Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Who are we?

We are a community of about 150 active attenders of diverse ages, ethnicities, walks of life, and spiritual backgrounds. We come together in love for our faith and one another.

Are visitors welcome?

Yes! Please join us to attend worship. Quakers welcome people of all ages, religious backgrounds, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, and so forth to join us for worship and Sunday Classes.

Worship is available in person and on Zoom, on Sunday mornings at 9:30 to about 10:40, and Wednesday nights, on Zoom only, at 8:00 to about 8:30-9PM.

Link for info: Zoom link to worship

Do you have Sunday Classes for children and youth? Is childcare available?

Yes! We offer “Youth Quaker Education" (YQE) and childcare on Sundays from early September through May.
Link for more information: Sunday Classes and Childcare

What should I wear to Meeting for Worship?

Dress comfortably. In general, Quakers wear casual clothes to Meeting. This may range from business casual to jeans and a T-shirt. Come as you are and worship with us.

How do you worship?

We worship in silence, waiting, listening for God’s guidance, aspiring to connect with the Inner Light. Sometimes a worshipper is moved to stand and speak a message that they feel is inspired by the Spirit and needs to be shared. After speaking the message, the community reflects and seeks further wisdom. Because this connection with the divine is a personal experience, we do not have the need for an intermediary, such as a minister, to guide us.

Worship concludes when the head of Meeting stands and encourages all to greet each other.

Link for info: Meeting for Worship

Where is Gwynedd Meeting?

We are located on the corner of Sumneytown Pike and Rt. 202 in Gwynedd, Pa. 19454. (See Contacts/Directions)

Who do I contact if I want to visit and get more information about Gwynedd Meeting?

It is perfectly fine to just arrive before worship and take a seat. There will be people at the door to welcome you. If you want to speak to someone first, our phone number is 215-699-3055. We do not have full-time office staff, but your calls will be returned. The Meeting’s email address is: office@gwyneddmeeting.org. For other contacts, refer to the Contacts/Directions page.

Will there be a collection during worship?

Quakers do not ask for money during the worship service as many churches do. We have the same financial need for funds as other faiths. Our members and attenders are asked to donate voluntarily on the basis of their ability. Donations can be made through various ways, for example:

Gwynedd has a locked box in the lobby outside the office for donations of cash or checks;
Donations can be made with your credit card on our website.

Link for Info: Donate Financially

How do Quakers get things done without a paid ministry?

The short answer is that volunteers on committees meet the spiritual, practical, and social needs of the community as well as the practice of our testimonies.

Link for info: Committees

What is Gwynedd Friends School (Preschool through Kindergarten)?

Rooted in Quaker values, GFS unites play with academics in an environment that inspires respect, reflection, and confidence in young children. Gwynedd Friends School, located at Gwynedd Meeting, has served young children since 1943. Our program is accredited through Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS). For more information, please contact Gwynedd Friends School located at Gwynedd Friends Meeting.

Link for Info is on the GFS website: Welcome — Gwynedd Friends School

03-04-23, Faith Paulsen and Carol Ritting

Arthur D'Adamo, 12/24/2020

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 Meeting for Worship?

If you've never attended a Meeting for Worship, we hope you will come worship with us -- give it a try.

Most Quaker meetings, at least in this part of the country, are so-called "unprogrammed" meetings. This means that our meetings for worship are not led by a minister, but are largely conducted in silence. Typically, a Clerk or other Member of the Meeting will close worship with a simple "Good morning friends" but otherwise the meeting may be completely silent.

ripples

Members and attenders are always invited to speak out of the silence with a message about their spiritual journey, although messages are not responded to directly .

A message has been described as a pebble tossed into a pond. The resulting ripples are received by others in the meeting and may contribute to their own spiritual journeys.

Continuing Revelation

In the Religious Society of Friends, continuing revelation comes from the Inner light or the light within. This light has traditionally been identified as the spirit of Christ or Christ within, although not all Friends associate the inner light with Christ. It is understood as the presence of God which provides illumination and guidance to the individual and through individuals to the group.

Because Friends believe that revelation is ongoing, we have no set creed or dogmas and we believe that new truth is revealed to us as we continue our spiritual journeys individually and with one another.

As early Friends listened to the inner light and endeavored to live accordingly, a common set of beliefs gradually emerged, which became known as Quaker testimonies. Although rooted in the immediate experience of the community of Friends, these testimonies are based on what Friends believe are verified in the Bible, especially the Gospels regarding the life and teachings of Jesus, and in our ongoing discernment of God’s desire for us to fulfill loving relationships with each other and the world.

PYM (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting) Quakers consider the inner light to be above and beyond the Bible and other formalistic, written dogmas. We trust that the continuing revelation of the inner light speaks to us in our everyday lives.

Hubb Manager, 10/15/2019