(Janet Dawson is the clerk of the Yearly Meeting Youth Ministries Committee.)
Remote schools, Zoom fatigue, Covid worries—children, teens, and families have a lot to deal with these days. The Youth Ministries Committee has sponsored two virtual meetings inviting Friends to a conversation about supporting and building relationships with children, youth, and families in their monthly meetings. Both meetings began with a prompt to think outside the box and to think about relationships rather than First Day School programs. Our most recent meeting was on January 13, when we looked at “What Is,” our current situations; and “What if,” our visions for what might be as the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 are eased. Before thinking about concrete actions we can take, it is helpful to have a vision of where we are going. To help us make this shift and get our imaginations working, we read the children’s book What if? together.
I’d like to share a couple of the stories Friends imagined.
One person told about a religious education program where the whole meeting explored the same topic at the same time with various stations supporting different styles of learning, so individuals could move from station to station and so the exploration was accessible to all ages and abilities.
Another imagined a meeting where the adults were invited to become Quaker Aunts and Uncles, with the rich and personal relationships between the youth and the adults in the meeting that this implies.
One meeting described a meeting for kayaking over the summer, another shared a virtual talent show. When Friends stopped thinking about how we should offer a Sunday program for the children and thought about the community we could become, the conversation shifted from weariness and discouragement to excitement and enthusiasm.
As a participant in both our October and January meetings, I am grateful that the accelerated use of Zoom has allowed for these connections. The participants came away feeling nurtured in their youth work, acknowledged for their efforts during this difficult time, and inspired by what others around New England are doing. We expect to continue these conversations and relationships even after we are able to meet in person. We invite Friends interested in these connections to join us for our next Zoom gathering on March 30th (read more here).