We are excited to announce a next chapter in the ongoing experiment of daylong opportunities for spiritual nurture and intergenerational relationship that we have called "Living Faith". The Living Faith gathering is an opportunity for Friends new and old (and the Quaker-curious) to get to know one another, hold multigenerational worship together, participate in interactive workshops, eat tasty food, share the different ways we experience and live our faith, and build community. Age-appropriate youth programming and childcare will be available, in addition to some parts of Living Faith programming being intergenerational, like worship.
You will be asked a series of questions to help us register each Friend for Living Faith. The questions will repeat for each person and will change based on your selections. After you complete the form for the first Friend, you can add additional people or complete the registration.
If you register multiple people, everyone who has an email listed will get a confirmation of their own registration details. This is the email we will use to send them information about their day. The billing contact will receive a summary of everyone's registration information as well as any payment details.
Required fields will be marked with an asterisk "*". If you run into any difficulty please contact the Events Coordinator at [email protected].
A special note to parents:
Childcare will be held on site. There are all ages opportunities in the workshops and during the day marked with a border around the workshop logo and the words "Particularly welcoming for all ages". For questions about youth opportunities please contact Kara Price at [email protected]. For questions about the teen retreat please contact Kenzie Burpee at [email protected].
Opportunities for welcoming, getting oriented to the day, snacks, coffee, and tea.
Begin morning program/worship – intentionally intergenerational, various forms, a special and connecting time
Workshops or unprogrammed time
Closing worship and any other closing activity together
You will be asked these questions about each Friend you register.
Please note: information on health and food allergies will only be shared with those who need it to keep Friends safe at the Living Faith gathering. If you have questions about how your data is used, please consult the NEYM Data Privacy Policy or contact the YM office.
Friends are encouraged to test for Covid prior to attending Living Faith. Masks are encouraged and not required. If you are suffering from symptoms of any of the potentially serious respiratory illnesses affecting us this year (flu/Covid/RSV) please stay home. A full refund will be offered if illness prevents a Friend coming to Living Faith.
We will provide a locally-catered lunch including vegetarian/vegan fare. If you have special dietary health needs, please let us know below so we can plan accordingly. The menu will be sent out ahead of the gathering. Any Friend who is more comfortable bringing their own food is welcome to do that.
Friends Academy has an accessible entrance, elevator, all gender bathrooms, and amplification during the large group portions of the day.
Song and Worship- Worshipful Songs and Singing to Deepen the Felt Sense of Spirit
With E. C. PiperJoin E.C. Piper for a worshipful singing workshop. In this workshop we will begin by learning and singing a few simple songs together to get into our bodies and to connect with spirit. We will break into small groups for a period of reflection and discussion. Some prompts will be offered and other topics are welcome. The group will come back to the bigger circle for a bit more sharing and finish with song and worship.
Preparing for Death: The Final Stage of Growth
With Daphne Clement, Charley Howland, and Blair Tatman"... we have learned to see birth and death as opposite and some do not acknowledge that life can be any larger than the time between these events. We forget to ask what was before birth. And failing to approach those unknowns, we generally limit our perceptions to how full and powerful life can be. Our awareness can be expanded, however, as we worshipfully gather with others in the sacred events." (Song of Death, Our Spiritual Birth: A Quaker Way of Dying... Pendle Hill Pamphlet 340)
Necessary Conversations about Financial Decisions
With Lyle MillerWhether sharing with adult children or parents about our (and their) hopes for care as we (or they) age, talking with a partner and/or children about financial decisions, or exploring with those in our Meetings what it means to live out our values through our financial choices, conversations about money and the important decisions we need to make can be challenging. In this workshop, we'll explore some tools for these conversations and the decisions we need to make, while also giving space for discussion about how (and when) to have such talks.
Full: Gardening Hope
This workshop is fullWith Gretchen Baker-SmithEvery spring, gardeners and farmers turn over the soil, plant seeds, prune trees and shrubs, and pay attention to the new shoots, new growth, new life that rises. Though there are no guarantees, they have seen life grow around them enough to believe that things grow, with care, right conditions, and something akin to a life force. As Quakers, we pay attention to where we see the Light, to what love can do, and to that of God in every one. In both gardeners and Friends, there are elements of hope that we can cultivate and nurture in ourselves and the rest of the world. Through several modes, we will explore how we as Quakers have some tools to help keep hope alive in us and in our corners of the world.
Israel and Palestine, What Next?
With the NEYM Israel-Palestine Resource Group (Leslie Manning, convenor)The Resource Group exists to provide information and resources for all Meetings and Quarters, individual Friends and attenders in our Yearly Meeting. Drawing on the latest information from American Friends Service Committee and Friends Committee on National Legislation, we will facilitate discussion about next steps for Friends in New England. Some topics may include an update from Gaza, the recent preliminary decision from the International Court of Justice and information about the pending federal lawsuit regarding the rights of Palestinian children.
Gather to Restore and Strengthen the Spiritual Core of Our Meetings
With David Ahlfeld and Dorrie MerriamWe will explore our collective experience of worship with questions such as: what is a gathered meeting and how do we prepare for meeting for worship. We will read quotes from Quaker writers and invite attendees to share from their own experience. This workshop is modeled on a well-attended seven-week series held at Mt Toby Friends Meeting in Fall 2023. We will describe our process for this series and the reaction of our meeting.
Engaging Scripture with Friends
With Jennie Isbell ShinnThis highly experiential workshop will explore Imaginative Contemplation and additional, other-than-thought-based opportunities to engage and inbody (embody) stories from scripture. Possible topics for deep dives include stories that depict Jesus's encounters with people as healer, teacher, or stranger, as well as some stories of calls to ministry. Participants will be invited to enter the scene that is presented and to dwell there with The Spirit That Guides (The One Who guided Jesus, guided the writers of the Jesus stories, and guides us today). Time for personal and shared reflection on what we experience will be an important part of the workshop.
Play and Presence
with Anna HopkinsPlay allows people of all ages to be more present with each other and to discover ourselves in new ways. Join us for active, non-competitive games some of which may be familiar to youth retreat attenders or Friends Campers. These activities are designed to get us moving, connecting, thinking in new ways, and laughing. This workshop will be held outdoors if weather allows.
No longer available: Bearing Witness to Gun Violence Prevention: a Leading to Action
This workshop will not be running. With Kathy Gallagher, Jeff Bull, and Nan LoganFive years ago, through silent worship, prayer and conversations, the Friends at Allen’s Neck Meeting were led to do something about gun violence. This leading inspired us to create and install 765 flags on an acre of land. Each flag represented one life lost each week to gun violence in the United States. We hoped our flag installation would inspire community awareness, conversation and change. All are still much needed today, as we explore further actions. In this workshop we will continue the conversation: Having Patience; Hosting Local Workshops; Connecting with non-Quaker Action Groups; Perspectives on “How Can I Help?” Participants are invited to add their voices, design and make flags and join us for silent worship under a flag installation.
Unstructured time/no workshop
Choose this option if you do not plan to participate in a workshop.
A few Friends with a heart for welcoming to arrive by 8:30, be oriented by LF staff/work group about welcoming, facilities, schedule of the day, etc., and be at entrance(s) and near registration to help welcome event participants.
2-3 people help make coffee and restock the coffee service during the day
Friends who can help set up tables for lunch and help fold them down again at the end of lunch, wiping down tables and setting the room back up for worship.
people to help committee members put up workshop signs, maps, etc. One to take photos of each room being used for workshops
Take down signs at end of the day and use photos to make sure workshop rooms returned to original condition
People to help return location to as it was before we came.
Person/people to bring compost home in contractor bags from the event if needed.
If Friends are led to bring sharable treats for Friends to enjoy with coffee and tea, please click this.
Other opportunities may rise during and just before Living Faith could we contact you about those opportunities?
New Bedford Monthly Meeting will be hosting an "afterparty" potluck supper after Living Faith. Friends are invited to join! To help get a sense of who will be there, please indicate below if you think you will attend.
Please send my information to the host of the potluck.
I may want to participate in the potluck. Please share my information with the hosts.
Thank you for the invitation but I will not be staying for the potluck.
New England Yearly Meeting of Friends is committed to making the life of our faith communities more accessible and removing barriers to participation whenever possible, and to offering a wider welcome to those seeking nourishment in the Quaker tradition.
In keeping with our commitment to removing barriers to participation for Friends regardless of financial means, the Living Faith Gatherings will continue our experiment with the Pay-As-Led approach to event fees.
Here's how it works (with your help, and the guidance of the Spirit):
During registration you will be presented with different suggested fees described below. We then ask you to prayerfully consider your available financial resources and the value you place on this opportunity to gather with the wider spiritual community of New England Friends. Based on this personal reflection, we invite you to pay what you feel led and able to pay to attend the event—that's it.
If you are indeed unable to pay anything at this time, you will have an option to pay $0 to attend this event, as with Annual Sessions. For those with greater financial resources, you may make a tax-deductible donation to support the attendance of others with more limited means and the wider ministries of New England Friends by visiting neym.org/donate..
Note: There is a similar set of options for children. We're deliberately keeping the cost for children low to facilitate the participation of families with young children. Parents can opt to pay $0 for children as well, if needed.
Community Fee: Covers the full direct and indirect cost of your participation at Living Faith and supports the attendance of others ($94 for adults/$20 for children).
Complete Cost Fee: Covers the full cost of the gathering including staff time for Living Faith this year($74 for adults/$15 for children).
Basic Fee: Covers the direct costs of Living Faith and a small portion of staff time. Similar to the "Traditional Fee" used in the past ($66 for adults/$10 for children).
Partial Fee: Covers a portion of direct costs. You are invited to choose this fee or another amount below.($47 for adults/$7 for children).
Any amounts in excess of the basic fee will be treated as a tax deductible donation to the Equalization Fund to support the participation of all Friends in Sessions and other events sponsored by New England Yearly Meeting
