Explorations - Quaker Life in Meetings

What is it?

Quaker Life is offering meetings support in discovering and developing their gifts and strengths

When and why might you find this support useful?

All our meetings go through phases when things are working really well and other times when there are more evident challenges. Whatever phase your meeting is in, appreciating and exploring the positives helps build momentum, release untapped energy and find potential. It can be very helpful if someone not connected with the meeting engages with you in an exploration; ‘Explorations’ is a new Quaker Life initiative which offers meetings an outside facilitator to act as a catalyst in this process.

How will your meeting benefit?

Our experience is that through a shared search for the best of what a meeting has - in its community, its spiritual life, its history, present capacities and future possibilities - new avenues and opportunities can open up. The meeting also draws strength and inspiration from having undertaken the exploration together, and from learning a process that can be used again.

How does it work?

Once we have received the request form, (see attachment below), we will find two Friends to assist with an exploration. These two Friends with particular skills in facilitation will then visit for half a day or an evening to work with a small group or the whole meeting. The purpose of this exploration visit is to initiate a process in the small group or meeting of articulating and appreciating what already works, defining what you would like to happen, envisioning ‘what might be’ and finding next steps forward. You might want to focus on particular areas, or to consider the broader picture.

Expanding Explorations

Quaker Life will be offering Explorations for a further year between September 2011 and August 2012. For more information about this please visit our expanding explorations page.