Quaker Updates

Every year, FCNL staff travel to visit Quaker Yearly Meetings across the country. These are always encouraging moments to connect with Friends, hear their concerns, and share what FCNL is doing to be their voice in Washington.  

Dear Friends,  

As Quaker schools consider their response to world developments and openings for conscience and witness, I’d like to share a reflection from Westfield Friends School. 

In 2025 Annual Meeting, Mary Lou Hatcher guided us in worship. This is part 3 out of 3 of her notes from her worship offering.

In 2025 Annual Meeting, Mary Lou Hatcher guided us in worship. This is part 2 out of 3 of her notes from her worship offering. You can find part 1 here. 

Mary Lou Hatcher guided us in worship in FCNL’s 2025 Annual Meeting, held virtually. Over the next week, we will feature her notes as revised for publication. 

The United Church of Christ has for some years flown a banner saying, “God is still speaking.”   How exactly might Spirit be speaking to us, here, in this virtual room of tiny squares?

As we consider our role of new systems, we are invited to engage in the spiritual practice of loving our neighbor without exception.  

What does it mean to be Still Speaking Truth to Power in 2025?  

The fear, anger, and chaos of this year can feel overwhelming. Yet, as we prepare to gather in November for FCNL’s Annual Meeting, we are reminded that our vision for peace and justice is clearer and brighter than the turmoil around us.

When we asked Friends in FCNL’s network how this theme speaks to them, here’s what we heard. Share your reflections by emailing us at quakers@fcnl.org.  

What a joy to spend a week serving as the Friend of the Week at Quaker House Chautauqua. It was full of deep dialogue, seeking understanding across difference, educating one another on the issues of the day, and building community for a better world.  

For Quakers, faith is not practiced only in a particular building, on a particular day of the week. We are invited to let our lives speak, to demonstrate our beliefs with each decision and action.  

For more than five years the Quaker Changemaker event series has allowed Friends to share how they are practicing their faith through action and advocacy, and how their testimony connects to FCNL’s legislative work on Capitol Hill.