All Quaker meetings–in fact, all faith communities–eventually reach the end of their life cycle. It does not happen all at once, and there are many different types of faithful responses to waning energy.
In the month of April, I’ll be hosting a series of Zoom-based group consultations as part of my work for the Louisville Institute pastoral study grant. There will be ten in all, each held twice for accessibility in multiple time zones. You are welcome to register for as many as feel relevant to you.
In each 90-minute consultation, you’ll hear a brief presentation, then have a chance to ask questions and engage in an open conversation.
These gatherings have three purposes: for each participant to learn, for each participant to share their own knowledge and insights, and for each participant to meet other Friends who are experiencing similar circumstances to their own.
If you like, you can also watch a video introduction to this work. Warm thanks to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting for initiating the video interview idea and putting it together.
The Life Cycle of Meetings
(especially intended for local meeting clerks and pastors, but anyone who’s interested is welcome)
We’ll do an overview of what’s meant by the life cycle of meetings, and you’ll hear a bit about what the various stages of the life cycle might be like. Then, you’ll have a chance to consider where your own meeting might be in the life cycle. We’ll finish with a conversation about how you might talk about this in the context of your own faith community.
Tuesday, April 4: 11am West Coast – 2pm East Coast – 7pm Britain
AND/OR Tuesday, April 18: 5pm West Coast – 8pm East Coast – 10am Wednesday in Sydney, Australia
—-
Simplifying Committee Structures
(for anyone who is interested)
We’ll talk about how we can simplify our meetings by deconstructing traditional roles and starting, instead, with Friends’ gifts and leadings and a list of necessary responsibilities. We’ll also look at the differences between committees, working groups, task groups, and short-term-volunteer roles and how each can be used to simplify meetings and reenergize Friends. This conversation will also touch on how and why meetings might transition from being pastored to being un-pastored.
Tuesday, April 4: 5pm West Coast – 8pm East Coast – 10am Wednesday in Sydney, Australia
AND/OR Tuesday, April 18: 11am West Coast – 2pm East Coast – 7pm Britain
—–
The Role of Regions
(for current, recent, or incoming clerks and staff of quarterly/area/regional meetings, or Friends who are serving their regional meetings in other significant ways)
Many, though not all, Faith and Practice books give the responsibility for the health of local meetings to the regional meeting, and this includes walking alongside meetings that are nearing the end of the life cycle. In the conversation, we’ll talk about how regions might approach this, especially if the region itself is struggling. This will include talking about “ghost meetings,” which still exist legally but no longer function at all, as well as meetings that are small and struggling–or large and struggling. We’ll touch on some of the signs of healthy meetings, because size often isn’t a reliable indicator.
Thursday, April 6: 11am West Coast – 2pm East Coast – 7pm Britain
AND/OR Thursday, April 20: 5pm West Coast – 8pm East Coast – 10am Friday in Sydney, Australia
—–
Combining/Merging Meetings
(for anyone who is interested)
We’ll begin with “why.” Why might meetings consider merging or combining? What are some different models for this–for example, what if two local meetings became preparative meetings or worship groups but shared a monthly meeting for business, or what if one meeting came under the care of another? What does research tell us about the opportunities and the pitfalls that often arise? This conversation will be mostly about combining local meetings, but many of the principles will be just as relevant for Friends who are thinking about combining larger groups.
Thursday, April 6: 5pm West Coast – 8pm East Coast – 10am Friday in Sydney, Australia
AND/OR Thursday, April 20: 11am West Coast – 2pm East Coast – 7pm Britain
—–
The Role of Record Keepers
(for Quaker archivists, recorders, statisticians, and historians, plus anyone else who is interested)
In this conversation, we’ll look at the extraordinary importance that record keepers play in meetings’ life cycles, both in terms of understanding the health and vitality of a meeting and in terms of preserving a meeting’s stories. You’ll hear about the ways in which some other denominations have looked specifically at this intersection, then have a chance to share your own wisdom and ideas about best practices for this vital ministry.
Tuesday, April 11: 11am West Coast – 2pm East Coast – 7pm Britain
AND/OR Friday, April 21: 5pm West Coast – 8pm East Coast – 10am Saturday in Sydney, Australia
—–
Sharing, Repurposing, and Selling Buildings
(for anyone who is interested)
When it comes to our buildings and property, what exactly does good stewardship mean, especially if the resources and/or energy of a meeting are waning? This gathering will focus on exploring the vast number of options available, including true-life stories of what other meetings have done. We’ll also spend some time identifying queries and processes that may help in a meeting’s discernment.
Tuesday, April 11: 5pm West Coast – 8pm East Coast – 10am Wednesday in Sydney, Australia
AND/OR Friday, April 21: 11am West Coast – 2pm East Coast – 7pm Britain
—–
The Role of Trustees
(for current, recent, and incoming trustees of Quaker meetings of any size–local, regional, or yearly)
In this conversation, we’ll talk about what trusteeship means, from a spiritual perspective, when caring for the resources of meetings that are struggling to use their resources effectively or that are ready to lay themselves down. There will also be time for a more practical conversation about legal considerations and procedures, though we’ll note that exact regulations vary a great deal from state to state and country to country. Because trusteeship structures vary enormously among Quakers, we’ll expect that those attending will have a wide variety of direct and indirect relationships with local meetings. The emphasis of this conversation will be on broad principles, with opportunities to meet and network with other Quaker trustees who might be helpful future contacts.
Thursday, April 13: 11am West Coast – 2pm East Coast – 7pm Britain
AND/OR Saturday, April 22: 5pm West Coast – 8pm East Coast – 10am Sunday in Sydney, Australia
—–
Restructuring Local Meetings
(for anyone who is interested)
Some meetings are no longer able to function in their current form but also aren’t ready to be laid down. In this conversation, we’ll talk about how meetings might restructure themselves as house churches, worship groups, preparative meetings, or online meetings, with an emphasis on the benefits and drawbacks of each and time to talk through how meetings might approach the discernment process.
Thursday, April 13: 5pm West Coast – 8pm East Coast – 10am Friday in Sydney, Australia
AND/OR Saturday, April 22: 11am West Coast – 2pm East Coast – 7pm Britain
—–
The Role of Yearly Meetings
(for current, recent, or incoming clerks and staff of yearly meetings, or Friends who are serving their yearly meetings in other significant ways; staff members and clerks from multi-yearly-meeting umbrella organizations are also welcome)
Together, we’ll touch on themes from each of the other consultations. We’ll take a brief look at some recent statistics and cultural shifts, and we’ll talk about the spiritual principle of resurrection–which is not the same thing as resuscitation. There will be time to consider how yearly meeting clerks and staff members might discern their own appropriate roles in the broader conversation about the life cycle of meetings. Those attending will also receive resources that they can share with Friends in their yearly meetings.
Monday, April 17: 11am West Coast – 2pm East Coast – 7pm Britain
AND/OR Monday, April 24: 5pm West Coast – 8pm East Coast – 10am Tuesday in Sydney, Australia
—–
Laying Down a Meeting
(for anyone who is interested)
How will we know when a meeting has truly come to the end of its life cycle? What is the best way forward then? How do we manage both pastoral care for the meeting’s community and practical concerns about property and finances? What is the role of considering a meeting’s legacy? In this conversation, we’ll identify a few general best practices, but mostly we’ll have a chance to talk to each other, ask questions, and consider possibilities.
Monday, April 17: 5pm West Coast – 8pm East Coast – 10am Tuesday in Sydney, Australia
AND/OR Monday, April 24: 11am West Coast – 2pm East Coast – 7pm Britain
Turning, Turning 