Horsham Friends Meeting is a small meeting. Members and attenders consider queries throughout the year as individuals and as a meeting to help us live our lives according God’s and Christ’s teachings and Quaker values.
While discussing how we should describe the spiritual state of our meeting, one Friend quoted the Golden Rule and said it’s pretty simple. While all agreed, we quickly noted that while some core principles may be simple to articulate, they are very hard to live. That’s a central reason why many attend meeting for worship. To wait upon and be open to the Light, be thankful for our many blessings, to remind ourselves how we should be living our lives, and to draw strength and insights from our fellow members and attenders.
Horsham Friends members and attenders believe we all make up the body of Christ, and each uniquely contributes according to God’s gifts to us. In a similar manner, we see each PYM Meeting bringing different contributions to their community and sharing God’s love in the manner best suited to them. Mindful of the age and geographic dispersion of our members and attenders, we witness our beliefs to the greater world by:
- Sharing our financial blessings locally and regionally. Consistent with Christ’s teachings to be mindful of and aid the poor, our local and regional support goes to charities that focus on food and housing insecurity, legal assistance to the indigent and vulnerable groups (e.g., at risk teens, etc.).
- Supporting international charities that aid the poor and those devastated by tragedies (e.g., hurricanes, etc.)
- Supporting needy local Quaker organizations and the American Friends Service Committee.
- Supporting The Quaker School at Horsham (TQS). Members of Horsham Friends have been trustees from its founding 40 years ago. Three meeting members are currently TQS Trustees. The meeting’s generous support over the years has helped TQS grow. It currently serves — 90 students with a staff of — 75. It is the meeting’s most successful outreach effort as over TQS’ 40 years of existence it has exposed thousands of students, families and staff to Quaker principles and values and has deeply impacted their lives.
While we may not be able to do all that we might aspire to, we, as individuals and as a meeting, are mindful of our obligations as Christians and Quakers. We seek to ensure we understand those obligations. And we examine our practices and adjust them as our leadings and circumstances dictate.
Respectfully submitted by the members and attenders of Horsham Friends Meeting as we strive to be better Christians and Quakers and spread the Gospel through our lives and actions.
Approved by the members and attenders of Horsham Friends Meeting 29 January 2023
