In La Paz, Bolivia, Friends celebrated with a worship service with all the churches in the district in the morning that was live streamed to Friends elsewhere. It included dance as a form of worship, and they held activities with young people, adults and children in the afternoon.

On World Quaker Day, the Lillooet Worship Group of Interior BC Monthly Meeting, Canada attended worship with Moscow Monthly Meeting.  Other IBCMM members and attenders visited Western Australia and other meetings.  We are grateful for the opportunities available on the day.

Winnipeg Monthly Meeting in Canada joined the meeting in Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand (via Zoom).

Iglesia Los Amigos Cuáqueros Gibara, Cuba held a special programme for World Quaker Day at their church including a musical concert for teenagers and young people sharing the biographical memory of ministers and pastors of the Church (Manuela Garrido, Loida Catalá and Ramón Gonzalez Longoria Escalona). Friends and neighbours attended the celebration, joining hands to sing: "Forever Friends" and the call to be light in and for the world.

On Sunday, October 2 for World Quaker Day, Friends from Puerto Padre Monthly Meeting, Cuba Yearly Meeting had a virtual visit on Zoom with Friends from Wellesley (MA) Monthly Meeting, New England Yearly Meeting (USA). Friends were happy to see each other on Zoom and thankful for this opportunity to share together about the conditions in our lives and how we are living our Quakerism in the world today. We closed with a beautiful song of prayer led by Puerto Padre Friends which was an expression of our Bridge of Love that stands strong over the years and the many miles that separate us.

Iglesia de los Amigos, Cuáqueros, Puerto Padre: “Somos un puente también virtual cuando las circunstancias no nos permiten vernos cara a cara. La tecnología completa el milagro y entonces podemos dialogar e interesarnos los unos por los otros. Solo un cristal finísimo nos separa y la distancia de un lado y otro de las aguas se vuelve cercanía, proximidad, abrazo. Como los buenos amigos que somos nos actualizamos sobre lo que nos anima en nuestras comunidades, las proyecciones, los temas que están en el debate necesario, lo que hacemos para que el Reino de Dios sea cada vez más palpable. Expresamos lo que de los jóvenes hablaron este día sobre las huellas que el cuaquerismo ha dejado en el mundo, tanto en sus aportes en la toma de decisiones como en lo que distingue como grupo de fe. Juntos otra vez oramos y cantamos. Supimos que pese a las barreras del idioma, el espíritu es el mismo, la fe la misma y los lazos se hacen más hermosos y reales. Estamos muy agradecidos por este tiempo de comunicación con nuestros amados hermanos de Wellesley. El coro "Cuando el pueblo de Dios ora, suceden cosas" renovó nuestra fortaleza espiritual y nos hizo pensar mucho en como el Espíritu les fortalece a ustedes también. Un abrazo.” - Jorge Luis Pena

 (Translation)

“We are also a virtual bridge when circumstances do not allow us to see each other face to face. Technology completes the miracle and then we can dialogue and take an interest in each other. Only a very fine crystal separates us and the distance from one side to the other of the waters becomes closeness, proximity, an embrace. Like the good friends that we are, we update ourselves on what encourages us in our communities, the projections, the topics that are in the necessary debate, what we do so that the Kingdom of God is more and more palpable. We express what the young people spoke this day about the traces that Quakerism has left in the world, both in its contributions in decision-making and in what distinguishes it as a faith group. Together again we pray and sing. We learned that despite the language barriers, the spirit is the same, the faith is the same and the bonds become more beautiful and real. We are so grateful for this time of communication with our beloved Wellesley brothers. The chorus "When God's People Pray, Things Happen" renewed our spiritual strength and made us think hard about how the Spirit strengthens you too. A hug.” - Jorge Luis Pena

Wellesley Friends and Puerto Padre Friends are Sister Monthly Meetings as part of the Sister Yearly Meeting relationship between New England Yearly Meeting and Cuba Yearly Meeting. “Puente de Amigos”. Intervisitation has deepened our Bridge of Love, which started over 30 years ago. We appreciate the support given by FWCC SOA.

Friends from El Salvador and Guatemala joined together to celebrate World Quaker Day in person, tightening their bonds of brotherhood across borders, enjoying face to face and heart to heart, to share the blessing of belonging to the "Great Family of Friends" and to praise and glorify the name of God together in harmony!

The children enjoyed the World Quaker Day celebrations, learning about Quaker history, worshipping together and sharing the blessings God has bestowed on each of them!

It was the traditional homecoming at Blue River Friends Church, which was celebrating 207 years of worship and service in its community, and there was excitement at being able to have the pitch-in dinner as part of the festivities for the first time in three years. Our pastor used the theme “Becoming the Quakers the World Needs” as a challenge during the message. For lunch and the afternoon meeting we received the McConaughys (who had returned this spring from being FUM’s Program Coordinators for the Africa Missions Office) as well as Mark Tope, the pastor of the Paoli Friends Church, who spoke at the memorial meeting at the old 1815 Hicksite meetinghouse.

Camas Friends Church, USA of Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting gave a message for World Quaker Day on ‘Quakers Becoming Quakers’ (2 Timothy 1:1-17). Listen here. 

Charleston (WV) Friends (SAYMA) welcomed visitors from around the US:  New York (Long Island), Arizona, Pennsylvania.  There was MUCH more ministry than usual for us, which was really uplifting.  The sole African American Friend in the group reminded us of how challenging it can be for her to feel welcome in mostly white Meetings.

At the Earlham School of Religion, our Board of Advisors was meeting, so we held a meeting for worship with Friends from many parts of the USA.  We saw a video of pictures of Friends from around the world, hugged a big blow-up globe, and heard some thoughts on Spiritual Hospitality.  We sang ‘In Christ there is no east or west, in him no south or north, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.’

Friends Meeting of Austin (Texas) held a forum about World Quaker Day and discussed the theme of Becoming the Quakers the World Needs.

At FOJF we received a visit from our General Superintendent and his wife and discussed our travels and connections to Friends around the world. Our pastor has visited Friends in Kenya, Tanzania, and Cuba, and the McConaughys had returned this spring from being FUM’s Program Coordinators for the Africa Missions Office.

Greetings from Grand Rapids Friends Meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. On World Quaker Day, twenty of us gathered for Meeting for Worship and fellowship. Ten Friends attended via Zoom, including  guests from Kenya, Belgium and Venezuela and another ten attended in-person at the Browne Center  on the campus of Aquinas College. Our query during Worship was:  

“In what ways do our Quaker testimonies and processes inform each of us personally and as a Spiritual  community? What is their power in our lives?”  

Following Worship we offered greetings and heard messages from our international guests, and  received updates from our regular attenders. A First Day School report was given with our youngest attender, soon to be two years old, handing out cards made by the children reading “God is Good”.  

Friends attending in person stayed for fellowship over a potluck meal, a tradition we have just now resumed after more than two years. All of us were blessed to share this special day together. We wish all Quakers around the world peace and blessings of the Spirit over the coming year.

Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting celebrating World Quaker Day 2022

Jamestown Friends Meeting was one of the World Quaker Day host meetings. We had 9 visitors join us via Zoom, including one from the UK and one from British Columbia, Canada.  Some were long-time Quakers, some new to Quakerism.  We enjoyed getting to know these friends, and several of them said they had enjoyed worshiping with us.  

Marshalltown First Friends Meeting sent greetings to Friends everywhere for World Quaker Day. 

World Quaker Day was truly a global event for Friends in Settle, England, and Langhorne, Pennsylvania as the two congregations came together for Meeting for Worship electronically. The English folks adjusted their Meeting schedule to allow for the time difference and joined the Langhorne Friends via the internet to settle into worship. In addition to those gathered at the two Meetinghouses were individual Friends and families whose images appeared on a large screen.

Middletown Friends greet Settle Friends at the rise of meeting

Pendle Hill in the USA welcomed visitors from Venezuela, Ireland, Canada, Honduras, Latvia, and the UK to their World Quaker Day worship.

They also released their new podcast The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope in celebration of World Quaker Day, featuring host Dwight Dunston in conversation with Pendle Hill community members, teachers, artists, activists, changemakers, and visionaries, including Rev. Rhetta Morgan, Cai Quick, Eileen Flanagan, and Ricardo Levins Morales. In each episode, guests share the experiences, learnings, and seeds that have transformed and shaped their work, their spiritual journeys, and themselves. Find out more and listen here.

Providence Friends held a World Quaker Day potluck indoors for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic!  We are grateful for the simple opportunity of gathering at a meal with members and attenders on October 2, 2022.  New and "old" Friends shared a meal and took a photo together for your website and also especially for a sister Quaker community in beleaguered Floro Perez, Cuba.

Friends from Saint Louis Friends Meeting, Missouri in the United States sent greetings to Quakers worldwide on World Quaker Day 2022.

Friends Meeting of San Antonio (Texas) celebrated World Quaker Day with our first group photo since Covid began. We also had a brief announcement about FWCC and there was an article about FWCC in our newsletter. Then we had one of our first potlucks since Covid.

Springfield Friends Meeting near Wilmington Ohio USA observed World Quaker Day by hearing a poster presentation on the joy of going to camp at Quaker Knoll.

Amigas y Amigos en todas partes,

Saludos desde varios rincones de la Sección de las Américas: Argentina, Costa Rica, Estados Unidos, Honduras, México y Venezuela. Somos un grupo disperso de Amigas y Amigos de habla hispana que nos reunimos en línea para adoración no programada y convivencia a la manera cuáquera.

El 29 de septiembre de 2022, nos juntamos para nuestra reunión de adoración de cada jueves, como hacemos desde septiembre del 2020. Celebramos dos años de aniversario acompañándonos, en comunión espiritual, fieles esperando y escuchando amorosamente en el Espíritu.

También conmemoramos la ocasión del “Día Mundial Cuáquero”. Después de la reunión de adoración, vimos el vídeo Las diez razones principales por las que soy cuáquero. Tuvimos adoración compartida con el tema de este año:

Convirtiéndonos en los cuáqueros que el mundo necesita. “Ustedes son la luz del mundo. Una ciudad situada en lo alto de una montaña no puede ocultarse”. Mateo 5:14 (BHTI)

Reflexionamos sobre las necesidades en el mundo y de qué formas podemos responder cada uno. Compartimos nuestras experiencias en la comunidad cuáquera. Coincidimos en la importancia de una fe auténtica, humildad y servicio.

Enviamos cariñosos saludos a la comunidad cuáquera del mundo y especialmente de las Américas.