Clevedon Quakers get ready with a Welcome Box
Clevedon Quaker Meeting recently welcomed their youth development worker, Zephyr Blofeld, to worship with them, share his work and a new 'Welcome Box' designed to help Quaker meetings welcome children and young people.
With no established children's meeting, Clevedon Meeting have been pondering how to support a new family and were eager to explore ways to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment. The "Welcome Box" provides a practical and thoughtful way to do just that. It is a box to be filled with things to explore during meeting for worship that may even help children and the young people to centre and find stillness.
There was a warm enthusiastic response and lots of ideas of what to include in the box. Some suggested filling it with “something to explain who Quakers are and what worship is". Others proposed, "things to do during worship." Friends reflected how this initiative, and committing to place the box in a visible accessible spot in the centre during Meeting for Worship could help shift their mindset - from hoping families will come to actively preparing for their arrival.
The'Welcome Box' is a DIY resource that meetings put together themselves. The idea is simple: consciously fill a box with items that can be offered to children and young people to help them engage with worship. This might include books, simple activities, soft toys, or quiet materials for reflection. Every meeting can tailor their box to their needs, making it a flexible and adaptable tool.
Zephyr reflects; "my visit to Clevedon was a lovely reminder of how meetings can make small, intentional steps that can make a big difference to their outlook and send a clear message that children and young people are welcome".