Due to changes we have had to make to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, please see our calendar on this page for what we are doing now: http://olympiafriends.org/gatherings-groups/calendar/
The information below is what we do once we are able to open the Meetinghouse again.
Sunday Worship
MEETING FOR WORSHIP
We worship on Sunday morning on Zoom and (weather permitting) outside the meetinghouse at 3201 Boston Harbor Road NE, Olympia, WA 98506. Coming from Olympia it is just past Squaxin Park (formerly Priest Point Park) and the intersection of Boston Harbor and Flora Vista roads. In a Quaker Meeting for Worship, we wait in expectant silence, with no planned program, seeking to experience the source of life and truth.
CHILDREN’S PROGRAM
Our children are an important part of Friends Meeting. They join us for the first fifteen minutes of Meeting for Worship, then at approximately 10:15 go to the children’s program, called “First Day School,” with childcare for the youngest.
- Birth through Kindergarten enjoy playtime with childcare provided
- Elementary school children have sessions with activities around a theme related to Quaker testimonies and values
- Central and Junior Friends—Program for Middle School and High School includes sessions, service opportunities, and outings.
The children rejoin us after the rise of Meeting for Worship. During social time there is childcare outside only. Please watch your child while they are in the building after the rise of Meeting.
QUERY SUNDAY
On the third Sunday of each month, a query for consideration, reflection and worship sharing is read during Meeting for Worship. The query for the month is listed in the Newsletter.
SUNDAY SOCIAL TIME
Following the rise of Meeting for Worship and introductions, we enjoy a social time with coffee, tea, and light refreshments.
MEETING FOR WORSHIP FOR BUSINESS
We gather the second Sunday of each month about noon, following a break after Meeting for Worship, for a business meeting in a worshipful setting, guided by the clerk. These meetings include committee reports, discussion, & decision-making. All are welcome. Local Quaker meetings are called “monthly meetings” because they gather once a month to conduct business.
BREAKFAST POTLUCK
Every 1st Sunday of the month, 9 a.m., at the Meetinghouse. Bring something to share, if you can; come join one another for social time and breakfast prior to Meeting for Worship.
SOUP AND SEMINAR
Occasionally, following Meeting for Worship, there is a “Soup and Seminar,” which features a presentation or discussion as well as a light lunch. See the Newsletter and Calendar for the schedule.
See our calendar here.
Regional Gatherings
There are several opportunities for getting to know Quakers beyond the local meeting, at gatherings to which all are welcome, and which include excellent programs for children. These include Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting, North Pacific Yearly Meeting, and Friends General Conference Gathering.
Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting
Olympia Friends Meeting is part of Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting, which includes local monthly meetings and worship groups in Washington and northern Idaho. The Quarterly meeting gathers two weekends a year, the 4th weekend of April and of September. There is ample opportunity for spiritual sharing and fellowship in a beautiful setting. The event is held at a camp in a canyon near Ellensburg, with accommodations available in cabins and space for tents and RVs. www.pnqm.org
North Pacific Yearly Meeting
Our quarterly meeting is part of North Pacific Yearly Meeting, which also includes Quakers from Oregon, Montana, and Idaho. The Yearly Meeting gathers annually for several days in the summer for fellowship and business. This is a wonderful time to meet the broader Friends community in the Northwest.
www.npym.org
Friends General Conference Gathering
Every summer in the first week in July, the Gathering attracts Quakers from across the United States and Canada. Participants enjoy week-long workshops, worship, programs and community for Friends of all ages. For more information, go to: www.fgcquaker.org/gathering