Working Together in East Anglia

Friends from each of the six Area Meetings in East Anglia met in February to explore possibilities of working together. The day was facilitated by Lesley Richards, Oliver Waterhouse (Team Leader for LM and AM Governance) and Ellie McCarthy (Local Development Worker for East Anglia).

handwritten words on coloured card on a wooden floor, some words include friendship, learning and community
Words written by Friends during the day about what they value about Quakerism

They shared the things they value about Quakerism – simplicity, social witness, worship, community – and learnt about what was happening in other parts of the country to simplify Quaker structures. An important aspect of the day was getting to know each other better and talking about how the different Area Meetings could work together. Important questions included: how do we support the spiritual life of role holders? How do we build up trust between Area Meetings? How do we communicate effectively?

The worship sharing at the end of the day reflected hope and positivity for moves towards simplification.

Simpler meetings