What are your services like?

Westport Quakers gather each Sunday at 10 AM for worship in the manner of Friends, which means that we worship in silence. Sometimes there is a call for a hymn to be sung, and if someone feels led by the Spirit to offer spoken testimony, (we call it, give a “message”) they may rise in place and speak for the benefit of all present. Sometimes our corporate worship is totally silent, other times one or more people may feel moved to speak. Ideally, we experience God, or that of the Spirit, or a feeling of deep “centeredness” individually and as a community as a whole. More HERE on our worship experience. Meeting for worship in our meetinghouse typically lasts for one hour and ends with the shaking of hands. Announcements follow immediately with a call for holding certain people in our thoughts and prayers and notices of upcoming meetings and events. Fellowship and refreshments follow in our adjacent Community House. Additional Resource: What to expect in a Quaker Meeting (YouTube video). 

Do you have a clergy person who leads your services?

No. Our Quaker Meeting does not retain a pastor or minister to lead our worship service. Our Quaker meeting is “unprogrammed,” meaning that we gather in silence and listen for how the Spirit may lead us, individually and collectively. In the practice of our faith there is no laity. We believe instead that we are all called to be ministers and to do God’s work as the Spirit may lead us. Many Quaker Meetings (including ours) have persons who are named as ministers, but they typically do not lead worship services. 

I hold membership in another church.  Am I allowed to attend your services?

Absolutely! You are welcome at our Quaker Meeting. We are an open and affirming congregation and we welcome people who hail from various faith traditions to no previous faith or religious affiliations whatsoever.

Does your Quaker Meeting welcome people who are not heterosexual?

Yes. We are an open and affirming congregation. By “open and affirming,” we mean that our worship services, fellowship, activities and ministries strive for the inclusion of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, Queer and Questioning persons (LGBTQ).   

What about kids and childcare?

We welcome children of all ages and provide childcare during worship in our Community House adjacent to the meetinghouse. Children of all ages are welcome to remain for part or the whole of the service (we call the service “meeting for worship”). Because much of our weekly worship is silent, first time visitors who bring their children sometimes worry about their child making noise. This is not a concern for us! You and your child/children are always welcome among Westport Quakers in worship.

Do you offer religious education/Sunday School for young people?

Yes! We call Sunday School, First Day School, because Quakers historically recognized Sunday as the first day of the week. Our First Day School program basically follows the regular school year and recesses for the summer months. During the fall, winter and spring months, children begin in worship with their parents and leave as a group about 20 minutes into the service with their teachers. At the end of the hour children rejoin their parents and other adults for a brief time of fellowship and refreshments in our Community House.

What do Quakers believe?

It might depend on which Quaker you ask! Some Quakers, or Friends as we are also known, believe and experience aspects of the Trinity in their devotions and in our services (meeting for worship). Many Quakers refer to the Spirit, as “Light,” or “Divine Presence.” Other Friends within their own spiritual lives do not experience God or Spirit in the typical Judeo-Christian construct at all. Quakers within our meeting (church) strongly support those who are seeking a spiritual experience regardless of how that may come. Some Quakers adhere to the teachings of Jesus (Christocentric) and other Quakers within our community draw their inspiration from other time-honored spiritual paths. We believe, as Westport Quakers, that our community is made stronger and more complete by the diversity of spiritual paths among our members and attenders regardless of race, ethnicity or gender identity. For more details, see the “Faith” section of our book of Faith and Practice. Additional perspectives on what Quakers believe can be explored HERE.

What do I wear to your worship services?

Come as you are! Dress comfortably. In general, Quakers wear everyday clothes to our meeting for worship.  This may range from what you would wear at work in an office to jeans and a t-shirt. You are welcome to join us for worship as you are!

What about parking and accessibility?

We offer off-street parking. Park in our parking lot in the front of our property. We are located in a rural setting without pavement. The walk from the parking area to the meetinghouse is 50 feet or less. Our meetinghouse and Community House are fully assessible with ramps for ease of access. As needed, handicap parking is available just feet from the meetinghouse ramp.

I have a few questions, whom can I contact?

Contact:
Betty Ann Lee, 508-994-1638 | Email: welees@comcast.net
Deana Chase, 508-636-8980 | Email: deanachase@gmail.com
Gretchen Baker-Smith, 508-287-6441 | Email: hellogretchen@gmail.com
Westport Quakers Phone (to leave message anytime): 508-636-4963
Westport Quakers Email: westportquakers@westportquakers.org
Website: www.westportquakers.org
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/westportQuakers/ 

Post Note:

Sources/References for this page derived from:

Westport Monthly Meeting of Friends documents (Westport Quakers)
NEYM Book of Faith and Practice, 1985 edition via NEYM.org. (https://neym.org/)
Friends General Conference (https://www.fgcquaker.org/)
QuakerSpeak.org (http://quakerspeak.com/)