Upcoming Opportunities to Connect with Our Quaker Identity
October 10, 2024
By: Brooklyn Friends School
The Spiritual Life Committee of Brooklyn Friends School is excited to share a few opportunities to connect to our identity as a Quaker School.
Sunday, October 20, 11 am: Meeting for Worship at 110 Schermerhorn
Brooklyn Monthly Meeting (BMM) is extending a special invitation to BFS families and colleagues to the Schermerhorn Meetinghouse on Sunday, October 20. All BFS families are welcome to attend Meeting for Worship any Sunday, but BMM is making special provisions to welcome us on October 20. We hope you will be able to join.
What can you expect at Meeting? Sitting in silence, and then sharing messages that arise from that silence, is an active and lifelong process and discipline in which we connect to stillness and the light within. Adults will share in worship upstairs. Children are welcome to do so as well, or to attend First Day School on the lower floor, where facilitators will explore the concept of SPICES (Simplicity, Integrity, Community, Peace, Equality, and Stewardship). Childcare will be provided for children under 4. There is an optional social hour following Meeting for Worship in the downstairs social room, where all are welcome to enjoy refreshments and get to know members of the community.
Saturday, November 16, 10 am – 3 pm: Cemetery Cleanup in Prospect Park:
Each year, the Brooklyn Monthly Meeting invites the BFS community to an autumn work day, this year scheduled for Saturday, November 16, 10 am – 3 pm. It is a wonderful time to connect with each other in a sacred space, with students, colleagues, and families. A former BFS parent is the sexton of the cemetery, and often leads a tour during the work day as well. The Cemetery s one of the most peaceful places in our city, and it is rarely open to the public (roughly once a month). Please mark your calendars and sign-up for shift here.
Saturday, October 19: Autumn Tree Walk, 11 am
If you are interested in visiting the Cemetery before November, on Saturday, October 19 (also 11 am – 3 pm), there is an autumn tree walk scheduled with an arborist, author, and Friend. It can be a little tricky to find the cemetery your first time, so we recommend reading more here: https://nycquakers.org/ cemetery.
We also recommend you to check out QuakerEd Reads, a semi-monthly newsletter that contains various recommended reads from Friends Council on Education. The link above also takes you to the most recent past issues and archives. The most recent newsletter includes an interview with psychologist Jamil Zaki about how to balance realism with hope.