Living Faith Gatherings

"Living Faith”—What's This All About?

Living Faith is a day-long gathering of Friends from throughout New England. The event is a chance for 100+ Friends to worship together, get to know each other, share the different ways we experience and live our faith, and build spiritual community.

The next Living Faith is scheduled for April 6, 2024 at Friends Academy in North Dartmouth Massachusetts. You can register for Living Faith and find more information here.  A retreat for teenagers is scheduled to coincide with the gathering and teens will spend a portion of the weekend attending Living Faith.

Please Note: There are separate registration forms for the Teen Retreat and Living Faith. 

Living Faith gatherings include large group worship, fellowship and relationship-building, workshops led by dynamic Friends, an integrated youth program, and opportunities to connect on shared concerns. New England Yearly Meeting of Friends exists to support and nurture New England Quakers, and we hope Living Faith gatherings will equip individual Friends and local meetings with resources, tools, and connections to more fully live our faith. 

The schedule for the day is:

  • 9:00 a.m Arrival with snacks, coffee, and tea.
  • 10:00 a.m. Morning program
  • 11:45 a.m. Lunch and free time
  • 1:00 p.m. Workshops
  • 3:00 p.m. Closing program and worship
  • 4:00 p.m. Saying our good-byes
     

Workshops for this year are: 

  • Song and Worship- Worshipful Songs and Singing to Deepen the Felt Sense of Spirit, with E. C. Piper
  • Preparing for Death: The Final Stage of Growth, with Daphne Clement, Charley Howland, and Blair Tatman
  • Necessary Conversations about Financial Decisions, with Lyle Miller
  • Gardening Hope, with Gretchen Baker-Smith
  • Israel and Palestine, What Next?, with the NEYM Israel-Palestine Resource Group (Leslie Manning, convenor)
  • Gather to Restore and Strengthen the Spiritual Core of Our Meetings, with David Ahlfeld and Dorrie Merriam
  • Engaging Scripture with Friends, with Jennie Isbell Shinn
  • Play and Presence with Anna Hopkins 
  • Bearing Witness to Gun Violence Prevention: a Leading to Action, with Kathy Gallagher, Jeff Bull, and Nan Logan

Through worship reflecting the diversity of Quaker practice in New England, inspiring speakers and experiential workshops, Living Faith gatherings nourish our spirits and strengthen our ability to live our faith through action. A concurrent youth program explores these same themes in ways accessible to kids. The day opens and closes with programming for all generations, allowing us to be together as a multigenerational community. Families with young children are especially encouraged to attend. We hope that this initiative continues to engage Friends who have participated in wider Quaker events before, and welcomes many who haven’t. 

Questions? Want to Help Living Faith Happen?

Want to learn more? Have suggestions for activities, speakers, or programming? Interested in being part of the planning team for an upcoming "Living Faith" event? Contact Elizabeth Hacala, Events Coordinator, for more information.