Affiliations

We are an unprogrammed Quaker meeting affiliated with:​
Friends General Conference (FGC) 
South Central Yearly Meeting (SCYM)
SCYM is well represented within Friends organizations at the national level, including FGC, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) and others.
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All are welcome here!

Many Friends meetings, such as our own, practice un-programmed or "silent" meetings with no formal pastor or liturgy. Meetings in some other branches of the society have more formalized services lead by a pastor.

At our Meetings for Worship we gather in expectant silence, with the intention to open ourselves to the Divine Spirit, which we believe is within and beyond each person.

Our worship has no human leader and no planned program, each person present contributes to the depth of worship we reach as a group.

In some ways it is misleading to call our meetings silent or to say that there is no minister. The Divine Spirit may move anyone present in meeting to rise and speak with those present. This vocal ministry can occasionally even take the form of song.

After about an hour, a member our Ministry and Oversight committee will facilitate the meetings end with shaking of hands, visitor greetings and brief announcements. There is then an opportunity for fellowship

To learn more, here's a great video by Quaker Speak: What to Expect in a Quaker Meeting for Worship.
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​Dallas Friends Meeting is an LGBTQ+ affirming faith group.​

Holding in the Light

"I will hold you in the Light" can be a most welcome promise from one Quaker to another or from a Quaker to any other person. Some may consider it the equivalent to lifting someone up to God, lifting them to light and goodness so they can have hope and peace. Some may consider it to be prayer. Surely it's an expression of comfort and love. A box for anonymous requests will be available at the Meeting House in the library area.

Holding the World in the Light
Please hold all of our brothers and sisters in the Light who are affected by war around the world.

Donations

Dallas Friends Meeting is supported entirely by donations. If you are able, we warmly welcome your contribution. Donations may be made by check (payable to Dallas Religious Society of Friends), PayPal, Venmo, Bank Card, or in-kind.  Visit our GIVE page to learn more. Thanks so much.
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Resources

Weekly Email Newsletter
Our weekly email announcement keeps you informed about weekly discussion topics, social justice and volunteer efforts, community events and resources, and more, join here.

Meetinghouse Food Pantry
Food is available in a large bin under the table. Please take what you need for yourself or share with friends and neighbors in need. Food donations are welcome.

Immigrant Rights Resources
ACCESS and SHARE these "know your rights" guides in English and Spanish from our allies at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

Quaker Speak
For a source of respite and learning, QuakerSpeak.com is a bi-weekly Quaker video project with a focus on the Quaker experience.

Daily Quaker Message
A Quaker devotional curated from diverse sources, including different eras of history and Quakers of different backgrounds, in the form of a daily newsletter. Each newsletter includes a brief contemplative reading or quote, an exercise, a query, and often artwork. You can search the archives or join the newsletter at DailyQuaker.com.

​Quakers – a brief history, Queries and Testimonies

Quakers, also known as members of the Religious Society of Friends, are a religious group which emerged in a time of ferment among Christians in England in the 1650s.  Quakerism is practiced today in a variety of forms around the world.  Quakers seek a direct experience of God and believe the Light of the Divine is within all people.  Seeking to be guided by this Light in their daily lives, Quakers are known for their testimonies of peace, equality, integrity, simplicity and community.

The Society of Friends, known as Quakers, is a world-wide worshiping community with roots in a Christian movement that arose in 17th century England.

THE ESSENCE OF QUAKERS
Quakers believe that there is something of God in everybody and that each human being is of unique worth. This is why Quakers value all people equally, and oppose anything that may harm or threaten them. Quakers seek religious truth in inner experience, and place great reliance on conscience as the basis of morality. We emphasize direct experience of God rather than ritual and ceremony. 

Quakers integrate religion and everyday life. We believe God can be found in the middle of everyday life and human relationships, as much as during a meeting for worship.

Among key Quaker beliefs are:

• God is love
• the light of God is in every single person
• a person who lets their life be guided by that light will achieve a full relationship with God
• everyone can have a direct, personal relationship with God without involving clergy
• Quakers work actively to make this a better world. We are particularly concerned with:
• human rights, based on our belief in equality of all human beings
• social justice
• peace
• freedom of conscience
• environmental issues - Quakers seek to live simply so as to reduce the burden on the world
• community life
  
  

Sacred Texts
Most Quakers regard the Bible as a very inspirational book but they also read sacred books from other religious traditions to help guide their spiritual lives.

Testimonies
Friends believe that the evidence of the workings of the Divine Spirit must be seen in daily behavior and practices of Friends. We call these active expressions of God's love "testimonies."

 As a group, we find that listening to and following God leads to:

• Simplicity—focusing on what is truly important and letting other things fall away.
• Peace—seeking justice and healing for all people; taking away the causes of war in the ways we live.
• Integrity—living as whole people who act on what we believe, tell the truth, and do what we say we will do.
• Community—supporting one another in our faith journeys and in times of joy and sorrow sharing with and caring for each other.
• Equality—treating everyone, everywhere, as equally precious to God; recognizing that everyone has gifts to share.
• Stewardship—valuing and respecting all of God’s creation; using only our fair share of the earth’s resources; working for policies that protect the planet.
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To learn more about the Quaker Testimonies visit: Society of Friends Testimonies Booklet

Dallas Religious Society of Friends
​5828 Worth Street
Dallas, TX 75214, USA