss of Portland (ME) Meeting and Xinef Afriam, NEYM’s Teen & Outreach Ministries Coordinator.
Come and See, Go and Tell
The Israel-Palestine Resource Group of NEYM offers a discussion and worship sharing opportunity with Friends who have traveled to Palestine and Israel for the purpose of bearing witness and returning to us with what they learned. They will share how best to begin to think about the genocides and on-going oppressions, share their thoughts and experiences of trying to faithfully sustain witness in the face of atrocity, as well as their experiences of and thoughts about building solidarity here, among neighboring indigenous communities, Friends, other faith and non-faith communities and with our government. Featuring Linden Jenkins of North Sandwich (NH) and Bob Watt of Providence, facilitated by Martha Yager of Providence (RI) Meeting.
Friends Respond: The Burning of Falmouth 1775
What can history teach us about Quaker witness? Come learn and reflect on the astonishing story of Moses Brown and his leadership in the first-of-its-kind wartime relief plan which distributed $600,000 to 700 families along the seaports and towns north of Boston to Falmouth (now Portland, ME) in 1776. Moses Brown was an American abolitionist, Quaker, and industrialist from what became known as Rhode Island. We will explore how as a newly converted Quaker, he worked with Friends and others to effectively raise and distribute critical aid to all the truly needful - whether Tory or Patriot. Led by Andy Grannell of Portland Meeting (ME).
Tending Our Creative Process
As we listen deeply to Spirit in our creative process, prophetic witness can start to grow. Even so, it can feel difficult to walk our creative journeys alone. Whether your creative process is of an artistic nature, a way of relating to the world, or something totally different, you are invited to try out this discussion which asks us to consider Spirit's role in what and how we create. It's a simple way to build trust in the creative process while building community, and you will leave the workshop with a format and question sheet that can easily be applied at your own meeting or community. Led by Andrea Szirbik Groft of Dover (NH) Friends Meeting.
Teaching Peace with Children's Literature
Children's literature provides an excellent stimulus for exploring social justice values with young children. Through the Social Justice Book Project, Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends has provided books and guidance to teachers of 4-8 year-old children with a focus on creating an anti-bias classroom community, racial equity, and environmental justice. In this workshop we will share our approach to selecting and using books. We will help participants consider how to bring this kind of work home to settings in which they live and worship. Together, we will explore how Friends can nurture the seeds of justice in children while strengthening their meeting’s witness in the wider world. Facilitated by Ingrid Chalufour and Wendy Schlotterbeck of Durham Meeting (ME).
Publishing Truth: Making Signs for Protest and Vigil
Many Friends are called to visible witness in the form of public vigil, marches, and protests. In this lightly structured workshop, participants can use provided materials or your own to make signs for these occasions, including a possible No Kings standout happening following Living Faith. Participants will also have the opportunity to share with each other about their recent experiences with this form of witness and reflect on the hopes, intentions, and messages Friends bring to these events. Facilitated by April Merleaux (Northampton Meeting) and Buddy Baker-Smith (Westport Meeting).
Children & teens:
Note to families: The day opens and closes with programming for all generations, allowing us to be together as a multigenerational community. In between, a concurrent children’s program explores these same themes in ways accessible to Friends ages 12 and younger.
There will also be a weekend Teen Retreat and a new retreat for grades 5 to 7 in tandem with Living Faith. Staying nearby, the retreats will have dinner and opening activities on Friday night, and spend most of Saturday at Living Faith. We will reconvene as a group for more retreat activities on Saturday evening at the meetinghouse and will wrap up on Sunday afternoon after worship with the host meeting.
For young adults:
Young adults (ages 19-35) who are attending New England Quakers Living Faith gathering at the Friends School of Portland on March 28th, are warmly invited to gather at Durham Friends Meeting, a 20 minute drive from the school.
Gather for fellowship, fun, simple food, sleeping at the meetinghouse, and joining Durham Friends for worship on Sunday morning. Join us for just a little while or the whole weekend. Learn more and register for the young adult overnight here.
Ready to register? Go here to register for Living Faith or either of the parallel youth retreats.
For more information on the Teen Retreat, contact Teen & Outreach Ministries Coordinator Xinef Afriam.
For more information on the Grades 5-7 Retreat, contact Children and Family Ministries Coordinator Kara Price
Questions? Suggestions? Email Program Director Nia Thomas.
Need help with registering? Email Operations Director Elizabeth Hacala.