Welcome and Resources
Welcome and Regular Sunday Schedule
If you have never been to a Quaker meeting, you may find it rather unique. We are part of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). We are meeting on Sundays at 10:00 AM in person and on the Zoom meeting platform. Our worship services are generally pretty quiet unless someone feels moved to speak briefly. After an hour, we introduce ourselves and do an informal check-in. This is followed by a second hour with a variable program. It generally follows this pattern:
1st Sunday of the month: Potluck. People are welcome to bring their own lunch or share with others. We sometimes have a topic to discuss as we fellowship informally over lunch.
2nd Sunday of the month: Business meeting – actually, we have a longer name for this, “Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business.” This expresses our desire to come to decisions from a position of unity as opposed to voting. Our business meetings are open, and visitors are welcome.
3rd Sunday of the month: Peace and Social Justice Committee meeting. another open meeting. This committee meeting addresses social justice issues such as racism, economic equity, and the environment.
4th Sunday of the month: Adult Quaker Education and Spiritual Development Activity. The theme for these 2nd hours is consistent but the specific content will vary. Stay tuned for announcements on the website.
5th Sunday of the month: Singing Circle. Informally organized, this 2nd hour is an opportunity for fellowship and worship through singing together.
Speaking of welcome, Tacoma Friends Meeting is welcoming and inclusive of diverse people.
In short, friend, you are welcome at Tacoma Friends Meeting.
Continue below for readings and videos on Quakerism . . .
Resources for Information on Friends (Quakers) –
Please Note – some of the items below are links to online websites where you can find a wealth of information
Quick Takes On . . .
- Quaker.org
- Quaker Worship (7 min. QuakerSpeak video)
- Quaker Spirituality
- Quaker Values (a 7 min. QuakerSpeak video)
Resources for Learning More
- QuakerSpeak – a long-running series of short videos on things Quaker; site is searchable by topic
- Quakerism 101 – an informal course on the history, theology, and practice of Quakerism; enrollment not necessary, all course materials available for use
- Thee Quaker: Quaker Media for the 21st Century – an engaging podcast & more launched by the founder of QuakerSpeak videos
- Western Friend: Quaker Plain Speech and Spirit in the West, a monthly news magazine, events clearinghouse, and information repository for all things Quaker in the West.
Some recommended books
- Geoffrey Durham, What Do Quakers Believe? (CAB, 2019)
- Phillip Gulley, Living the Quaker Way (Convergent, 2013)
- Howard Brinton and Margaret Hope Bacon, Friends for 350 Years: The History and Beliefs of Friends (Pendle Hill, 1965, 2002)
- Geoffrey Hubbard, Quaker by Convincement (Penguin, 1974)
Quaker Meeting Websites
- Tacoma Friends Meeting (local)
- Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting (area)
- North Pacific Yearly Meeting (regional)
- Friends General Conference (national)
Quakers in Action
- Friends Committee on National Legislation
- Quaker Voice for Washington Public Policy (Washington State)
- American Friends Service Committee
- Friends Peace Teams (on Facebook)