What Do Quakers Believe?

Quaker practices may vary, but this summary outlines four practices common among Quakers worldwide:

Direct Encounter with God – Quakers believe that they do not need a mediator, a priest, pastor, or physical elements like the Eucharist or water Baptism to interact with God. For Friends, all people have the possibility of direct access to God.

Nurture the Life of the Spirit – Quakers believe that the meeting for worship is essential. Anyone can worship on their own, but for Friends the gathered community worshipping together is a critical component to what it means to nurture the life of the Spirit.

Practiced Discernment – As a community making decisions together, Quakers seek the “Sense of the Meeting,” through a process of communal discernment. They do not vote. This practice of communal discernment is a long-standing practice among Friends everywhere and is the way communities discern the will of God for themselves. This is why there is not an overly top-down hierarchy for Friends. The goal of all Quaker yearly meetings is to support, nurture, and protect the discernment of each meeting.

Testimony – For Quakers, living out one’s faith in community is of utmost importance. Overtime, Friends have been led to work against war, racism, poverty, and lead simple lives. These fall under the category of Quaker “testimony” as they are a witness of the faith of the lived community. Some refer to our testimonies as SPICES: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship.

Hello and welcome to our meeting. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

New to Abington Friends Meeting?

All are welcome here!
We invite newcomers to attend Meeting for Worship and other activities at Abington Friends Meeting! Please come for a visit!

At the heart of Quaker spiritual experience is the understanding that there is something sacred and holy within each of us—a power that connects us all and transcends our individual selves. Friends use many names to describe this “greater something”: Universal Love, The Divine, The Seed, God, the Spirit, the Inward Light, the Christ Within, among others . Whatever name we use, we believe this presence is accessible to everyone, and that each person can listen for Divine or Universal Truth in their own heart.

Our worship and decision-making practices are rooted in this belief—that together, we can listen for and be guided by Universal or Divine Truth. Our Guiding Principles, or Testimonies—of Integrity, Equality, Peace, Simplicity, Community , and Stewardship—flow from this living and immediate experience of the Spirit.

Affirming the sacredness and equality of every individual, we warmly welcome people of all faiths, spiritual journeys, ages, nationalities, races and ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. Because we recognize this inherent sacredness and equality in everyone, we do not have a single minister or pastor; instead, we believe that all who gather with us in worship are potential ministers.

Our worship begins with a period of silent prayer or quiet centering, allowing each of us to become still and attentive. After a period of time, if anyone feels moved by the Spirit to speak, they are welcome to stand and share a brief message. We ask that each person speak only once during worship, and that a period of silence follows each message, so that every message can be fully heard and received.

Toward the close of our worship, there will be an opportunity to share joys, sorrows, and prayer requests. We conclude worship by shaking hands, followed by time for visitors’ introductions and brief announcements. Afterwards, on most Sundays, we invite everyone to join us for a coffee break and fellowship across the hall in our John Barnes Room. Sometimes we also offer educational programming or other special activities.

We are grateful for your presence with us and hope you will feel at home in this community of seeking, listening, and shared spiritual experience.

This testimony from eighteenth century Friend, John Woolman sums this up well:
“There is a principle which is pure, placed in the human mind, which in different places and ages hath different names; it is, however, pure and proceeds from God. It is deep and inward, confined to no forms of religion nor excluded from any where the heart stands in perfect sincerity. In whomsoever this takes root and grows, of what nation soever, they become brethren.”

Here is some helpful information:
Our official name is: Abington Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. We are called "monthly" because we meet once a month to attend to business, but we have meeting for worship every Sunday.

Indoor Meeting for Worship
10:00 AM until 11:00 AM
Year-round

Outdoor Meeting for Worship
Every Sunday, mid-June - early September (weather permitting)
10:00 AM until 11:00 AM (happening at the same time as indoor Meeting for Worship)
In addition to our normal indoor Meeting for Worship, we hold optional outdoor Meetings behind the Meeting House during the summer.

Programming for Children and Youth (also called First Day School)
Youth Programming (grades k - 8)
Every Sunday, September - May
10:00 - 11:00 am
Childcare (all children younger than kindergarten)
Every Sunday, year-round
9:45 - 11:15, with additional times to support adult class and Meeting for Business, September - May
Click Here for more information on Programming for Children and Youth

Adult Classes
Occasional Sundays, September – May
11:15 AM. All ages welcome.

First Day School for Adults consists of talks and activities that provide a Quaker perspective on the issues and challenges of everyday life.

Parking
Members and attenders park on the right side of the driveway leading up to the Meeting House (accessible from our entrance on Greenwood Avenue) or in the parking lot on the west side of the Meeting House. Please note that our meetinghouse driveways are one-way, so vehicles must enter from Greenwood Avenue and exit onto Meetinghouse Road.

Orientation
As you enter the Meetinghouse, which is what we call our place of worship, the room where the Meeting gathers will be the first door on your right. The John Barnes Room, which is where we meet for adult classes and special events will be the first door on your left.

Meeting Etiquette

Because Quakers worship in silence, please lower your voice when approaching the Meeting House before Meeting for Worship. Likewise, please silence your cellphone.

There is no pastor or minister. Instead, attenders rise and speak when the Spirit moves them, generally keep their comments brief and of a spiritual, heartfelt nature, and allow ample time for others to reflect on what has been said before rising to speak. Statements often have a common thread; however, this is not a requirement.

Safety & Security Reminders- For the Good of the Community

Any use of space indoors or outdoors needs to be scheduled through Salma in the Meeting office. AMM@abingtonfriends.net
If you are meeting after First Day Worship or any other time when Salma, Mike or Ed are not immediately available, please remember to lock both Short Stable doors and/or the meetinghouse (whichever you have used) when you leave. All clerks with codes should also remember to set the alarm after using the meetinghouse. Otherwise, the buildings may be open for a substantial period of time before Mike, Ed or Salma return to the property. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation.
Please remember that our meetinghouse driveway is One Way. We have had some incidents with cars exiting the property the wrong way. Please remember to enter by Greenwood Avenue, and exit only onto Meetinghouse Road. One Way signs are posted along the driveway.
When you are present at the meetinghouse, please remember to wear your nametag. If you need a nametag, please sign up on the list just below the nametag shelf in the John Barnes Room.
The sections of the meetinghouse closest to the East Wing have been designated as an area to be used ONLY for Friends who choose to wear masks. We ask that Friends who wish to be unmasked kindly sit elsewhere in the meetinghouse. Friends wearing masks are still welcome to sit anywhere, but we acknowledge that some Friends prefer to sit only near others with masks on. Please maintain safe distancing, because comfort levels vary among Friends, and some Friends are higher risk.
We have at least one Friend in our Abington Meeting community who suffers from a fragrance allergy, and that Friend has sometimes had to leave meetings for worship and other Meeting activities due to this sensitivity. We ask Friends to kindly refrain from wearing perfumes, colognes and scented products when you come to the meetinghouse.

Community & Housekeeping Reminders

Food and beverages are not permitted in the meetinghouse. Please enjoy your refreshments in the John Barnes Room or on the porch.
Please kindly remember that it is up to committees or groups to set up and clean up for any event they are running.
When you visit our meetinghouse property on Sundays or for special events at other times, please do not park on the grass.
Many of us consider our meetinghouse to be a second home, so as a friendly reminder, please treat the Meeting property as though it really is your home: Pick up trash, wash and dry your dishes, turn off the lights, and lock doors on your way out. Please remember that we do not have a Caretaker to clean up, so we all share this responsibility. Thank you, Friends!
Please rinse all items before putting them in the recycling bin. Please remember that ALL items with recycling codes (such as plastic cups) go in the recycling bins - there has been some tendency to put some recyclables in the trash, and then the trash has to be sorted.

Please browse around this website for other important information! Click here to start browsing