Arriving
Aim to arrive before the meeting starts at 10:30am. You can come in through either door. A person will be there to welcome you and let you in. They can explain where to go and what will happen. You can ask them any questions you have. They will be there until 10:45am so don’t worry if you are a little bit late.
Entering the meeting room
When you’re ready, go into the meeting room and choose any seat. The meeting is held in silence, so people try to arrive quietly. If you like, you can read one of the books from the table.
During the meeting
Most of the meeting is silent. People sit quietly and may reflect, read, pray or meditate. Eyes can be open or closed. We try to find mental stillness and a sense of expectant waiting.
Sometimes, someone may stand up and speak. This is called ‘ministry’. People only speak if they feel strongly led to do so. There is no leader, and no one is expected to speak, but anyone is allowed to. Everyone in the room is an equal part of the meeting.
Children joining
On some weeks, children have their own meeting downstairs. They then join the main meeting near the end. They try to be quiet, but they may make some noise, and that is okay.
Ending the meeting
The meeting lasts for an hour. It ends in silence. There is a planned person to end it and they can signal the ending in either of two ways:
- The person may stand and hold hands with the people next to them. Everyone then stands together and holds hands in a circle.
- The person may shake hands with someone next to them. Everyone then shakes hands with the people on either side.
Introductions
After sitting back down, people introduce themselves. Some people also share brief thoughts from the meeting that they did not say earlier. There is no pressure to say anything more than your name.
Tidying up
We put chairs away in the library. Please help with this if you are able, and be aware that not everyone can. You can also look at the books in the library and borrow one if you want to.
Social time
Afterwards, people go downstairs for tea, coffee, and biscuits. This usually lasts about 30 minutes. You are welcome to leave at any point, or to stay and chat if that feels comfortable. We would love to meet you!
Find out more
To hear from some Quakers about what the Meeting is like for them and what happens, you can also go to the Discovering Quakers website.
Quakerism has no creed or rules. Our book Quaker Faith and Practice contains extracts of Quakers' personal experiences. You can read Quaker Faith and Practice online for free.