During the past year, Friends of Swarthmore Meeting have used three opportunities to gather information about how each of us and all of us experience our Meeting.
January Program Survey – Asking for topics of interest for forums, discussion, and activities Hybrid Worship – Worship Sharing asking “Shall we continue hybrid Sunday morning Meeting for Worship?” State of the Meeting – Worship Sharing asking “Have we deepened our connections to each other and to the Divine?” and “Have we served each other, and grown ourselves?”
In order to look at comments and suggestions from all three where they fit together, enrich or contradict each other, notes from the three activities are combined and arranged in the following areas:
- Worship
- Children and Families
- Social Justice
- Caring for Each Other
Worship
Overall, Friends express satisfaction with the spiritual state of our meeting, feeling welcome, accepted, and supported, while also asking for opportunities for sharing and going deeper together.
Several Friends report being nourished by Meeting for Worship, by gatherings like the fall retreat, hymn singing, and fellowship.
Friends have felt that the Thursday suppers for healing are particularly loving and strengthening. “We can’t do much but surround the person with our love.”
Some Friends also report struggling with Meeting for Worship, not feeling inspired by spoken ministry that is offered, while another has learned to become more tolerant of variety in vocal ministry.
Friends also offered suggestions for going deeper:
- Exploring what Spirit means to us and concepts of what spirit is
- Sharing beliefs and spiritual experiences, one’s life/spiritual journey, mystical experiences
- Bible study and questions related to Bible, book discussions, especially Quakerism and spirituality
- Regarding continuing Sunday morning hybrid worship, several Friends reported how much they value distance participation in the regular Meeting for Worship.
We also realize that the technical aspects of hybrid worship, microphone, projector, computer create technical challenges for the care of the meeting and are distracting to quite a few Friends.
As these technical concerns are likely to be affected by improved audio in the Meeting House, now being addressed by House and Property, Worship and Ministry Committee has recommended continuing with hybrid Sunday morning Meeting for Worship at least until we can see (i.e. hear) what difference improved sound will make.
Children and Families
Note: Families with young children were under-represented in our survey and worship sharing forums. Consequently, much of the comments received were from older Friends when asked their feelings about the Meeting’s inclusion of families.
Several Friends reported their wonder and gratitude that our children are regularly included in meeting for worship. They expressed their hope that families with young children are feeling welcomed and cared for.
One family reported that their family is well-supported spiritually, adults and children, and financially for preschool.
There were no comments about hybrid Meeting for Worship for families and children. Almost no families have attended hybrid worship since the depths of the pandemic.
One Friend reported that he thinks it’s easy to take for granted the workings of the meeting . . .and assume that things will just happen, like fellowship and First Day School. (We don’t have) concerns until those are not available. He thinks about what he could do, but is concerned where the time will come from.
Suggestions for our ministry with families and children included: Intergenerational programs such as our forum, “Sharing Our Gifts”. Family forums were suggested. “What structure could be used so that questions of faith could be explored together with younger friends?” It was emphasized that child care should be offered for anything we do.
Earth Care and Social Justice
Peace and Social Concerns committee reports that they struggle with finding times to meet with busy members and have elected to have hybrid meetings. They report that they struggle with what the meeting wants from them.
One Friend appreciates that the Committee has reestablished “Quaker Quick Notes” during Sunday Fellowship to write opinion letters on particular social justice issues.
Racial Justice Working Group continues to bring opportunities to learn more about racial justice and Indigenous issues to the meeting.
On the program survey, ten people were interested in having programs on the topic of Quaker social action historically and now, especially in the areas of racial justice, prison reform, care for the poor, and environmental stewardship. A book group on George Lakey’s autobiography was also suggested.
Caring for Each Other
Friends who reported, generally feel accepted and connected to the Meeting. However, in the matter of “help and care,” several Friends were dissatisfied with the help or care available and ended not feeling cared for. Others find it difficult to ask for help.
Several Friends suggested that, at times, more help might be needed than the Meeting can give. It is important for Friends to be very clear about what help or care they need, and for the Meeting to be honest about what help is realistically available. It was agreed that care cannot be the responsibility of just one committee. In addition, Friends report that they long for more ways to bring community members closer together, which could increase trust and willingness to help.
Regarding Sunday morning hybrid worship, several Friends are unable, or unwilling, to attend in person for health reasons, distance, lack of transportation, or inability to hear, etc. They very much value feeling included at a distance in Sunday morning Meeting for Worship, as well as the online-only Wednesday morning worship.
Other Friends experience distance gatherings, including worship, distracting and impersonal. They find the technology intrusive, making hybrid worship disagreeable and even keeping some away. We plan to revisit distance worship after improvements to the Meeting House’s audio system.
We notice that there is more we would like to do than we have people or structures to support.
Worship and Ministry Committee
Nancy Prindle, clerk
