Unami's First Day (Sunday) School Program for Children

 


Unami Meeting nurtures the children of the meeting in the Light in several ways:

  • Intergenerational worship from 11 to noon on the first Sunday of the month (September-June). Programming or messages that arise that day often address some fundamental truth that serves our living at any age.
  • Religious education on the second and last Sunday of the month (September-June, after 15 minutes in the meeting room for worship with everyone). In First Day School, children explore:
    • Quaker history
    • Friends’ processes
    • Friends’ testimonies (beliefs and practices) of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship)
    • Origin stories and practices of the world’s major religions and Native Americans
    • The big and little questions (in Quaker speak, queries) of life 
FDS activities have included:
  • Writing letters to local government about a perceived need in the community
  • Exploring the ecological diversity at a nearby nature preserve that Unami members helped to restore, and removing the trash there as service to the community
  • Using arts and crafts and journaling in reaction to and discovery of a lesson
On other Sundays, children are invited to bring their own activity bags for quiet participation in meeting for worship.


We seek to be a safe and joyful community together:
  • Adults in the First Day School program have state clearances.
  • The meeting has a community safety policy with protocols and appropriate forms (approved June 2025).
  • Annual game-and-pizza nights and all-meeting work days foster a sense of meaning and belonging.
Hello
Hello and welcome to our meeting. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

 

Visiting Unami for the First Time?

If you've never attended a Meeting for Worship, we hope you will come worship with us -- give it a try.   

Many have found help in viewing the "introductory" videos (below) to answer questions that might arise in expectation of a Quaker Meeting for Worship.   


Here's what to expect

What do we do in silent worship?

We come together in silence:
To listen to the Spirit
To grow in our faith
To support each other
To help one another follow the Light within.


Our time together looks like:

Sitting quietly together, adults and children
Speaking as moved by the Spirit
Listening
Shaking hands when worship ends and greeting those around us

 

 

Quaker worship is based on silent waiting, where we expect to come into the presence of the Divine. In this living silence, we listen for the still, small voice that comes from the Divine through the Inward Light.

The essential experience of Friends is that of a direct, unmediated relationship with the Divine. Friends have used many terms or phrases to refer to the inner certainty of our faith: the Light Within, the Inner Light, and that of God in every person.

On Speaking in Friends Meeting for Worship:

  • Allow yourself time to settle into silence.
  • Refrain from preparing messages in advance. A message should come from the Spirit.
  • If a message comes to you, consider whether it is for you alone or to be shared with others.
  • Before you offer vocal ministry, allow time to elapse for a previous message to speak to the Light in others.
  • Speak briefly and from your personal spiritual experience.
  • Speak only once.
  • When you speak, speak so that all can hear you.
  • Be careful about speaking in reply to another's message. Forums and discussions can happen elsewhere. However, themes sometimes do emerge in Meeting for Worship.

Most Quaker meetings, at least in this part of country, are so-called "unprogrammed" meetings.
This means that our meetings for worship are not led by a minister, but are largely conducted in silence.  Typically, a Clerk or other Member of the Meeting will close worship with a simple "Good morning friends" but otherwise the meeting may be completely silent. 




Videos for Newcomers


 

My First Time at a Quaker Meeting
Quaker Silence QuakerSilence-Thumb-TITLE-862x
What Attracts Newcomers to a Quaker Meeting what-attracts-newcomers-quaker
What Do Quakers Believe
 
Glossary of Common Quaker Terms quaker-glossary-terms-FB3
How Quaker Meeting Changed My Life how-quaker-meeting-changed-my-


 

Insight Support, 10/15/2019