Newtown Quaker Meeting recognizes the growing maturity of the young people in the Meeting by:
- Awarding Bibles to fourth graders at Easter.
- Giving copies of the Quaker Faith and Practice booklet to eighth graders in June.
- Presenting copies of Edward Hicks’ painting of The Peaceable Kingdom to those who have turned 21 during the year at Quaker Homecoming in December.
This year, fourth graders receiving Bibles at the Newtown Meeting special Easter service were:
- Mishka Torres, student at Buckingham Friends School in Bucks County and daughter of Lou Torres and Irina Dmitrenko of Newtown
- Charlie Forte, student at Newtown Friends School, member of George School Aquatics team, summer camper at Quaker Camp Onas in Bucks County, avid skier, and son of Carl and Julie Forte of Holland, PA.
Each fourth grader selects the version of the Bible personally preferred.
The Faith and Practice booklets presented to eighth graders describe generally accepted rules of belief and behavior among members of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends, the umbrella Quaker organization of 11,000 members of the Religious Society of Friends in the Tri-State area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
The Peaceable Kingdom replicas of the painting by Edward Hicks, co-founder of Newtown Friends Meeting in 1815, given to 21-year-olds in recognition of their attaining their majority as adult members of the community are through the courtesy of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Museum in Williamsburg, VA.
The historic Newtown Friends Meetinghouse also features on the walls of its lobby and Gathering Room a large number of replicas of Hicks paintings, including The Signing of the Declaration of Independence, General George Washington on horseback, Bucks County’s Twining Farm, and several versions of Edward Hicks’ Peaceable Kingdom. Edward Hicks’ home is on Center Street and his modest grave is in the burying ground at Newtown Friends Meeting.
Newtown Friends Meeting holds services every First Day (Sunday). During the school year, First Day classes for children and adults are at 9:45 a.m. Traditional Quaker Meeting for Worship at 11:00 a.m. is based on quiet meditation with ministry provided by anyone who feels moved by the spirit to speak. All meetings are open to the public and visitors are warmly welcomed.
