The Quaker Life Network works to nurture the connection, between Quakers, meetings and Quaker Life.
The Quaker Life Network provides opportunities for short term service, shared learning, facilitation and events to support the life and fabric of Quaker communities and spiritual life of Britain Yearly Meeting. The Network links into the work of Quaker Life Representative Council to amplify the learning and experience of Reps to help foster positive change within Quaker communities. The Network also includes a number of groups (clusters) that support role holders or work on specific issues such as mental health or outreach.
About the Network
It creates opportunities for Quakers to volunteer service by expressing interest in tasks that are shared through a regular email. Network clusters are flexible offering connection, peer support or the opportunity for meetings to ask for people to work alongside to develop and grow or support with challenges. We need Friends with enthusiasm, skills and experience and who are willing to receive training for particular roles. There is no minimum time requirement.
To find out more about clusters visit, https://groups.quaker.org.uk/groups/qln/, or email qlnetwork@quaker.org.uk. For some opportunities we ask that Friends offer some detailed information about them-self. This can be done online by visiting:
Please tick the 'Quaker Life Network' box when completing the form
Completing this form can also open up other opportunities for Quaker service such as working on a committee or other longer term service.
Being a Network facilitator
We have opened a Facilitation Cluster to anyone interested. If you want to work with meetings on a one off basis to help them work through challenges and explore opportunities apply here:
Who can join the Network?
The Quaker Life Network is open to all Quakers and Quaker allies. You don't have to be in membership to join. You can subscribe here to receive our email which includes requests, resources, webinars and other content. The email is themed and we aim to send one out at least every few months. You can use the contact form at the bottom of this page to ask for more information.
To find out more about the network view our archive of recent emails (offsite link).
Quaker Life Live
The network runs webinars in the form on online zoom discussions for Friends to explore topics. These allow Quakers from all over the country to connect together online. Webinars are approximately every other week and the themes are linked to Quaker Life Representative Council. The best way to learn about webinars is to subscribe to receive our email but upcoming webinar are also list below.
QL Live: Being ready for children
Tuesday 6 November 2018 19:30-21:00
How can we be ready for children coming to meeting? What might we want children to find when they arrive? What might we need to do to help them feel welcome?
Sign up to Being Ready for children here
QL Live: Young Adults within Quaker meetings
Thursday 8 November 2018 19:30-21:00
An exploration of the barriers, bugbears and joys for young adult Quakers being in local meeting Quaker communities.
Sign up to Young Adults within Quaker meetings
QL Live: Spiritual Nurture: living in the spirit
Thursday 29 November 2018 19:30-21:00
A conversation for anyone interested in: spiritual accompaniment and how we nourish our own spiritual lives as well as the life of our meetings.
Sign up to Spiritual Nurture
Quaker Life in meetings
Being Friends Together
Being Friends Together is a library of online activities, ideas and resources brought to you by Quaker Life and Woodbrooke.
You might contact Quaker Life to
request a Being Friends Together meeting visit. Visits are intended to be a way to support meetings through the planning and discernment process. Visitors will work alongside a small planning team to enable participation by the whole meeting.
Find out more and ask about a visit by using our
online Being Friends Together meeting visit request form.
Make a request to the Quaker Life Network
Meetings can request support from the Quaker Life Network. We can put you in touch with Friends that can help with many things such as speaker events, workshops and support when you meeting having hard times.
Use our
online form to make a request to the Quaker Life Network.
Network clusters
Clusters are groups of network members that are brought together by a common interest. Clusters grow because there is a wealth of knowledge and willingness to serve in an area that Quaker Life Central Committee has discerned to be important enough to 'own' and incorporate into Quaker Life's work.
There is not a set way that each cluster will function. This is intentional so as not to artificially constrain their activities. Each cluster has some input from a member of staff. Most of what they do is initiated by the Friends who form them or in response to a need that Quaker Life Central Committee has identified.
Current topic based clusters include: outreach, facilitation, conflict, end of life, mental health, Godly Play and social media as well as our range of groups for role holders such as the Librarians cluster.
Clusters you might want to join:
Sign up to the Outreach Cluster: News, stories and tips for Quaker Outreach
Sign up to the Godly Play: Resources, news and events for those working with children.
Sign up to receive news from the Mental Health Cluster: The latest news from Friends working to support meetings around Mental Health.
Apply join to the Facilitation Cluster: A group of Friends who offer responsive faciliation on a range of issues.
Sign up to the Peace Education cluster: tips and resources for Quaker peace educators
Join the Property Advice eGroup: Friends involved in looking after Meeting Houses and other property.
For information about other clusters email qlnetwork@quaker.org.uk
Header image © Jean Lyon 2014
